Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake

This was my birthday cake this year and I'd say I spoiled myself!  I haven't indulged this much in a long time! But birthdays for me are that time of year where you can break all the rules, eat whatever you want make it all about YOU.  It's ok for one day a year....tomorrow I can go back to everything being about mostly everyone else (just fine by me), and eating more green things than brown (aka chocolate).  In my defense I did drink a green smoothie today AND ate a green salad as my dinner...so it all balances out right?

So, I think I actually wanted to make this cake for my birthday two years ago but it didn't happen, and last year either, so this was the year.  I do have to admit that while I love the cake as a whole, the chocolate cake recipe I used is not my favorite, a bit dense and crumbly for this type of cake. So, the chocolate cake recipe below is one I've made for a previous cake, and is lighter with a more tender crumb. 

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake

for the cake:
1 3/4 cup plus all-purpose flour
12 Tbsp. dark cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

for the ganache filling:
4 oz. heavy cream (1/2 cup)
4 oz. dark chocolate, chopped

for the raspberry filling:
1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. water

for the raspberry buttercream:
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
4 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. strained raspberry puree (need about 1/4 cup frozen raspberries)

for the chocolate glaze:
2 oz. dark chocolate
2 oz. heavy cream (1/4 cup)
2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract

for garnish:
a small handful of fresh raspberries (about 3 oz.)

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Grease and flour the edges of 2, 9-inch, round cake pans, shaking out the excess flour. Line the bottom with a round of parchment. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, oil and eggs. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated. Blend in the buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour, up to overnight. (note: I usually bake the cake part the night before and once it's cooled, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge so it's nice and firm to work with the next day.)

Next, prepare the raspberry and ganache fillings.  In a small saucepan boil raspberries, sugar and water.  Boil about 5 minutes, until mixture thickens slightly. Set aside to cool.  For the ganache, chop chocolate and place in a bowl.  Bring cream just to a boil then remove from heat and pour over chocolate.  Cover with a clean plate and let sit about 4-5 minutes.  Stir chocolate and cream together until smooth and allow to cool a bit.

While ganache is cooling, carefully cut each cake round in half vertically, making two layers. (note: you may have to level your cake off a bit first.)  Place bottom layer of one cake round on a cake plate or other flat serving dish. Pour half of the raspberry filling on the layer and spread out just about to the edges.  Replace the top layer of first cake round, making sure edges are even and flush with each other.  Next, pour the ganache over the layer you just placed down and spread it evenly out all the way to the edges.  Refrigerate until firm, about 10-15 minutes. 

Remove cake from fridge.  Next take the TOP layer of the remaining cake round and invert it over the ganache layer.  Spread the other half of the raspberry filling on top, then place the last layer of cake on top of the raspberry filling BOTTOM UP!

Next prepare raspberry buttercream.  Puree about 1/4 cup raspberries and strain through either cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve.  (note:you can also boil them a minute or two to get more juice out of them.) Set aside to cool.  In a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, place butter and whisk about 2 minutes.  Add strained raspberry puree and powdered sugar and whisk again another 2-3 minutes, until light an fluffy. 

Crumb coat the cake.  Take a very thin layer of frosting and coat top and sides of cake.  Chill about 10 minutes.  Remove cake and frost the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the frosting.

To make the glaze prepare chocolate and cream as for the ganache.  Stir chocolate and cream until smooth and combined.  Add in corn syrup and vanilla extract.  Allow to cool a bit; enough so that you can pour it and it will make it's way slowly over the edge, but not so thin that it all goes over quickly. Pour glaze; allow to drip over edges.  Garnish with fresh raspberries and chill about 10 minutes before serving. 

(yes, that is finger swipe in the frosting; my daughter's to be exact!)

 

 

 

 

SOURCE: Inspired by Annie's Eats