white chocolate raspberry layer cake with white chocolate buttercream

Ever since I saw this cake in September 2010, I knew I wanted to make one like it for my daughter's first birthday.  I had a few different things I wanted to do, and I got everything ready.  However, we were living in a tiny hotel room with a very small oven and hardly any counter space on her first birthday.  The cake did not turn out how I'd hoped.  It was a complete disaster.  In fact, we didn't even do anything with it really.

So . . . on to the second birthday.  I still held on to my ideas and figured out ways to make it even better.  I was super happy with how it turned out.  It tasted delicious!

I love white chocolate and raspberry together, so that was one basis for my idea.

I also didn't want to make or eat fondant, so I decided to go with a white chocolate ganache for the cake, and to use white chocolate cutouts for the decorations.

I just used a white cake mix (1/2 a cake mix, actually, I didn't want too many leftovers)

and mixed it according to the box directions.

The cake mix called for 3 egg whites, or 3 whole eggs with extra cooking time.

I used 1 whole egg and 1 egg white (for my halved recipe).

I used one 4 inch pan and one 6 inch pan.

I divided the batter into thirds and colored them pink, orange, and yellow.

Then I divided each color of batter between the two different sizes of cake pans, trying to make them the same depth.

I baked three batches, because I only have one of each of my 4" and 6" pans.

I can't remember how long I baked them, I just stayed in the kitchen and checked on them often.

I was working on my white chocolate cutouts in this time.

I melted my white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.

Then added my oil-based colorings to try to match the color of the cake batter.

Then spread the chocolate out in a really thin layer on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.

Then popped it in the freezer for a while to set.

After they were firm, I took them out and cut out the shapes I wanted.  (I used about 1 inch size flowers)

I found a white chocolate buttercream recipe that was AMAZING.

Makes about 2 ½ cups

*I made half of this recipe, and I had a little bit extra*

1 C. unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ C. powdered sugar (or more, depending on desired consistency)
Pinch of salt
6 oz. good quality white chocolate, chopped (NOT white chocolate chips or candy melts!)
¼ C. heavy whipping cream
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

1. Put about 2/3 of the chopped white chocolate into a small bowl.  Heat the chocolate in 20 second increments in the microwave.  Stir after each increment, and continue to heat 20 seconds at a time until chocolate is almost melted. Add the rest of the chopped chocolate and stir in until melted.  (This just helps it to cool more quickly).  Set aside to cool.
2. Once white chocolate has cooled, sift the salt and powdered sugar over the butter, in a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugar mixture together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Measure the whipping cream into a cup, and stir in the vanilla extract.
4. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour the cream mixture the bowl.
5. Once the cream mixture has been incorporated into the frosting, fold on the melted (but cooled) white chocolate until incorporated.
6. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat frosting for an additional 3 minutes.
7. Makes about 2 ½ cups of frosting.

Here are my pictures of the cake assembly process:

(6 inch cake in foreground, 4 inch cake behind)

I did the pink layer on the bottom

with a layer of seedless raspberry jam

then a layer of the buttercream

followed by the orange and yellow layers, with the same procedure

Then I did just a light layer of buttercream on the whole cake.

I intended to do the ganache thicker but it was not quite as set up as it needed to be when I was putting it together, so it wasn't covering the whole cake.

Then I placed the chocolate cutouts on the top.

This cake was really delicious - it was very sweet with the ganache though.  I didn't necessarily think it was too sweet, but next time I will just skip the ganache and spread the buttercream a little thicker on the outside of the cake.  It was really good!

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake

This year when I was a few months away from my birthday, I happened to stumble upon this blog.  I don't even remember how I came across it but I was instantly intrigued.  Each recipe she posted just looked like something I wanted to try.  Then, I saw this recipe.  And I knew I wanted it to be my birthday cake.  I probably looked at it every other day during those two months.  I kept thinking about how it would taste and how much fun it would be to make.  A week before my birthday I went and bought the chocolate and the raspberries and the jam.  We were out of town over the weekend and got home in the afternoon of my birthday.  We were pretty busy that evening and didn't know if we would end up making the cake that night or the next day.  Finally we decided to just make it that night, and it wasn't done until about 11:30 - but it was so worth it!  I definitely recommend this cake - it is delicious!!

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake

from Elissa at 17andbaking.com
Makes a three layer 8″ cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Raspberry Ganache (recipe follows)
2/3 cup raspberry jam **I used seedless raspberry jam and it turned out awesome!**

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8″ cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter again.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the oil and sour cream, then gradually beat in the water. Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix to combine, and finally beat in the eggs until the batter is well combined. Divide among the three cake pans.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. **I checked mine at 33 minutes and the toothpick came out completely clean.  I think they turned out perfect, but definitely check the cakes a little earlier, depending on your oven**  Cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and peel off the parchment paper, letting the cakes cool completely. These cakes are very soft, and it helps to freeze them for 15 minutes at this point. While the cakes cool, make the Raspberry Ganache.

If the cakes are not flat, use a serrated knife to even the tops. Place one layer onto a parchment-lined cardboard cut out and spread 1/3 cup raspberry jam. Cover the jam with a thin, 1/4″ thick layer of raspberry ganache. Top with the second layer and repeat. Then invert the final layer and place on top.

To frost the cake, start with a crumb coat: barely cover the entire cake with a thin, see through layer of ganache. This is to help create a smooth finish later. Chill the cake for 10 minutes.

Frost the cake with the remaining raspberry ganache and top with fresh raspberries.

Raspberry Ganache
Makes just enough to fill and frost a three layer 8″ cake

15 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped **I used half 50% cocoa and half 70% and sometimes I felt like it was too bitter, other times I felt it was just right.  I definitely wouldn't want it more than 60%**
1 2/3 cups frozen raspberries
8 oz (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

Bring an inch or two of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. As the water heats, microwave the raspberries in 1 minute intervals, stirring and mashing with a fork, until they become a smooth liquid. Pour through a strainer (should yield 1/3 cup raspberry juice) **I didn't measure, but mine definitely yielded more than that - and I just used it all** and set aside to cool.

Place the chopped chocolate and the butter in a large heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan. The bowl should not touch the water or fall more than halfway into the saucepan. Stir until the chocolate and butter melt, then gradually add in the slightly warm raspberry juice, whisking to combine.

Take the ganache off the heat and let cool until spreadable, stirring once in a while.

Here are my pictures from the process -- enjoy!!

mixing the raspberry juice into the melted chocolate

My cakes weren't perfectly flat but I didn't care, so I didn't waste time cutting them with a knife.

first jam layer

and ganache

repeat the process

I hadn't ever made ganache before - so when it said cool until spreadable, I didn't really know what that meant.  And since it was really late, I just kind of poured it on.  It looks really drippy and sloppy here, but then we put it in the fridge and it hardened and looked really nice, except where it had all dripped down on the plate.  It was plenty thick too, so I wouldn't necessarily worry next time about waiting until it was spreadable just to prevent the ganache from slipping down.

MMMMMM!