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Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Rich fudgy dark chocolate cake layers with a raspberry chocolate mousse filling all covered in dark chocolate ganache frosting, then topped with fresh raspberries. This is a chocolate-lover's dream!
Ingredients
Cake batter:
- 2 cups (284g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (56g) cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (60ml) sunflower oil
- ⅓ cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ cup (180ml) full fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) hot coffee
- ½ cup (85g) mini dark chocolate chips
Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
- 1 cup (237ml) 35% whipping cream
- 3 tablespoon (45ml) honey
- 2 tablespoon (28g) unsalted butter
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 10 oz (284g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ cup (120ml) full fat sour cream
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Filling:
- ¾ cup 180ml Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- ½ cup 120ml 35% heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup 60g fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the base with rounds of parchment paper. I never need to grease the sides of my pans, but you can brush with melted butter or oil and dust some flour over it. Tap out the excess flour.
- Make the cake batter. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt and whisk to blend well.
- Combine eggs, oil, melted butter, sour cream and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well. Pour it into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium-low until blended. It will be thick and somewhat dry. Add the hot coffee gradually in two stages to minimize clumps forming and beat until evenly combined and the batter smooth. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
- Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 24-28 minutes until cakes spring back when pressed gently and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto the rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat 1 cup of cream in a small saucepan until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour it over the chocolate in the bowl. Add honey or corn syrup, butter, vanilla and salt and whisk gently until smooth and glossy. Whisk in sour cream. Cover the bowl, place it in the freezer and stir every 5 minutes until thickened but not stiff. It will take 30-40 minutes. If you use the fridge it will take over an hour. Place the bowl in the fridge for about 20 minutes until thickened. Do not leave it in much longer or it will set up firm. If it is still really runny, then place it back in the fridge for another 5 minutes. Once thick like warm pudding, beat with a whisk until thick and lightened a bit. Stop whisking if it starts to look matte and thick - just whip a few times but it should still stay glossy. It will firm up as you spread it.
- Make the filling. Take ¾ cup of the frosting and place in another medium bowl. Whip the remaining ½ cup of cream to firm peaks and fold it in. Mash up ½ cup (60g) of raspberries with a fork and fold it in. Spread most of this filling over one cake layer. Scatter some fresh raspberries over the filling, then spread a bit more of the chocolate mousse over top to seal them in. Place the second layer on top.
- Use the frosting immediately. Spread it over cooled cake layers right away and avoid spreading around too much which will make it stiffen up.
