Better Than Store Bought

When Victor asked me to make a birthday cake for his best friend Ryan, I figured it would be a chance to show off my professional skills. Victor of course didn’t help me choose the flavor, so I went with my all time favorite, chocolate and raspberry.

Chocolate Raspberry Celebration Cake

Chocolate Cake:
¾ cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter flavored shortening
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Grease a 13 by 9 inch rectangle cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the shortening, eggs, milk and vanilla and turn the mixer on low. Once the flour is combined turn the mixer on high and beat for at least 5 minutes so that the batter gets fluffy.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for at least 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Vanilla Cake:
2 3/4 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter flavored shortening
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Grease a 13 by 9 inch rectangle cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the shortening, eggs, milk and vanilla and turn the mixer on low. Once the flour is combined turn the mixer on high and beat for at least 5 minutes so that the batter gets fluffy.

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for at least 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Filling:
½ cup egg whites
1 cup sugar
3 sticks butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup thawed frozen raspberries
1 jar of raspberry jam

Combine the egg whites and sugar in a metal bowl. Beat with a balloon whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a pot filled with water and heat on medium heat. Keep beating the eggs to dissolve the sugar and the mixture will start to thicken and turn white. When the grit is gone from the eggs, about 20 minutes later, transfer the egg whites to a stand mixer and beat on high to form soft peaks.

Fold the room temperature butter into the eggs and continue to beat on high. Add the salt, vanilla and raspberries and beat one last time to combine.

Ganache:
1 16 oz bag semisweet chocolate
½ cup heavy cream
2 pints fresh raspberries

Place the chocolate and cream in a metal bowl over a pot of water on medium high heat. Stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completed melted.

Take the chocolate off of the pot of water and set aside till the chocolate thickens enough to work with it.

Assembly:
Cut each cake in half to make four pieces, each 6 ½ inches by 9 inches. Cute each of the 4 cake pieces in half vertically so that you have two thinner layers from each piece. You will have 4 pieces of vanilla and 4 pieces of chocolate cake.
On a wire rack, alternate layers of vanilla and chocolate cake with the raspberry butter cream and the raspberry jam. This makes enough for 1 five layer and 1 3 layer cake or 1 giant 8 layer cake.



While still on the wire rack, ice the cake with the chocolate ganache. Gently transfer the cake to a cardboard cake square and finish decorating with the extra ganache and fresh raspberries. Refrigerate the cake overnight to set. Let the cake sit out for at least one hour before serving.