This Chocolate Cake with a raspberry jam filling is an oh so decadent dessert and perfect for chocolate lovers.

Chocolate Cake with raspberry filling

A while back I purchased Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours. It’s been a fantastic reference and source of baking inspiration ever since. I’ve enjoyed drooling my way through the cookbook. When I saw Dorie’s description for her Dressy Chocolate Loaf Cake, “…it looks fussed over and yet it takes no more time, effort or talent to make than a batch of brownies,” I knew I had to give it a go. Plus, chocolate is always a good idea.

This chocolate cake was just as Dorie said it would be: simple ingredients, quick to put together, with yummy results. The cake is a dense, rich, dark chocolatey, yummy goodness with subtle ribbons of sweet raspberry flavor running through it.

Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling is not only scrumptious, it is easy to make too. The cake is cut into three layers which are then spread with a raspberry or cherry jam or preserves. I used raspberry this time around. Then the giant sandwich is frosted with a dark chocolate, sour cream frosting. Sour cream, which is used in both the batter and the frosting, gives the cake that special extra goodness.

Chocolate Cake RecipeChocolate Cake with raspberries

A few Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling notes:

  • I like to use Hershey’s Dark Cocoa Powder when baking, and I used it with this cake as well. It was perfect!
  • Be mindful to NOT overtax the batter. Over-mixing results in a tough texture. Follow instructions and mix in dry ingredients until they just disappear.
  • For this recipe, the plan is to cut the cake into three layers length wise. The layers I cut weren’t perfect by any means, but once frosted who will ever know?
  • The frosting is made by melting the chopped chocolate over a hot water bath, then mixing in sour cream until shiny. A double boiler can be used.
  • Serve this cake with ice cream or fresh whipped cream, but most definitely have a tall glass of cold milk ready. This is one decadent cake.

If you’re looking for a new baking cookbook, be sure to check out Dorie Greenspan’s: From My Home to Yours. It’s one sweet book. A real page turner.

Here are a few more chocolate desserts to tempt you with:

Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling Recipe

Chocolate Cake with raspberry filling

Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling Recipe

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

A decadent chocolate cake filled with a simple raspberry jam filling.

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 1 1/3 cups sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 cup sour cream

For the filling:

  • 1/3 cup raspberry jam or 1/3 cup cherry jam, best quality

  • 1 teaspoon water

For the frosting:

  • 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

Instructions

  1. Place oven rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Butter and flour a 9 ½ x 5-inch loaf pan, tap out excess flour. Place prepared pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked on top of one another.


For the cake:

  1. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  2. Add butter and sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat at medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.
  4. Decrease speed to low and add sour cream. Maintain low speed and add dry ingredients; mix only until they disappear into the batter.
  5. Stir batter one final time with a sturdy rubber spatula and scrape batter into prepared pan.
  6. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Check after 45 minutes of baking, if the cake s browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil.
  7. When cake is done, transfer to cooling rack and let the cake rest for about 5 minutes in pan. Gently turn cake out on cooling rack and let cool.


For the jam filling:

  1. Whisk together jam and water in a small pan over low heat or in microwave safe measuring cup. Heat thoroughly, stir until smooth. Set aside.

Assemble the cake:

  1. For a perfect rectangular presentation, if the top of the cake is uneven use a serrated knife to carefully level it.
  2. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake into 3 even layers lengthwise. Put the first layer (originally the top of the cake) cut side up on a long serving plate and spread half of the jam over it.


For the frosting:

  1. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring until smooth.
  2. Stir in sour cream; continue stirring gently until frosting becomes smooth and glossy.
  3. Remove from heat and cover cake with warm frosting.

Notes

Recipe from Dorie Greenspan's From My Home to Yours, Dressy Chocolate Loaf Cake.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Facebook