Bridal Shower Part 2 - Chocolate Butter Cake

Part 2 of the Bridal Shower baking is the other cake - the chocolate cake. While chocolate cake is not my go-to, I knew that some people just have to have their chocolate. This cake is a chocolate lover’s dream with some sophistication with the raspberry jam between the layers and not too sweet swiss meringue buttercream. It was definitely what the kiddies (and some chocolohic adults) at the shower wanted.

Chocolate Butter Cake with Raspberry

Chocolate Butter Cake

From Sweetapolita

I baked in three, 6-inch cake pans for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick came out clean.

Notes: be sure to whip the mayonnaise with a spoon before adding it into the batter. Instead of folding it in, I got better results by incorporating it with the beaters - just be sure not to overbeat.

When cooled, slice off domed top (and eat) and slice in half so you end up with 6 layers.

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients

3 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 ½ cup unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon vanilla

125g chopped dark chocolate

Directions

1. Wipe down bowl of stand mixer and whisk attachment with vinegar to get rid of any grease.
2. Combine egg whites and sugar in bowl and place over a pot of simmering water. Place a candy thermometer on the side and whisk more or less continuously until the mixture reaches 155 degrees F.
3. Take off the heat and whisk using the stand mixer until thick, glossy and cool. I like to put a gel ice pack around the bottom to speed up the cooling process.
4. Meanwhile, cut butter into cubes.
5. Melt chocolate over a pot of simmering water and set aside to cool. Or melt in 10 second intervals in the microwave, stirring in between.
6. When the meringue is cool, change to a beater attachment and beat on medium, adding cubes of butter one at a time. Beat on high until smooth (may take a while, sometimes up to 20 minutes).
7. Add salt and vanilla and beat to combine.
8. Add melted chocolate and beat to combine. Note: Chocolate should be at room temperature, not warm.

Chocolate drip

Ingredients

⅓ cup chopped dark chocolate

2 Tablespoon butter

Directions

Microwave chocolate and butter in 10 second intervals until melted, stirring in between. Cool to room temperature before using.

Other ingredients

Raspberry jam, or whatever kind you have in the fridge.

Assembly

1. Place first layer on your cake board. Spread jam and a thin layer of the buttercream. Place next layer and repeat with remaining layers, capping off with the last layer.
2. Cover entire cake with buttercream to crumb coat (seal in the crumbs). Smooth out as much as you can with a metal spatula and place in fridge for 15 minutes to set.
3. Add another layer of frosting and repeat until you get a smooth exterior.
4. Spoon or pipe chocolate at the edge of the cake so that it drips down. Spread the remaining on the top with a metal spatula.
5. Decorate and enjoy!

Verdict: The cake is super moist and rich (without being too dense) which is my favorite. The chocolate buttercream is not too sweet and the tartness of the jam cuts through the sweetness in the cake. I’ll definitely be making this again.

Stay tuned for the next post if you want to know how to make the macarons.