“Can I come back and see you sometime?”
“Long as you bring me some chocolate,” Gramma said, and smiled. “I’m partial to chocolate.”
“Gramma, you’re diabetic.”
“I’m old, girl. Gonna die of something. Might as well be chocolate.”

― Rachel Caine, The Dead Girls’ Dance

“For future reference, Harry, it is raspberry… although of course, if I were a Death Eater, I would have been sure to research my own jam preferences before impersonating myself.”

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Cake:

285g all-purpose flour
1 Tsp baking powder
3/4 Tsp baking soda
1/4 Tsp salt
150g cup unsalted butter, softened
350g granulated sugar
2 eggs
85g unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 Tsp vanilla
295ml water
3 Tsp raspberry liqueur (or framboise)
125ml seedless raspberry jam
Fresh raspberries for decorating
Shaved chocolate for decorating

Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

455g high-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
550ml heavy cream
60ml corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350F/180C degrees. Line two 9×1-1/2-inch round cake pans with parchment paper to prevent sticking and set them aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set the dry ingredients aside.

Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Add the dry mixture and the water alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition, just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans; spread evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Cool cake layers thoroughly on racks.

For frosting, place chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer over medium-high heat; pour mixture over chocolate. Let stand, without stirring, until chocolate begins to melt.

Beginning near the center and working outward, stir melted chocolate into cream until mixture is combined and smooth (do not over stir).

Refrigerate, stirring every 5 minutes, until frosting just barely begins to hold its shape and is slightly lighter in colour.

Place one cake layer, cut side up, on serving plate; spread with half of the raspberry jam. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Spread with about 150ml chocolate ganache frosting.

Place another cake layer, cut side up, on top of frosting; spread with remaining jam. Top with last cake layer, cut side down.

Frost top and sides with all but 150ml of the remaining frosting. Pipe remaining frosting on top of cake. Garnish with raspberries and shaved chocolate.

This recipe can serve 8 people.

Note: The recipes on this site are my original creations or have been adapted from existing recipes with the original sources attributed. All recipes on this site have been tested at least once in my kitchen. Any and all errors are entirely mine.

Copyright© 2016 . All My Nosh . All Rights Reserved