Dark Chocolate Raspberry Buttercream Cake with Ganache Drizzle

A moist dark chocolate cake is layered with a Swiss meringue buttercream filled with raspberries and then frosted with the same buttercream and topped with a dark chocolate ganache.

Making a layer cake can be time consuming, but is almost always worth it in the end. This dark chocolate cake makes the process a bit easier by being mixed in one bowl. 

The frosting is a Swiss meringue buttercream, which is one of my favorite frostings. It is light and airy with a silky smooth texture and not too sweet. The raspberries add a little flavor and tartness to the already delicious frosting. The frosting written as is, will give you just enough to frost and layer the cake and not a bit extra. If you want more frosting, double the recipe to give you plenty of frosting to work with.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Buttercream Cake with Ganache Drizzle

Ingredients:

Dark Chocolate Cake

• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup dark cocoa powder
• 5 ounces canola oil
• 9 1/2 ounces buttermilk
• 4 eggs
• 9 ounces hot coffee
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup frozen raspberries, thawed

Chocolate Ganache

• 4.5 ounces dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

Dark Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease and line 3-8 inch round cake pans. Dust the cake tins with dark cocoa powder and tap out the excess.
2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa powder. Add in the canola oil, buttermilk, eggs, hot coffee and vanilla. Whisk until well combined, about 2 minutes, batter will be thin.
3. Evenly pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Tap the cake pans on the counter a few times to eliminate any air bubbles.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pans once, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Place the cake pans on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. 

Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Place a mesh sieve over a small bowl and press the thawed raspberries through the sieve. Set the purée aside.
2. Add the egg whites and sugar into a clean stand mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whisk until combined.
3. In a medium pot, just big enough to fit the stand mixer bowl snugly without it touching the bottom, bring an inch or two of water to a simmer. Place the stand mixer bowl in the pot, making sure it does not touch the simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and the sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy, or reaches 160º F on a candy thermometer.
4. Place the bowl on the mixer and whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture has formed stiff peaks and the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, about 5-10 minutes.
5. Remove the whisk attachment and add the paddle attachment. Add the butter in 1 tablespoon at a time mixing well after each addition. Continue to mix until the mixture is smooth. 
6. With the mixer still running, slowly add in the vanilla, mixing until well combined. Then, slowly pour in 1/3 cup of raspberry purée, mixing again until well combined.

Chocolate Ganache

1. Place the chocolate chips into a medium bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat the cream just to a boil. As soon as the cream comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. 
3. Set aside to cool slightly, while you assembly and frost the cake.

Assembly

1. Level off the top of the cakes if they have a dome on them.
2. Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand and spread about 1/2 cup of frosting on top of the cake layer. Repeat with another cake layer. Place the last cake layer on top and frost the entire cake with a crumb coat, thin layer of frosting to seal in the crumbs. Refrigerate the cake to let the frosting set, about 20-30 minutes.
3. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and frost with the remaining buttercream. Return the cake to the refrigerator to allow the frosting to set, about 20-30 minutes.
4. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and starting at the center of the cake and working outwards, pour the ganache onto the top of the cake allowing it to fall down the sides. Refrigerate until the ganache has set.

Enjoy!!!

*Adapted from Pick Yin.