Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Chocolate Ganache

For this week, I bring to you my special sweet treat - Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Chocolate Ganache. This cake is sure to win the hearts of everyone - its rich, has lots of Chocolate and is super soft. Although this looks like a huge cake, believe me the knife runs through it like butter. Smooth and creamy, it is everything you love in a cake, together. The best part is, this cake can be baked in advance, like I did this time, and it just gets better every day. Keep it in the fridge and eat the leftovers for a week.

If you have already read my article - A Special Day, you know how much I love planning and celebrating birthdays. So obviously I started bugging Debarshi about two months prior to his birthday to make plans. I love to bake and his birthday was the perfect opportunity for me to try a new recipe. Last year I tried baking a Pecan Cake with Rum Frosting on his birthday which turned out to be pretty good so this year I was really excited and feeling confident. I decided to step up my baking game and told Debarshi that he can choose any cake and I will bake it for him on his special day.

(Happy Birthday Dr. Debarshi on a Pecan Cake with Rum Frosting)

Finally, Debarshi told me his wish for this year’s birthday cake which was Chocolate Raspberry. Now, Raspberry is not an Indian fruit and although I won’t be surprised to see it in the grocery shops in metropolitan cities these days, I would like to describe its taste and appearance to all my readers who have never actually tasted or seen a Raspberry.

Raspberry is a berry just like blueberry or blackberry. It has a delicate sweet taste and a subtle tart undertone. I love the texture of Raspberries; they are so tender, just a little pressure is enough to crush them and let me tell you something interesting, Raspberry is actually a member of the Rose family which may be the reason for its fragrance. Raspberries are easily perishable so do not buy them in advance. Wash them before using and do not keep them at room temperature for too long.

I used fresh red raspberries for decorating the cake and I am mentioning the color because they come in different colors like black, purple and gold. You can use whatever color you like best. Do not get this confused with Blueberries or Blackberries as they have a slightly different taste.

Let’s talk about the flavor blend - Raspberry and Chocolate, this combination is almost a match made in heaven. I have had Chocolate Covered Strawberries quite a few times but the flavor of Raspberry with Chocolate is so unique, it just touches your soul. Debarshi loves this combination and it is almost an unsaid rule that whenever we are buying ice creams we get a pack of Magnum Raspberry Chocolate Ice Cream Bars. So when Debarshi asked for a Chocolate Raspberry cake, I said, “Challenge Accepted!”

Now my favorite method to look for a recipe is browsing online. I find it fun and quick. Isn’t it wonderful to have the whole world to help you find that unique recipe you are pining to cook and eat? So I did some research and finally settled on this recipe.

This recipe overall seems quite complex to start with. There are two layers of cakes and homemade Chocolate Ganache with a Raspberry topping. You must be thinking this sure looks yummy but can I get it readymade somewhere? Worry not, all you need to do is get all the required ingredients and tools and follow the recipe step by step. Do not get overwhelmed and give it a casual try first time. That is exactly what I did a month back when we had another reason to celebrate. I don’t know how but Debarshi knew that I have already found a recipe for his birthday cake and he told me to give it a try. I was happy like a kid with an ice cream, we got everything and I started baking the cake. After 4 hours of working on it, we finally had our first bite of this beautiful cake and I cannot describe it in words how mesmerizing that moment felt to us. Truly decadent!

This cake is perfect for big celebrations. The warmness of the Chocolate with the fruitiness of the Raspberries slowly melts in your mouth, your tongue feels that silky touch, your eyes and hands focus on cutting your next bite. It’s like every sense of the body only feels one thing – “This is so good!” So believe me when I say, it is worth putting those few hours of your precious time for this cake because what we get in return is truly out of this world and the happiness that we prepared it ourselves from scratch is truly incomparable.

“Happiness is knowing there is Cake in the oven”.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

Dry Products:

• All Purpose Flour - 2 Cups
• Sugar - 1 and ¾ Cups 
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – ¾ Cup 
• Baking Soda - 2 Teaspoons 
• Salt – ¼ Teaspoon 

Wet Products:

• Water - 1 Cup 
• Buttermilk – ¾ Cup 
• Vegetable Oil – ¾ Cup 
• Eggs - 3 Large 

Others:

• Cake Pans - 2 of 8.5* 1.5 Inches 
• Vegetable Oil Spray – 1
• Parchment Paper – 1
• Wisk – 1
• Spatula – 1
• Cake Stand or a Heavy Big Plate
• Piece of cardboard or a thick paper plate

For the Chocolate Ganache and Raspberry topping:

• Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (60% Cacao) - 18 Ounces
• Heavy Whipping Cream – 2 and ¼ Cups 
• Seedless Raspberry Jam or Preserve – 3 + 3 Tablespoons 
• Fresh Red Raspberries – 1 Box
• Powdered Sugar – ¼ cup 

Let’s bake the Cakes:

For this cake we will be baking two layers which means we will be using two cake pans. Now you can get two Springform cake pans. I prefer to use two round aluminum cake pans. 

• Let’s cut the Parchment Paper. Place the Pan on the Parchment paper and draw a circle on the outer edge of the pan.
• Coat the cake pans with the nonstick spray. 
• Line the bottoms with the Parchment paper rounds and spray the rounds. 
• Take a large bowl and sift all the dry products (All Purpose Flour, Sugar, Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Baking Soda, Salt) into it.

• Whisk to blend and form a well in center. 
• Take a medium sized bowl and whisk all the wet ingredients together (Water, Buttermilk, Vegetable Oil, Eggs).
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients (the well ensures the wet ingredients do not flow all over the bowl but just inside). 
• Whisk just to blend (this is important do not over mix). 
• Divide the cake batter between the two prepared pans (about 3 cups each).
• If you are using the aluminum pans, its best to put them on metal pans first then slide in the oven. This ensures a better grip when removing from the oven. Use a big cookie or pizza pan. Place the pans on the bottom rack of the oven.
• Bake the cakes for about 30 minutes. I use a tooth pick to check if the center has been cooked. Very carefully insert the toothpick into the center and pull it out. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is ready. Otherwise, cook for a couple more minutes and don’t forget to use the timer every time.
• After 30-35 minutes (or whenever the toothpick comes out clean), its time to take out the cakes from the oven. I recommend slightly pulling the rack outside the oven so that we can get a better grip while holding the hot pans. Place them on cooling racks.
• I usually wait for about 5-10 minutes then remove the cakes from the pans (run a short knife around the edges to release the cakes) and invert them on the cooling racks. This ensures the cakes do not have a soggy bottom.
• Peel the parchment paper.

Let’s make the Chocolate Ganache:

• Take a microwave safe medium bowl.
• Add the Chocolate Chips in it.
• Add Heavy Cream in it and place it inside the microwave.
• Bring the cream to a boil about 3-4 minutes. 
• Take the bowl out from the microwave (careful its hot!)
• Let it stand for a minute
• Now let’s start the stirring and remember this is important. We need to stir it slowly, gently and continuously so that the chocolate mixes well with the cream. Believe me this makes a shiny ganache. Keep stirring until the Ganache is all melted and smooth. 
• Cover and refrigerate for about an hour until the Ganache is thick enough to spread. Stir occasionally. If the Ganache gets too firm in the fridge, heat it in the microwave for about 30 – 40 seconds. It should be thick enough to easily spread on the cake with a spatula.

Tip: Use a whisk to mix the chocolate chips and Heavy Cream smoothly and quickly.

Time to assemble the yummy Cake:

All right, do you have a cake stand? If no, then use a heavy big plate. If yes! Awesome!

• Take a piece of cardboard and cut it in a round shape (of cake’s size). I didn’t have a cardboard so I used a thick paper plate. Cut it to fit the bottom of the cake. Place it on the cake stand or the plate.
• Place the first layer of cake onto the cardboard round or paper plate. I ensure the bottom part of the cake (the part with the parchment) is now on top. I carefully trim the dome shape formed on the top of the cake and turn it upside down so that the perfect flat shape is in the middle. This ensures the Ganache and the Jam are perfectly spooned over the layer. This also ensures a firmer stability between the two layers.
• Now let’s spread 3 tablespoons of Raspberry jam over this layer. Using a spatula spread the jam evenly all over the top of the layer. Now pour about ½ cup of chilled Ganache over the layer and spread evenly.
• Place the Cake inside the fridge for at least 15-20 minutes so that the ganache layer sets. I did this twice because this layer should have 1 and ¼ cups of ganache on it. 
• The second time I poured the remaining ganache on it and after spreading it evenly, I placed the second layer of the cake onto this frosted cake layer. Keep in mind that the bottom part of the second cake layer (the part with the parchment) is now in the middle. If the cake top has a dome shape, you may trim it a little. 

• Place the cake back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Now let’s spread the remaining 3 tablespoons of Raspberry Jam over the top of the second cake layer. If the ganache is too thick to spread, melt it a bit in the microwave. Pour about ½ cup of barely lukewarm Ganache over the cake, spreading over the sides to cover. Place the cake back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
• Now pour the remaining Ganache over the cake, allowing to drip down sides. Keep spreading it evenly with the spatula over top and sides for an even coverage and to smooth the edges. 
• Arrange the Raspberries in circles on top of the cake. 
• Sift Powdered Sugar lightly over Raspberries and place the cake back in the fridge till you are ready to serve.

Tips:

• I created a molten wax effect on Debarshi’s birthday cake by using White Chocolate Chips. I mixed a 16-ounce packet of White Chocolate Chips with about a cup of Heavy Cream and heated them in the microwave till the cream was boiling hot. Then I gently stirred it till the chocolate melted and poured it over the cake using a fork. Try it, its fun.
• While baking the cake, do not forget to start a timer for 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the timer.
• If you do not have Buttermilk, mix Yogurt with some Heavy Cream and mix well, its consistency should be like the Buttermilk. Usually ½ cup of Yogurt with ½ cup of Heavy Cream does the work.
• One of the best things I like about this cake is the time. For Debarshi’s birthday, I baked the cake in the morning and placed them on the cooling racks. When they got completely cooled, I started the Ganache. Remember the more time you put in the cake, the more delicious it will be. One step at a time.
• Its important to keep a space all cleared out for transferring the hot pans from the oven. I usually transfer them on a cooling rack on the kitchen counters.
• Do not skip the cooling rack stage otherwise the cake bottoms will become soggy.
• If you are using aluminum pans, you may want to cut the sides of the cake for an even round shape.
• The bottoms of the cakes will be in the middle on top of each other this ensures a better balance and you can easily put Jam and Ganache on it.
• Use a cake stand with cover. This is a really handy thing, makes it easy to pour the Ganache and assemble the cake and looks great while serving.
• If you have a kid interested in baking, ask them to help you out to spread the Ganache. Afterwards they can have the spatula and the bowl to lick and enjoy.
• Cover the cake with the cake dome whenever you are keeping it the fridge. This is a beautiful cake and the dome prevents any mishaps.
• Remember that the baking time will change if you are changing the pan size. So keep an eye on it.
• Its important to use slightly lukewarm Ganache otherwise you will have difficulty spreading it. it melts quickly so do not set any long microwave timers.
• The thick paper plate on the bottom of the plate comes very handy. It prevents any scratches on the serving platter and the cake holds beautifully on it.
• A new baker may feel tempted to apply the second layer of Ganache too soon. Have patience and let the ganache chill properly.
• If the room temperature is too warm the ganache will start to melt so keep it a bit cool and as soon as you are finished spreading the Ganache, transfer the cake to the fridge without any delay.
• To sift the powdered sugar over the raspberries, use a salt shaker or a tea strainer.
• I substituted the sugar with zero calorie sugar (Truvia) to cut down let’s say a few hundred calories.

Debarshi is happily cutting his birthday cake – Chocolate Raspberry Chocolate Ganache cake with molten wax effect (made with White Chocolate)

Recommended Reading:

• A Special Day
• Remember the characteristics of a good quality Cake
• Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake
• Pecan Cake with Rum Frosting
• Basic Kitchen Measurements
• Chocolate Coconut Cake (with Coconut Pastry Cream filling and Buttercream Frosting, topped with Chocolate Glaze and Toasted Shredded Coconut)
• Chocolate Sponge Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream (decorated with shaved chocolate and Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting)
• Black Forest Gateau
• Boozy Christmas Fruitcake
• Mary Berry’s Chocolate Apricot Cake (Homemade Sacher Torte)
• Mary Berry’s Victoria Sandwich Cake
• Martha Stewart’s Classic Pound Cake