Chocolate Raspberry Cake for a Very Special Birthday

This past Valentine's Day we celebrated my grandmother's 93rd birthday. I wanted to make her a very special birthday cake. She usually gets a Red Velvet Cake since her birthday falls on Valentines. I personally don't love Red Velvet Cake though (and you know it's all about me! haha). All that food coloring ... is it chocolate, is it not? ... no thanks. I wanted to make something that celebrated the "red" holiday, a very special birthday and (most importantly) was knock-your-socks-off delicious.

This. Is. It. A Chocolate Raspberry Cake is my new favorite cake. It may be the best cake I've ever made. Maybe.

I have always made the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe and everyone loves it. I found this incredible update on it though on Add A Pinch and I'm never going back. It really is The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe {Ever}. Print the recipe and save it in your archives. It has become my go-to chocolate cake recipe.

I wanted to do something a little different for the icing than a traditional chocolate buttercream. I found this Raspberry Buttercream on My Baking Addiction and it is the JAM (and it contains jam ... see what I did there?). It really made this chocolate cake something special.

I have never made a "naked" cake before. Seems a little lazy not to ice the sides. For this cake though, I love seeing the chocolate brown and pink together. I think it turned out super cute—piled high the fresh raspberries and just a dusting of confectioner's sugar.

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe {Ever}courtesy addapinch.com2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups sugar ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking powder 1½ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon espresso powder1 cup milk ½ cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare three 8-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.

For the cake: Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.

Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.

Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.

Frost cake with Raspberry Buttercream. Raspberry Buttercreamcourtesy mybakingaddiction.com1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter 4 oz (1/2 package) cream cheese 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 3 Tablespoons raspberry jam (preferably pure fruit, no additional sugar) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon milk or cream pink food coloring (optional)

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until fully combined and smooth.

Add 1 cup powdered sugar and blend. Add 1 Tablespoon of raspberry jam and blend.

Add vanilla and salt (only add salt if you've used unsalted butter)

Continue blending and add another cup of powdered sugar, and 1 Tablespoon of jam. Repeat with the last 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and remaining tablespoon of jam.

Beat until well blended, smooth and fluffy. Slowly add 1 Tablespoon milk or cream and blend another 20 seconds or so. If desired, add a drop of concentrated pink food coloring (or red liquid food color).

Spread the frosting onto the cake layers using an offset spatula, or pipe the frosting onto the cake layers using a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip.

This is enough frosting to frost the cake as shown (between the layers only). Double recipe if you are going to frost the sides.