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A rich and fudgy chocolate cake layered with dark chocolate ganache and filled with an easy raspberry filling

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

A rich and fudgy chocolate cake layered with dark chocolate ganache and filled with an easy raspberry filling
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Makes: 10 slices
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Ingredients
  

For the raspberry filling

  • 1/2 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tbsp cornflour or cornstarch
  • 200 gms frozen raspberries (no need to thaw)
  • 2 tbsps caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the cake

  • 200 gms bitter chocolate (70% to 75%), roughly chopped
  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180 gms)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
  • 200 gms butter, at room temp
  • 1 and 1/2 cups soft brown sugar, light or dark (320 gms)
  • 1/3 cup thick plain yoghurt, at room temperature (75 gms)
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature (see notes)
  • 2 vanilla extract
  • 1 cup freshly boiled water (250 ml)

For the ganache

  • 300 gms dark chocolate (50% to 55% cocoa), finely chopped
  • 1 and 1/2 cups whipping cream (preferred, but regular cream is ok too)

Instructions

  • I recommend making the filling and cake the day before you plan to assemble and serve. This gives the filling enough time to chill and thicken, and the cake to cool completely and improve in both flavour and texture.
  • First, making the raspberry filling. In a medium saucepan, add the cornflour and water and whisk till smooth. Now add the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice and give it a quick stir. Place on low heat, stirring often, till the raspberries start to break down and soften. Mash them with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, then bring to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla, then let the filling cool for about 30 minutes at room temperature.
  • Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 6 hours, but preferably overnight so it thickens to a jammy consistency (see photos below). The filling will contain raspberry seeds but it's best not to strain it as it will then be too runny, making it harder to assemble and slice the cake. I think the seeds add a little crunch which is quite nice.
  • Next, make the cake. Preheat the oven to 175 C and grease a 9 inch springform tin.
  • Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave in ten second incremements, stirring between each. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed till light and creamy. Add the yoghurt and beat on low speed to combine.
  • Now add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat to combine. The mixture may appear curdled but it will stabilise in the next step.
  • Next, add the melted chocolate, and beat briefly on low speed until just combined. It will now be smooth and thick.
  • Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt (if using). Fold it all in very gently till only a few streaks of flour remain. Now add the hot water, a little at a time, to prevent any lumps forming, and continue to fold the batter with a silicone spatula. I prefer doing this step by hand as a mixer could cause the hot water to splash here and there and make a mess.
  • If you still see lumps (I often do, despite my best efforts), beat with the hand mixer on low speed for a few seconds until smooth. The batter is slightly runny.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes to an hour, till a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. The cake will dome and crack a bit. Let the cake cool completely at room temperature. The cake can be left out overnight, loosely covered. Before you assemble, chill the cake for 1 hour.
  • Next, make the ganache. Add the chopped chocolate to a bowl and heat the cream in a saucepan on low heat, until just simmering and definitely not boiling (if it's too hot, the ganache will split). Slowly pour it over the chocolate and leave undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes. Then gently stir with a silicone spatula to melt the chocolate completely and end up with a smooth, glossy ganache.
  • Let the ganache cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes until thickened but still spreadable. If chilling for longer, you will need to let it soften once again at room temperature.
  • Assemble the cake. Carefully trim the top of the chilled cake to level it. I prefer to leave the cake on the base of the baking tin itself, but you can carefully lift it off and transfer to a cake platter if you prefer. Next, slice the cake horizontally into two. Lift the top half off carefully with a metal spatula and set aside.
  • Now spread about half the ganache over the bottom half of the cake. Top with all the raspberry filling, taking care to leave a small border around the edge so that when you add the second cake layer, the filling doesn't ooze down the sides. See photos below.
  • Carefully lift and place the top cake layer over the filling. Spread about half of the remaining ganache in a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake, then refrigerate it for 20 minutes so that any loose crumbs are sealed in and the filling firms up as well. Finally, spread the rest of the ganache over the top and sides again for a final coat. I found doing it this way was the neatest.
  • Decorate the top with fresh raspberries if desired and then refrigerate the cake for an hour before slicing. I like to let individual slices sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating as butter cakes firm up a bit when cold but it tastes great straight from the fridge too. Once sliced, store in an airtight tin for 3 to 4 days in the fridge and in the freezer for a month or two. Happy baking!

Notes

Shop this recipe: Bitter Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Brown Sugar, Baking Paper, Cornflour, Caster Sugar, Mixing Bowl, Hand Mixer
*Cake batter from this dense chocolate loaf and an eggless version here! However, the eggless version is a little bit fragile and I have not tried layering it. You could instead try this eggless chocolate cake instead.
*My oven doesn't fit two pans at once and that's why I bake a larger cake and slice it into two layers. You can certainly divide the batter between two 9-inch pans and bake them at once, adjusting the baking time as needed with the toothpick test. If using regular cake tins, not springform, I suggest lining the base with non-stick baking paper which will make unmoulding the cakes easier.
*If you're in India, I used the Delish brand of frozen raspberries which you'll find at most big supermarkets and they also carry fresh raspberries for decoration. Filling based on Sally's Baking Addiction.
*Prep time does not include resting / chilling time.