Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake

By jenniferj

OK! This is the best chocolate cake ever-- especially if you like moist, dense, and very chocolatey!!

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (Add 1/4 C more for higher altitudes)
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 C raspberry jam
• Raspberry Ganache (recipe follows)
• Ganache:
• 15 oz Peters Milk Chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 C cream
• 8 oz (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8″ cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Spray again.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the oil and sour cream, then gradually beat in the water. Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix to combine, and finally beat in the eggs until the batter is well combined. Divide among two cake pans.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. Cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and peel off the parchment paper, letting the cakes cool completely. These cakes are very soft, and it helps to freeze them for 15 minutes at this point. While the cakes cool, make the Raspberry Ganache.

If the cakes are not flat, use a serrated knife to even the tops. Place one layer onto a parchment-lined cardboard cut out and spread 1/3 cup raspberry jam. Cover the jam with a thin, 1/4″ thick layer of raspberry ganache. Top with the second layer and repeat. Then invert the final layer and place on top.

To frost the cake, start with a crumb coat: barely cover the entire cake with a thin, see through layer of ganache. This is to help create a smooth finish later. Chill the cake for 10 minutes.

Frost the cake with the remaining raspberry ganache and top with fresh raspberries. I would recommend leaving the cake at room temperature to prevent the ganache from becoming too brittle.

Ganache Directions:

Place the chopped chocolate and the butter in a large heatproof bowl and set over a double boiler or in the microwave for short intervals just until melted. Stir until the chocolate and butter melt, then gradually add in the cream.

Take the ganache off the heat and let cool until spreadable, stirring once in a while.