Chocolate & Raspberry Cake

Last summer my husband and I were in downtown Seattle, and we stopped in a cute little bakery.  I remember I got a couple little handmade chocolates, and he got a pile of raspberries, covered in chocolate.  and he loved it.  We’ve talked about it a couple of times since then.

So, when I asked him what cake he wanted for his birthday, I wasn’t super surprised that he asked for a chocolate layer cake with raspberry drizzle of some kind.  and I remembered a cake that both my cousin (she has some great step by step photos) and my mom have made and both loved.  I showed him the pictures from the original maker and he gave the stamp of approval. 

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake Makes a three layer 8″ cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Raspberry Ganache (recipe follows)
1 cup raspberry jam (I recommend seedless!)

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare three 8” cake pans with parchment paper and either a flour spray (like baker’s joy) or butter and dust with cocoa.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and mix together to combine. ( I did this in my standing mixer, with the paddle attachment)
• Mix in the oil and sour cream (it will be thick!) then gradually beat in the water.
• Mix in the vanilla and vinegar, then beat in the eggs until batter is combined. (now the batter will be fairly runny.  I was a little nervous, but it turned out great)
• Evenly divide the batter into your 3 cake pans, bake for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in pans for 20 minutes, then flip onto cooling racks and cool completely.
• While your cakes are cooling make the raspberry ganache (recipe is down the page a little bit)
• Once you have all the ingredients, you can start assembling.  Cut your cakes to be level if you want.
• Lay one layer of cake on a plate, and cover the top with 1/3 C raspberry jam.  Spread some of the ganache on top of the jam.
• Repeat with the 2 other layers, including jam on the top.

  *I spread the ganache on top of the jam while it was still fairly warm/runny, then waited until it was more firm to ice the rest of the cake.

• Spread ganache around the outside of the cake.

I love that you can see the yummy raspberry jam swirling throughout the top!

Raspberry Ganache

15 oz chocolate, chopped *
2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 C (2 sticks) butter, cut into pieces

*What kind of chocolate depends on what you like. If you like dark, get bittersweet. If you like milk, get semisweet, or even sweeter. I prefer milk chocolate, so I would recommend somewhere around a 50% cocoa (you can mix and match chocolates to get what you like)

• Bring a small amount of water to simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• While the water is heating, microwave the raspberries in 30 or 60 second intervals, stirring and mashing with a fork in between. Once it becomes more of a liquid than berries, pour through a mesh sieve. You should get between 1/3-2/3 C raspberry sauce. Set aside.
• Make a double boiler: place the chopped chocolate and the butter in a heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan. The bowl should not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate and butter melt.
• Add the raspberry sauce, and stir to combine.
• Take off heat, and let cool until it’s thick enough to spread, stirring once in a while.

This cake is seriously moist.  and delicious. and thank goodness my husband enjoyed it too.