Chocolate Raspberry Triple Decker Cake Recipes

TRIPLE-DECKER RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease three 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside. Strain the raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve if you don't want the seeds in your cake (I like the bit of crunch they add). Place the cake mix, raspberries and their juice, sour cream, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side, or if your oven is not large enough, place two pans on the center rack and the third pan in the center of the highest rack. Bake until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 25 to 28 minutes. Check the pan on the highest rack first, as it will bake the quickest. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes more. For Chocolate Ganache. Place the cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Meanwhile, place the chopped chocolate in a large stainless-steel mixing bowl. Remove the cream from the heat, and pour it over the chocolate. Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the liqueur if desired. To use the ganache as a frosting, let it stand for 30 minutes at room temperature, or chill it for 10 minutes, until it has thickened enough to spread with a metal spatula. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with ganache frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer. Spread the top with ganache. Place the third layer, right side up, on top of the second layer and frost the top and sides of the cake. Work with clean, smooth strokes. Decorate the top attractively with the fresh raspberries, if desired. Place this cake, uncovered or in a cake saver, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. Then cover the cake with waxed paper, or place it in a cake saver or under a glass dome, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze it in a cake saver for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY TRIPLE DECKER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Generously grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. Set the pans aside.
• Strain the raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve if you don't want the seeds in your cake.
• Place the cake mix, raspberries and their juice, sour cream, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula.
• Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 25 to 28 minutes.
• Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, prepare the Chocolate Ganache, adding the Chambord, if desired, after all the chocolate has melted.
• Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with ganache frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer. Spread the top with ganache. Place the third layer, right side up, on top of the second layer and frost the top and sides of the cake. Work with clean, smooth strokes.
• Decorate the top attractively with the fresh raspberries, if desired. Place this cake, uncovered or in a cake saver, in the refrigerator until the frosting sets, 20 minutes. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Ganache: Place the cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring. Meanwhile, place the chopped chocolate in a large stainless-steel mixing bowl. Remove the cream from the heat, and pour it over the chocolate. Stir with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the liqueur if desired.
• To use this ganache as a glaze, let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before spooning it over a cooled cake. To use the ganache as a frosting, let it stand for 30 minutes at room temperature, or chill it for 10 minutes, until it has thickened enough to spread with a metal spatula.
• Makes 1 3/4 C., enough to thinly frost a 2 - 3 layer cake.

DOUBLE-DECKER RASPBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For crust: Preheat oven to 325°F Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.
• Double-wrap outside of pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Place cookies in processor and blend until coarse crumbs form. Add butter and process until evenly moistened.
• Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and halfway up sides of prepared pan.
• Bake crust 8 minutes; cool on rack.
• For filling: Press raspberries and juices through fine strainer into small bowl. Measure 1/2 cup puree for filling (reserve remaining puree for another use).
• Stir white chocolate in small metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until just melted and smooth; set aside.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until smooth and fluffy.
• Beat in flour, then eggs, 1 at a time.
• Beat in whipping cream and vanilla.
• Transfer 2 1/4 cups batter to medium bowl; stir in melted white chocolate.
• Stir reserved 1/2 cup raspberry puree and almond extract into remaining batter in large bowl.
• Pour raspberry batter into prepared crust; place springform pan in large roasting pan.
• Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of pan.
• Bake until raspberry filling is softly set in center and beginning to puff at edges, about 50 minutes.
• Remove roasting pan from oven; let raspberry layer cool 5 minutes to firm slightly.
• Starting at edge of pan, spoon white chocolate batter in concentric circles onto raspberry layer.
• Smooth top.
• Bake until white chocolate filling is set in center, about 30 minutes.
• Refrigerate cake uncovered until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead; cover and keep refrigerated.).
• Cut around pan sides with small knife to loosen cheesecake; release sides.
• Garnish cheesecake with white chocolate curls, if desired.

CHOCOLATE-BERRY ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch springform cake pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in egg yolk, buttermilk, 1/4 cup warm water, oil, and vanilla. Pour batter into pan and bake until cake pulls away from sides and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack, 1 1/2 hours. Cut one or two pieces parchment paper 1 inch taller than pan side and place between cake and inside of pan, overlapping if necessary (parchment should fit snugly around entire circumference of cake).
• Place blackberries in a medium bowl and lightly mash with a fork. Stir in vanilla ice cream. Working quickly, spread ice cream mixture in an even layer over cooled cake with a small offset or rubber spatula. Freeze until ice cream is very firm, 2 hours. In a small bowl, stir sorbet until spreadable. Spread in an even layer over ice cream and freeze until set, 1 hour (or, covered, up to 1 week). To serve, unmold cake and peel away parchment.

CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, beat butter with sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in liqueur. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk in two batches. Beat to combine, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in melted chocolate.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through front to back and top to bottom, until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a small sharp knife around edges, then invert onto rack. Remove parchment and let cool completely, about 25 minutes. With a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so they're level.
• Filling: While cakes are baking, stir together 3 cups raspberries, sugar, salt, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over high, stirring frequently and mashing with the back of a spoon, until mixture comes to a boil, 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and clings to spoon, 7 to 8 minutes more. (You should have 1 1/3 cups.) Let cool 30 minutes. Stir in 2 cups raspberries, reserving remainder.
• Spread half of filling over one cake. Top with second layer; spread remaining filling over top. Top with final layer, cut-side down. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Garnish with remaining raspberries.

TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mixes, eggs, water and oil; beat on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium 2 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips., Pour into a well-greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., Meanwhile, place water, raspberries and sugar in a blender; cover and process until well blended. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and lemon juice; stir in raspberry puree. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Refrigerate until serving., Dust cake with confectioners' sugar. Serve with sauce.

TRIPLE-DECKER RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease three 9-inch round cake pans with solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pans aside. 2. Strain the raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve if you don't want the seeds in your cake. Place the cake mix, raspberries and their juice, sour cream, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side, or if your oven is not large enough, place two pans on the center rack and the third pan in the center of the highest rack. 3. Bake the cakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 25 to 28 minutes. Check the pan on the highest rack first, as it will bake the quickest. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of each layer and invert each onto a rack, then invert again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely 4. Place one cake layer, right side up, on a serving platter. Spread the top with ganache frosting. Place the second layer, right side up, on top of the first layer. Spread the top with ganache. Place the third layer, right side up, on top of the second layer and frost the top and sides of the cake. Work with clean, smooth strokes. 5. Decorate the top attractively with the fresh raspberries, if desired.