Chocolate Raspberry Cake

December, the first week of it. The Christmas tree went up on Saturday — the small balsam from the property, five feet, the lights and the ornaments in their order. The ceramic ornaments Helen painted in our first winter in this house. The photo ornaments with the children. The handmade ones from the early years of our marriage. I put them up in the same order every year because the order is right. The tree is the same in the right ways and different in the right ways: the same ornaments, a different balsam, a different version of this room.

Cookie baking started this week. The sand tarts first — the ones with the colored sugar that take the most patience to cut out — and the molasses cookies. The kitchen smelled of butter and sugar for two days. I put tins together for Ted Marchand and the Hendersons and the postmaster who handles too many packages. The giving of cookies in December is a form of acknowledgment: you thought of this person, you made something for them, you showed up at their door with it. All of that is in the tin.

Teddy called Sunday to say he wants to make the buche de Noel again this year, the third time. He said: I have it now. I said: tell me. He described the technique with precision — the trim, the roll temperature, the ganache temperature, the meringue mushroom technique. He knows it the way you know something you've done twice and thought about carefully between the times. I said: make it. He said: I'm making it Thursday. I said: send a photo. He said: obviously.

When Teddy described his buche de Noel technique — the ganache temperature, the meringue mushrooms, the precision of a twice-done thing — I felt it: that particular satisfaction of knowing a recipe in your hands, not just on paper. I’m not making his buche de Noel this year; that one is his. But the conversation sent me toward the kitchen with chocolate on my mind, and this chocolate raspberry cake is where I landed — deep and rich the way December deserves, with the brightness of raspberry cutting through exactly when you need it.

Prep Time: 35 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 1 hr 10 min | Servings: 12

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
1/2 cup neutral vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the ganache: 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
For the filling: 1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
3 tablespoons raspberry jam
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks (for layering)

Instructions

Prepare the pans. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment, and grease again. Dust lightly with cocoa powder and tap out the excess.
Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, cooled coffee, oil, and vanilla until smooth and fully combined.
Combine and pour. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until just smooth — do not overmix. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake. Bake 32–36 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before assembling.
Make the ganache. Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Pour over chocolate and let sit 2 minutes, then stir from the center outward until smooth. Add butter and stir until incorporated. Let cool at room temperature until spreadable, about 45 minutes.
Prepare the raspberry filling. Stir raspberries and jam together gently in a small bowl, breaking the berries down slightly. Set aside.
Assemble. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread whipped cream over the top, then spoon the raspberry filling over the cream, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Place the second cake layer on top and press gently to settle.
Frost and finish. Spread ganache over the top and down the sides of the cake with an offset spatula. Garnish with fresh raspberries if desired. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before slicing to set the ganache.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chocolate Raspberry Cake — The Kind of Baking That Means You’ve Got It Now