Eat your heart out Betty Crocker: Double Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake

Finished product! I added chocolate chips around the top for fun.

Okay, it's been a while since my last post, but now that a slight (very slight) chill is in the air, and it feels a little more like fall, I've cranked the oven back up.   I wanted to make a decadent cake for my dad's birthday this weekend, and made a triple layer chocolate raspberry cake with chocolate ganache frosting!  It was delish! Now, I will say a scratch cake like this is a lot of work....I may try a boxed mix next time :)

Ingredients:

For cake layers:

• 3 ounces chocolate chips (semi -sweet)
• 1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting:

• 1 pound  semisweet chocolate chips (note:  If you bought a 24 oz bag, you'll use 16 oz for the frosting and 3 oz for the cake....leaving you some extra chips - hey, I'd just eat them or throw them in with the cake or frosting, or garnish the cake later - how could that hurt?)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

For raspberry filling:

• 1 jar of raspberry preserves (I draw the line at making my own raspberry filling, but there are recipes out there if you want)

Directions:

 

Make cake layers:

Preheat oven to 300°F and grease three 8" or 9" pans

Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper (generously with cooking spray)

Put 3oz of chocolate chips in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl whisk or sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer).

Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well.

Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.

Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Note: I made the cakes on a Friday, let cool completely and wrapped in plastic wrap. I tackled the frosting on Saturday.

Make frosting:

In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved.

Remove pan from heat and add 1 lb of chocolate chips, whisking until chocolate is melted.

Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable

I put in the fridge for a while to harden up (about 20 minutes to start)

Assemble:

• If the cake layers have a "dome" on them, then cut it off with a knife so the layers stack better. 
• Spread raspberry preserves (generously) between layers and on top
• Spread ganache filling over cake...then put in cake and extra frosting in fridge (my frosting was still a little "soft" at this point).
• Repeat about 2-3 times...you'll keep re frosting the cake/smoothing it with the additional frosting (if you have extra frosting, it's ok...i used it all though!) as it hardens and gets easier each time - put frosting and cake back in fridge etc and repeat

Here's the first attempt at frosting it.






Here's my final product

• Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Enjoy!