Chocolate Raspberry Cake ~ Deep and rich, this chocolate cake is accompanied with a light whip cream frosting.
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
This recipe is from Cooks Illustrated. By the looks of the recipe, yes, it’s involved and takes some time. Although I can tell you the effort is well worth it.
Deep and full in flavor, it also packs more density than most chocolate cakes. For that reason, I finished the cake with a lighter frosting rather than with one of my favorite buttercream variations. I added the raspberries for a punch of color and for an added shot of tartness to pull all the flavors together.
Trust me when I say this cake will bedevil you. I generally give away most of my baked goods, but with this one I ate 3 out of the 12 mini cakes the recipe yielded in one day. Luckily, self restraint saved me from a day of gluttony. The unfortunate part is it came by way of my 3 year old telling me, “Mom too much chocolate is gonna make you so sick”. Really can anything be worse than your son telling you to stop eating chocolate while trying to give you your disapproving look?
A few notes:
1. The recipe originally calls for a 12 cup bundt pan. I kept the original instructions for the bundt pan, as more people tend to have that then cake rings.
2. If you decide to use cake rings as I have, you will need 12 3×3 cake rings or you can also use two Chicago Metallic Molten 6 cup Molten Pan and More. If you decide to make mini cakes, reduce the bake time to 30-35 minutes, but start checking doneness at 25 minutes.
3. The original recipe suggests dusting with confectioner sugar right before serving. I traded that in for some light whip cream.
| Chocolate CakeYields on 12 cup bundt cake or 12 3×3 mini cakes. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prep pan with bake spray. Ingredients: Cake:
- ¾ cup natural cocoa
- 6 ounces bitterswteet chocolate, chopped
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- ¾ cup water (boiling)
- 1 cup sour cream , room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar (14 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
Whipped Cream Frosting: - 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 11/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions: Cake: - Combine cocoa, chocolate, and espresso powder (if using) in medium heatproof bowl; pour boiling water over and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature; then whisk in sour cream. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in second bowl to combine.
- In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, mixing about 30 seconds after each addition and scraping down bowl with rubber spatula after first 2 additions. Reduce to medium-low speed (batter may appear separated); add about one third of flour mixture and half of chocolate/sour cream mixture and mix until just incorporated, about 20 seconds. Scrape bowl and repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining chocolate mixture; add remaining flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 10 seconds. Scrape bowl and mix on medium-low until batter is thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan, being careful not to pour batter on sides of pan. Bake until wooden skewer inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then invert cake onto parchment-lined wire rack; cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.
Whipped Cream Frosting: - Place heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar and beat mixture until stiff peaks form.
Assembly of mini cakes: - Cut mini cakes in half and cut top of cakes to a flat even surface.
- Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #12 tip. Pipe whip cream frosting on top surface of bottom layer of cake. Place second cake layer on top of whip cream and repeat step two.
- Finish with fresh raspberries on top of whip cream.
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Tagged: chocolate, chocolate cake, dark chocolate cake, raspberry, whip cream frosting
Five eggs! This cake must be very rich. Love the way you’ve chosen to present this, it all looks very elegant!
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Very funny that your son, Naomi. At least you know he’s listening to you! LOL
The little cakes are fabulous. I can easily see why you kept wanting more.
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Sorry –
Apparently my brain is thinking and my fingers are forgetting to type. : )
I meant to say, “Very funny that your son scolded you.”
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Hehehe you better treat your son to some of these delights, or else you might never eat such things again!!
This looks mouth-watering.
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I love these…no wonder you ate three in one day!!!
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Your son sounds so precocious (I love it!) Kids really do have a way of picking up little things (and sometimes the big things) we take for granted and throwing them right back in a way you never expect
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Look so beautiful made as minis. I’ve got a pan that makes 6 mini bundt cakes…this seems to be calling their name!
Wait til your adorable son is in their twenties…I get that stuff all the time; cause you know, she knows more than me. MUCH cuter coming from a 3 year old!
I love the mini cakes. The raspberries on top make them even better!
This looks so elegant and delicious. Love it!
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