Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling

A decadent chocolate cake made with coffee, cocoa, and buttermilk is filled with a sweet raspberry filling and frosted with creamy chocolate ganache for a rich and easy dessert.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr
• Calories: 736 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 cups white sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 lemon, zested
• 3 (1 ounce) squares fine-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 (20 ounce) packages frozen raspberries, thawed
• 0.5 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 0.5 cup white sugar
• 0.75 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 0.75 cup vegetable oil
• 1.25 teaspoons salt
• 0.75 teaspoon baking powder
• 1.5 cups hot brewed coffee
• 1.5 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1.5 cups well-shaken buttermilk
• 0.5 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Step 2

Combine chopped chocolate and hot coffee in a bowl. Stir occasionally until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Step 3

Sift sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.

Step 4

Beat eggs in a bowl using an electric mixer until slightly thickened and lemon-colored. Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and melted chocolate mixture. Beat until well combined. Add sugar-flour mixture; beat on medium speed until just combined. Divide batter between the prepared cake pans.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks, about 30 minutes. Invert layers onto racks.

Step 6

While cakes are cooling, bring heavy cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over low heat in a small saucepan. Whisk until sugar dissolves. Add chocolate; whisk until melted. Add butter; whisk until smooth. Let ganache frosting cool until spreadable, about 10 minutes.

Step 7

While frosting and cakes continue to cool, puree raspberries in a food processor. Press through a fine mesh strainer with the back of a spoon into a saucepan. Pour in sugar and cornstarch; bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Cook until thickened and reduced, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in lemon zest. Remove raspberry filling from heat.

Step 8

Cut each cake layer in 1/2 horizontally to produce 4 equal layers. Spread 1/3 raspberry filling onto each of 3 layers and stack. Place top layer onto cake. Spread ganache frosting evenly from center of top layer down the sides of the cake.