Chocolate Raspberry Cake

In 2005, when I was married, my close friend Joanne made my wedding cake.  It was a "Chocolate Chambord" Cake.  Honestly, it was the best cake I have ever tasted: moist, rich and flavorful.  Years later I asked her for the recipe, I was surprised at how easy it was to make.  My sister-in-law, Chelsea, and I made it for her wedding and it came out great.  I have made some changes to the original recipe and am quite happy with the outcome.

You can use any chocolate cake recipe that you like.  I found a Dark Chocolate Cake recipe from Grandma's Kitchen that I really like.

Dark Chocolate Cake

From the Kitchen of: Grandma’s Kitchen, modified

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• ½ cup Butter, melted
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 cups Water, boiling

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  2) Grease pan(s) and sprinkle additional Cocoa Powder on bottom.  3) Dissolve Baking Soda into boiling Water.  4) Sift remaining dry ingredients into bowl.  5) Add wet ingredients to dry mixture.  6) Mix.  7) Bake approximately 30 minutes. 8) When cool top with desired frosting.

After you make the cake let it cool completely.  Use a wire cake cutter, if you have one, to make the layers level.  Now you can begin to assemble it.  Put one layer on your plate.  Using a pastry brush apply Raspberry liquor to the layer.  Don't be stingy with it.  Any brand will work, Chambord will probably be the easiest to find. 

Next, smooth a layer of seedless Raspberry preserves over the liquor, about 2 tablespoons.  I use Polaner All-Fruit brand.  It has a good consistency and flavor.

Now add fresh Raspberries.  With you fingers open them up by tearing in half so they will lay flat.  Do not chop them, they will bleed if you do and discolor your frosting.

Next, add a layer of butter cream and top with the other chocolate cake layer.  Frost cake and top with remaining raspberries.

Chocolate Raspberry Cake 

From the Kitchen of: Joanne Sappo & Rebecca Molinari

Ingredients

• 2 layers Chocolate Cake
• 2 Tbsp seedless Raspberry Preserves

·         2 Tbsp Raspberry Liquor

·         1 box fresh Raspberries

• Buttercream Icing

Directions

1) Make cake.  2) When cake is completely cool brush raspberry liquor onto one layer.  3) Spread thin layer of preserves over liquor.  4) Break raspberries in half so they lay flat and place over preserves.  5) Spread layer of buttercream over raspberries.  6) Place second layer of cake and frost.