This Double Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling is the result of my new obsession with The Great British Baking Show.
Over the past few months, I’ve become a big fan of The Great British Baking Show. After all the daily stress involved with just living life right now, I found myself in need of some “light viewing” to help me wind down at night and be able to sleep.
The Great British Baking Show came to the rescue! It’s light and entertaining, and I’ve enjoyed some of the fun personalities of the bakers, as well as learning some new baking techniques.
For Christmas, my daughter got me The Great British Baking Show Cookbook, and I’ve already baked up a few treats from it, including the showstopper of a beautiful cake on the cover, which I made recently for my husband’s birthday. He loves dark chocolate and raspberries, so I knew this was the cake for him!
This would also make a great Valentine’s Day cake. 💕
Measurements
All of the measurements in the cookbook are metric, which is really no big deal if you have a cooking scale. I have THIS one, which you can get for $10-$15, depending on the color you choose.
Line Two 8″ Round Cake Pans
The secret to making a layer cake is being able to get those suckers out of the pans without tearing them! Right? 😂
To accomplish this, make sure you spray the pans well with nonstick spray, and also line the bottoms with a circle of parchment. I just traced and cut the parchment to the correct size. Then I sprayed the top of the parchment too. I wasn’t taking any chances…
Chocolate Ganache
I mean really. 🥰
Chocolate, butter and cream? Yes, please. This is the stuff dreams are made of. And it’s so easy. You’ll be happy you frosted your cake this way, rather than the stuff from a can. No contest.
Assembling the Cake
The best way to assemble the cake is to begin by carefully placing the bottom layer on your serving platter. Then, cut strips of parchment, or wax paper, or even foil, and stick it under all the edges of the cake. This will allow you to frost the cake right down to the bottom without making a mess on your serving platter.
Spread a layer of raspberry jam on top of the bottom layer. You can make your own–it’s just fresh fruit and sugar cooked down until thickened), or use a jar. It will be delicious either way.
Note: The recipe from the cookbook does not have jam in the middle, just ganache; this was my addition because I knew my husband would like it. And, if we’re making it a Double Chocolate (chocolate sponge and chocolate ganache), we might as well make it double raspberry also, to get a proper Double Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling, right? Double Chocolate + Double Raspberry = ❤️
Top the jam layer with a layer of ganache.
It’s already looking indulgent.
Go ahead and gently place the second cake on top, and then frost with the rest of the ganache. As it cools, it will begin to set, and you can get a nice, smooth, glossy coating.
When you’re done frosting, just gently pull those layers of parchment out from underneath, and you have a clean platter, ready for serving!
Topping
Top the cake with fresh raspberries. You’ll want to do this before the frosting sets too much, so the raspberries have something to stick to. Otherwise, they may just roll right off. 😂
Finally, sprinkle a dusting of powdered sugar on top for the finishing touch.
The cake was a hit with not only my husband, but the whole family. Everyone asked for extra slices to take with them.
Double Chocolate Layer Cake with Raspberry Filling
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 6 TBSP very hot water
- 1¾ cups unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup brown sugar packed
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 4 TBSP whole milk
For the Filling:
- ½ cup raspberry jam homemade or from a jar
For the Ganache:
- 1 TBSP unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 heaping cup dark chocolate chips 60%-70% cacao
For Decorating:
- 2 pints fresh, whole raspberries
- powdered sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Spray two 8" round baking pans with cooking spray, then line the bottoms of each with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder with the very hot water, and mix until smooth.
- Beat the butter and both sugars in a stand mixer, on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, or until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl. Add the cocoa paste and mix again until combined. Mix in milk until smooth.
- Divide the mixture equally between the lined baking pans and smooth with a spatula.
- Bake on the middle oven shelf for 30 minutes, until well-risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- To make the ganache, place the butter and chocolate chips in a bowl. To a medium saucepan, add the cream and sugar and heat to a low simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
- Allow to cool for 30 seconds, then pour over the butter and chocolate in the bowl. Stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool and thicken slightly, approximately 5 minutes.
- Place one layer of cake on serving platter and top with 1/2 cup rapsberry jam, smoothing evenly over entire layer with a spatula.
- Add 3 tablespoons of chocolate ganache on top of the raspberry jam, and smooth evenly to the edges of the cake.
- Top with the second cake, then cover the top and sides with the remaining ganache.
- Top finished cake with whole raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar to serve.
Notes
Pin for Later!
This is a fun cake, perfect for celebrations….birthdays, anniversaries, holidays. But, it’s really not too difficult to make, so don’t hestitate to whip it up for no other reason than to satisfy your chocolate craving, or to surprise your family.
We need some of these small comforts right now… ❤️🎂🍫
PS. If you’re a chocolate cake lover, you might enjoy my Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake, too. Trust me, you’ll never know it has zucchini in it!
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The Great British Baking Show: Love to Bake
Totally yummy! Thx for posting this one!
I love the addition of jam in the middle to break up all the chocolate. Your cake looks amazing. We call the show the Great British Bake Off and I have a few of the books. I used to bake along each week but I don’t get to bake so often now.
Your cake sounds and looks amazing! Thank you for showing is how to make it. #MMBC
Oh my days, this looks amazing Niky! And I couldn’t agree more, we certainly do need these small comforts right now. Pinned for later.
Have a lovely weekend. x
Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn
That’s a gorgeous cake! It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day. Thanks for linking up! #fiestafriday
Whoa, Niky! What an indulgent treat! Beautiful and sounds yummy, too. Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm. Pinned! xo Kathleen
That looks delicious! I love the pairing of dark chocolate and raspberries and we use ganache on just about anything we can; it’s the best. We enjoy watching the Great British Baking show too. My middle son is taking culinary classes at his high school and they are told to use scales for everything so I am trying to get accustomed to weighing out my ingredients too since most of his recipes are in metric now. Thanks for sharing with us at Encouraging Hearts and Home. Pinned.