Dark Chocolate and Raspberry Cake Recipe

This dark chocolate and raspberry cake is one of my absolute favourite cake recipes and it’s pretty popular with clients too. Chocolate can be really rich on its own and I like using raspberry to offer some freshness to the flavour. This dark chocolate and raspberry cake recipe provides the perfect balance between the two.

The Sponge

This is for an 8″ round triple layer cake

400g caster sugar

400g margarine

8 eggs, beaten

375g self-raising flour

50g cocoa powder

1 tbsp vanilla essence

1. Grease and line with baking parchment three 8″ round tins. Heat the oven to 180c, 160c with a fan oven.
2. Beat the margarine and sugar until pale, light and fluffy.
3. Add in the vanilla essence and eggs. The mixture may well split at this point and you can add a spoonful or two of flour to prevent this.
4. Add in flour and cocoa powder and mix until well combined.
5. Divide equally between the three tins and bake for around 25-35 minutes until well risen until a knife inserted comes out clean.
6. Leave to cool in the tins for five minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack, removing the parchment paper and leaving to cool completely.
7. Once cool wrap in cling film and set aside.

The Ganache

Ganache is an important part of this cake and it’s vital you use a decent quality chocolate when you make it.

150g good quality Belgian dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces if not using chocolate drops

75g double cream

1. Put the cream and chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl and melt on high in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, and put on for another 30 seconds. Keep going until the mixture is smooth, glossy and well combined.
2. Set aside and allow to cool until it becomes like a spreadable paste, a bit like toothpaste!

The Buttercream

250g unsalted butter, softened

500g icing sugar, sifted

Raspberry puree to taste, or fresh raspberries if you’re planning on eating the cake quite quickly!

1. Beat the butter and icing sugar together until it is really pale and fluffy. If have a standing mixer, then use it or you’ll end up with an overdeveloped right arm!
2. Add in raspberry puree to taste. Be careful not to add in too much as it can make the buttercream too sloppy. If you wish to augment the flavour you can always add in freeze dried raspberry powder or some raspberry essence. The best one I have found comes from Uncle Roy’s. Unlike others on the market, it has a natural taste rather than a chemical, false one.

Assembling the Cake

This is the fun part!

1. Spread a generous layer of ganache on the first layer. Allow to set.
2. Next, spread a layer of buttercream about half an inch thick.
3. Add the second layer sponge and repeat steps 1 and 2.
4. Finally, add in the last layer of sponge.
5. Pipe more buttercream on top and decorate with raspberries if you want to keep it nice and simple. If you want a more fancy cake you can spread buttercream across the entire cake and add a chocolate drip effect to the top of cake.
6. Decorate with swirls of raspberry buttercream, freeze dried raspberry pieces and more dark chocolate chunks or drops.

Of course, if you don’t fancy making it yourself you can always order one from us!