I have a bit of a dilemma. Okay, I have a big, big dilemma: this cake is sitting 6′ away from me in the fridge right now, and I’m trying to resist it! You’d think I’d be used to sitting in arms’ reach of cake all day long, but sometimes, well, maybe often, it’s almost impossible not to sit down to the entire thing with a fork and just go to it. The thing is, as much as I joke about the amount of cake I eat, I also take a break from the sweets now and again, to make sure I stay healthy & fit. Sadly, now is one of those times! I did take a few bites, to makes sure it all tasted great, but that’s all.
For me, the joy is actually about baking and making the cakes, and usually the even bigger joy is watching someone else enjoy them. It kind of reminds of my fellow foodie sister-in-law, Mary. She also loves to bake, and when she trains for fitness competitions, she just carries on and keeps baking, knowing that she never will actually eat any of it. Pretty amazing, if you ask me, since that goes on for months and months; for me, it’s more of a one or two week cake-free situation, and then right back at it. So, why did I make a rectangular cake this time? Well, that I’m not completely sure about, besides the fact that I have a fascination with beautiful ice cream cakes, which often are built this same way. No, this isn’t an ice cream cake, and no, I’ve never eaten such an ice cream cake, but I love photos of lovely ones, and this is often their shape.
I began to wonder if a buttercream cake would taste even better that way. It really does get difficult to make a buttercream cake look unique, aside from getting too crazy on the inside of the cake, which I tend not to do. I love classic layers, and I love gorgeous fillings, so really, that means getting creative with combinations of the flavours, as well as scale, height, and, well, shape.
Aside from the ganache drizzle (which, oops, isn’t as smooth as it should be, so we’ll talk about that!), all the components of this cake are my trusty standbys: Swiss meringue buttercream, chocolate cake baked in a sheet pan (although I did use a slightly different chocolate cake recipe), and the newest addition, toasted marshmallow filling in place of the raspberry buttercream in the middle layer. To be honest, this cake really doesn’t necessarily need any marshmallow representation (amazing, though), but I happened to have some left from a cake I did the other day, and I thought it would be fun to use it to fill one of the layers. It really does work well, and it tastes so good together, but if you were to create this cake, you could most definitely just do all raspberry buttercream, or even just vanilla buttercream, or both. You could even alternate a whipped ganache filling and raspberry buttercream — trust me, there is no wrong answer here.
Do you think that this cake would taste even better because of its unusual shape, even though all of the parts are the same as some of my round cakes? I don’t know why, but I think it does. Slicing into this was so fun, and for some reason, I think square/rectangular dessert tastes better all around, actually. Is it just me, or when you were a kid, wasn’t it so exciting to have your ice cream sliced right out of the box (especially neapolitan!) and eat a big square piece of ice cream on a plate? That was the ultimate (is ice cream in the box just a Canadian thing?). Even ice cream sandwiches (speaking of which, I would give anything for one of those right now), cookies, marshmallows, cupcakes, and even pie — I just came across square pie in the city and loved it. Can you think of any others?
I’m not saying this idea is revolutionary, but I hadn’t done it before, and I was thinking this would be a unique way to serve a classic birthday cake, shower cake, or even wedding dessert table cake, or cakes. There are so many gorgeous rectangular platters out there, and you could even build an entire dessert table out of these cakes, all different lengths — am I getting carried away? Even so, this one really has presence (in my humble opinion) and of course you could build it any way you like, with any flavours, or more or less layers. I’ll write the full how-to below, but just to give you an idea of what I did was just bake the chocolate cake in a bakers’ half sheet (the same one I use for baking my cookies), and slice it into 4 even slices.
I started with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream, added about few handfuls of fresh raspberries and some toasted marshmallow filling. Then I just built the cake as I would a round cake, but did it right onto the platter. Once it was all frosted, smoothed, and chilled, I made a ganache to drizzle over the top for a dramatic touch. I then threw on a handful of chocolate sprinkles and one fresh raspberry and trimmed the bottom with more chocolate sprinkles. I’m sorry to say that my ganache was a tiny bit bumpy, but, sadly, I didn’t realize that until after I drizzled it.
Well, I suppose that’s okay, because now we can talk a bit about that. Ganache, being just a simple (albeit incredibly decadent) pairing of heavy cream and chopped chocolate, does seem pretty easy, but I’ve learned that it can be sensitive. If you’ve never made it, don’t let that deter you, because it really isn’t difficult. I’ve done it successfully several times with a different ratio, but this time I wasn’t so lucky. It’s possible, in this case, my chocolate wasn’t chopped finely enough or that the cream was too hot; I wondered if that may happen.
To learn more about ganache and how to ensure a perfect result, you can check out this post on the Global Gourmet. I did find a recipe with a different ratio than my old recipe last night, and made a batch that worked beautifully, so just in case, I’ll include that version instead. You could also just make a chocolate glaze, if you’d prefer. Either way, it’s still gorgeous and yummy, but I’ll be sure to not let that happen again. It actually worked out for the best, because the new ganache recipe is even better, and now I can add that to my repertoire.
Here’s the recipe:
- 2-1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon 330 g all-purpose flour
- 3 cups 600 g granulated sugar
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon 135 g Cacao Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder (or similar premium brand)
- 1 tablespoon 15 g baking soda
- 1-1/2 teaspoons 7.5 g baking powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons 12 g salt
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1-1/2 cups 360 mL buttermilk, room temperature
- 1-1/2 cups 360 mL strong black coffee, hot
- 3/4 cup 180 mL vegetable oil
- 1-1/2 tablespoons 22.5 mL pure vanilla extract
- 8 large white marshmallows
- 1/2 cup 63 g icing sugar (confectioners' or powdered), sifted
- 1/2 cup butter 113 g(1 sticks), at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon 1.25 ml pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 jar 107 g marshmallow cream (such as Marshmallow Fluff)
- 10 large fresh egg whites
- 2 1/2 cups 500 g sugar
- 3 cups 680 g butter, cut into cubes and cool, but not cold
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup 59 ml(or to taste) raspberry puree OR a handful (about 1 cup, or more to taste) of fresh, washed, and dried raspberries
- pinch of salt
- few drops pink food colouring optional
- 9 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
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Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat the bottom & edges of a commercial baking sheet (bakers half sheet 13 x 18 x 1) with butter then add a layer of parchment paper to the bottom. Dust it all with flour, tapping out the excess.
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In bowl of electric mixer, sift all dry ingredients. Combine eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla in a measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork.
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Add milk mixture to the dry ingredients mix for 2 minutes on medium speed (you may need the plastic splash-guard that comes with mixer). Divide batter evenly among prepared pan. (Batter will be thin.)
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Bake for 20 minutes and rotate pan. Continue to bake until toothpick or skewer comes almost clean (a few crumbs), about 5 more minutes. Cool on wire rack in pan until completely cool.
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Place marshmallows on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place on lower rack of oven, and broil marshmallows until nice and brown on top, between 30-60 seconds. Remove pan from oven and gently turn the marshmallows over, and broil until they are golden brown. (Be sure to keep an eye on them--they burn very quickly.)
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In an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter and icing sugar on low until blended, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and mix on med-high for about 3 minutes.
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Add marshmallow cream and toasted marshmallows, and mix on lowest setting for about 1 minute.
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Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with paper towel and lemon juice, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F, or if you don't have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
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With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes or so). *Don't begin adding butter until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral, and not warm.
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Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). *If mixture is too runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes and continue mixing with paddle attachment until it comes together. Add vanilla and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.
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Add raspberry puree to taste or the fresh raspberries in small increments, and blend until combined. Add small amount of pink food colouring, if desired.
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Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil (watching very carefully) then swiftly remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 1 minutes and then whisk until smooth.
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Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward.
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For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.
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Chill sheet cake in freezer for 30 minutes, or refrigerator for several hours. The cake will be a bit sticky, but should not be soft and fragile. If so, place in freezer or refrigerator again until more firm.
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Using a sharp, serrated bread knife, cut the cake in half, then those halves in half--4 total. The pieces will be 11" long and about 4.5" wide.
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Place 1st layer face-up (on a platter, or whatever you choose to serve the cake on), and spread about 1/2" thick layer of buttercream on top. Repeat this step, adding any flavours of buttercream or filling you like, placing your final layer face down. Cover with plastic wrap loosely, and chill for about 15 minutes in freezer or 30 minutes in refrigerator.
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Crumb Coat Coat cake with thin layer of buttercream using a small offset spatula for the top and a straight offset spatula for the sides--if you have a metal bench scraper, you can run along cake to get smooth finish and to achieve sharp corners. Always start at the top of the cake, working your way down. Chill cake for about 30 minutes, or pop back in freezer for 10-15 more minutes to set buttercream. This is a good time to wash and dry your spatulas and bench scraper for the top layer of buttercream application.
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Using your clean tools, add a thick layer of buttercream on the top of the cake, working it over the edges and then finish the sides. Be very generous with your buttercream, because you will be scraping most of it off with the scraper. It just makes it so much easier to get the smooth finish. Chill the cake for as long as you need, but at least 15 minutes to set the buttercream.
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Drizzle your warm (but not hot) ganache over the top of your very chilled cake so it seeps down the sides. Be careful not to use too much, or you will lose your pink cake underneath! You can use your clean small offset metal spatula to smooth it over the top. Chill to set.
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Add any topping you like or none at all. I sprinkled chocolate jimmies on top, and added one single fresh raspberry.
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Get creative!
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Keep refrigerated, but serve room temperature. Leave out of refrigerator for about 2 hours prior to serving. Keeps up to 3 days in an airtight container, although, I've been known to eat it past that and it was still great.
*The filling recipe is enough to fill the middle layer of this cake.
**For the Raspberry Buttercream, add about a 1/2 pint of fresh washed & dried raspberries if you like the textured effect, or raspberry puree for a smooth finish. *Be sure to add the raspberries right before you are to frost the cake, otherwise, if you store in refrigerator overnight, the moisture of the berries will turn your buttercream into an icky mess.
***You can also add a drop or 2 of pink gel colour to get a pinker look.
****Keep in Raspberry Buttercream in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week, leaving out at room temperature when needed, rewhipping in mixer for 5 minutes. You can freeze for up to 6-8 weeks. To thaw, place on counter overnight, and rewhip for 5 minutes with paddle attachment in an electric mixer.
Ok we are insanely jealous of your will power. That cake wouldn’t stand a chance 6′ away from us! It’s completely gorgeous…and the chocolate, raspberry, ganache and MARSHMALLOW!?! We are obsessed.
i love cake whith rasberries. i consider this a heathyer cake beacause it has rasberries. thanks i’ve been looking for somthing se=weet beacuse i’m on a diet and this looks heathier
You can’t say a cake is healthier just because it has a few raspberries in the mix. It still has 3cups of sugar in the cake and buttercream!
I don’t think the diet will work with that mindset.
I can’t wait to make the raspberry buttercream to use on my own chocolate cake recipe!
This is just about the most perfectly beautiful cakes I have ever seen! I would too have trouble keeping away from that one if it was sat within such a close proximity!
I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your blog, everything that you bake just looks so deliciously tasty and beautifully decorated. Bravo!
Hollie
Thank you so much, Hollie!
Gorgeous! It reminded me of Baskin Robbins as soon as I saw the first picture! But the chocolate drizzle and raspberry bits also make it look like some really funky modern vector art.
Pristine! Miss the ice cream in a box–especially in neopolitan. Maybe next time your square cake can be pink,white and brown? :)
I could not resist it!!
Love, love love! Gorgeous!! I am so using the rectangle cake idea!
I had a lumpy ganache a while back, and I think my cream got too hot as well. Maybe that’s the culprit? I usually use 1 bag of chocolate chips (Ghiradelli mini’s when I can find them) and 3/4 cup of cream. The ratios out there are all so different!
Love the cake, love your blog. =)
And no, the ice cream in a box isn’t just a Canadian thing – I have fond memories of my grandma dishing us up “square” ice cream sprinkled with Nestle’s Quik. MmMMmmmmmmm…
Ooh, just beautiful! I love the colors, and a rectangle was a perfect choice :)
looks amazing Rosie!! yep, I too am on the ‘sweets-off’ for a bit…as beautiful and delicious as it was, I am happy to say that the birthday cake is done! although, I wouldn’t pass on one harmless little bite of this beauty…xo
Yum!!! Love the cake (all your works actually) and your blog…looks amazing and I’m sure it taste good too! I will try your recipe tonight.
wow, what a beautiful cake – I just looked at your pic on Flickr and had to click over to see recipe (and look at some more pics!), it was nice to see the cut pieces with all the layers – I would really love to try this. Great job.
STUNNING!!! Oh, how I want one of my very own! I don’t even know if I can bring myself to try making this because I’ll be comparing it this perfect specimen.
And yes, we still have Thrifty brand ice cream at Rite Aid drug stores (at least in California) that comes in boxes. Reminds me of childhood…
You are one seriously talented lady. Someday, when I have gobs of money (ha!), I am going to fly to Ontario on my birthday, expressly for the purpose of begging you to make me a birthday cake.
Looks amazing. I think it would taste better that way too;)
Absolutely beautiful!
I could never resist this cake! So beautiful! Your sweets are amazing!
Seriously? You’re not going to eat it? lol
It’s beautiful!
Your blog is SO gorgeous! I am never going to get over it!
If this isn’t food porn I don’t know what is!
That cake is a work of art.
Holy cow!! That is so beautiful and looks so delicious!!
I LOVE the idea of a rectangular cake, you’re right that it reminds me of ice cream cakes (which I have a fascination with too! Always wanted a baskin robbins one when I was little). I make a rectangular cake once that looked like a fish tank with jello on top, it was fun but I would never have been able to make anything as stunning as this.
The cake is just gorgeous! And I’m sure it tasted amazing. When you use the half sheet, about how far up do you fill it with batter?
Thanks so much, Stella! In this case, the recipe provided should fill a 18″ x 13″ x 1″ bakers half sheet using all of the batter. It will be full-ish, but it bakes up fine. Good luck!
Seriously- I am so inspired right now. I absolutely think this is gorgeous! It looks like a Norman Rockwell Painting. I am responsible for a chocolate cake for a family birthday this weekend, plus I have had Neopolitan ideas swimming around in the brain- thank you for bringing it all together!
The more I devour your blog, the more I have the urge to get back into layer cakes! Thanks for the inspiration!
So glad you all love this cake. Now could someone please come over here and take this from me so I don’t eat it?! :)
Oh my God!!! This cake looks AMAZING!!! You did a wonderful job to resist it. I am not sure I could!
This cake looks glorious!! I think they shape defiently makes it a better cake. :) I’m in the same situation as you, every few weeks I dont eat sweets but hey then the cake is a lot more enjoyable that way!
My goodness, Rosie, your cakes are always so mouthwatering and stunnng. I love clean lines and the height add such a dramatic touch-LOVE IT!
Thanks, Naomi! xo
Oh my God! This is amazing! Wonderful!
I’m loving the rectangular cake!
Speaking of willpower…gosh…I haven’t had cake in weeks! I was at my mother’s house on the weekend and she had the most moist gorgeous looking carrot cake ever..but I resisted! I am being a good girl!
Wow, just wow, Rosie. This, THIS is all I want for Mother’s Day. The entire thing.
Thank you, lovelies!
Wow, this looks amazing. Thanks for sharing… I could never resist this cake
Absolutely gorgeous!!
Are you trying to torture us with beautiful photo after beautiful photo? You’re a baking genius!
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A masterpiece! It’s stunning! What a great presentation
Thanks, ladies! xo
Oh my goodness, this is so gorgeous! It’s so hard to have cake in the house and not eat it. When I bake, I try to make sure I have people in mind that I can share with. If all else fails, I bring some to my coworkers. I’m impressed at your self control!
Also, I love the idea of a table full of rectangluar and maybe square desserts. I’d never thought about it before, but I really love the shape of your cake. And the slice looks just perfect!
Absolutely beautiful! I love the idea of making it rectangular – it looks really nice!
I definitely did think it was ice cream, though :D
I love square cakes and find them so easy to slice and share. There’s a glorious neatness about them.
By the way, your photos are always so beautiful and your desserts are just darling. This faux ice cream cake is as gorgeous as it gets. I love that you celebrate the layer cake in all it’s glory.
A beautiful, beautiful blog. Can I buy the book?
ohhh please… just a bite for me!:-)
Kisses
Etta
Wow, this cake is seriously GORGEOUS!
I’d die for this…
very nice
This cake is gorgeous!!
Another “work of art” Rosie. xo
This is the girliest cake I’ve ever seen !!! absolutely gorgeous !!
Oh my…this makes me want to cry, I want to try it so badly!!!! This is GORGEOUS!
What a perfect cake, it’s absolutely beautiful and looks delicious too! It looks almost surreal, great pictures!
The cake is absolutely beautiful Rosie, your photographs of it, stunning!
Wow, amazing photos! This cake looks scrumptious! :)
my mom STILL buys the square boxes of chapman’s ice cream! my nieces and nephews go crazy when they get a “slice” of ice cream, especially the chocolate & vanilla checkerboard one.
Looks amazing. . .so gorgeous!
Oop! Sorry, had to wipe the drool from my mouth. This cake looks DELICIOUS!!!!! I am sooo jealous of you. I have 3 little boys and it is so hard to make anything here.I guess that’s why I enjoy your website so much, I can dream (and drool)!!! Your photography is gorgeous too.I have a question though, Whose gonna eat that cake?
Hey Rosie! Love this cake!
Don’t get me started on ice cream desserts!!! I worked in a Dairy Queen when I was young, it definitely sparked my love for creating cakes, and using your imagination for fillings! And I love the boxes of ice cream, my parents never forgot to replace the box of neopolitan when we ran out…oddly enough the chocolate would go missing first ;)
Cheers,
Jen
WOWW!! Thank you for taking a rest from cake today, Rosie!
Don’t reaaaaaally want to make you all cry, but Rosie just stopped by my door and gave us a huge portion of this gorgeous cake!
Ladies, it looks even better up close and personal and yes, I’m trying to stay away from it’s perfect, aromatic loveliness until my boys come home. A bit more willpower and then it will be like the all-out eating frenzies in the movie, “The Fabulous Mr Fox”!!!
UPDATE: Heaven on Earth!! Those fresh raspberries in the frosting come through really intensely. What an amazing hit of flavour. And the chocolate is sooo good. A really yummy cake! Thank you, Rosie!!
Looks gorgeous! If i didnt know it looks like an ice cream cake!
just so lovely… really!
This cake looks AMAZING, my 5 year old Holden said he would like it with a robot on top!!!! Ha ha..don’t think so but super yummy looking caught my eye!
Thanks so much! I’m proud to report that I still haven’t had anymore of this cake, albeit torture!xo
Drooling. on. my. keyboard.
Excellent visual concept: I love it! I’m sure the cake tastes delicious too!! :-)
Wow. This looks like one all time sinfull cake! The darkness of the chocolate looks incredible!
Stunning. Aesthetically Intoxicating. Photographed to perfection! Thanks for sharing. This is going on my “rewarding challenge” Baking List 2011. (-:
My son and I are up late {I took a powernap and cannot sleep and he’s doing movies} anyway, he’s sitting beside me, and he says, hey, that looks like an ice cream cake…then he proceeded to ask for some of the store one in our freezer…lol. Thought it was funny after you mentioned that. Anyway, this is gorgeous as usual…i like the twist of making it rectangular…Gorgeous!!!
Rosie, I love your sight!! Everything on here is so whimsy and Seuss!
I wanted to drop in and let you know I nominated you for an award last night. If you have time, it’s posted on my page, check it out!
Jess = )
I am gobsmacked.
Speechless.
I want a bite.
Just a bite.
But then again, if i had one I might not be able to bring myself to cut into it.
Rosie, just when I think you have made the most beautiful cakes ever, your introduce another one, and literally outdo your very own self.
Whole Mackerel!
If only I was closer.
Love, V
ROSIE! this is such a clever tricky-mind cute and crazy delicious-looking cake! i adore the old ice cream cake shape too… it really does resemble a melty ice cream cake with the lovely ganache. and the contrast of the shiny rapsberry — you know just how to style things!
LOVE.
lyndsay :)
I never say it enough : YOU are SO talented! This cake is gorgeous. I love love love rectangular cakes honestly because they are easier to share,cut through and store. That’s enough reason for me. I think whatever occasion comes in my life now, I’m making a rectangular cake just like this one!
I am in awe with the beauty of this frosted cake, two fabulous combinations!
Good lord that looks delicious! You’re a very talented woman for a) putting this together and making it look so perfect and b) refraining from eating more than a little bite!
Danielle x
I LOVE your creative idea of making the sheet cake and slicing it up to assemble this beauty of a cake! That is genius! Everything about it looks beautiful, but I think the pairing of the pink/white frosting and the chocolate ganaches is fantastic.
Hmmmm! This looks so delightful and I completely agree that unexpected shapes makes most everything taste better! Just wondering what the dimensions of this cake are — or at least how big the platter is (and where it’s from :) I’m thinking a carrot cake in this shape would be lovely for Easter.
Thanks so much! The dimensions of the cake are 13″L x 5″H x 4.5″W. The platter was a gift, so I’m sorry that I don’t know where it was from. There was about 2.5″ room around the edges. Hope this helps!
Unbelievably, this cake looks EVEN BETTER than ice cream in a box. And that, in southwestern Ontario, was a very big deal indeed.
The most stunning looking cake ever!!!!
Im thinking of making this cake my husbands 40th which is in 2 weeks, u think I can do it? I have to cater to abt 30 ppl so I think I will have to make a round one. Pls advise if I have to double the recipe to feed 30….thank u. I might keep the frosting white or maybe a pale blue.
Hi Neev. Thanks so much! Okay, well, first off, the way it is would serve about 15-18 3/4″-1″ 4-layer slices, so you would have to double it. If you doubled the recipe, and did a 10″ round, you’d have 30 slices (you may have some batter left over). Just a note that the Swiss meringue buttercream is naturally a buttery colour, due to the butter, so you won’t get an actual “white” look. Pale blue would work well, and with the ganache over top would look gorgeous with the blue. Good luck, and Happy Birthday to your husband!
This cake is gorgeous! I *tried* to make it last night but the batter overflowed in the over and it was a huge mess :( I’m going to try again tonight but I’m not sure I want to use the baking sheet again. Mine is a bit rounded in the middle and I think that’s why it was so disastrous.
If I were to split the batter between two 8″ rounds, how long should I cook it for? Hopefully there won’t be any messes tonight!!
Oh no, Alia! So sorry to hear that. Is your baking sheet a commercial 13 x 18 x 1? If not, you could even divide the recipe in 1/2 and that should work well, if you want to go with the rectangular version. If you want to bake 2 x 8″ round, they would bake for about 30-35 minutes, but check after 20 (but not before), and the again in 5 minute intervals. I like the skewer to come out with just a bit of stickiness (with chocolate cake). Good luck!
Hey! This icing looked to die for. I am not a gormet anything and had never tried to make anything like it. Today I borrowed my mom’s kitchenaid and gave it a whirl. OMGoodness!! THANKYOU!! Tommorrow I’ll make a few more batches and freeze them until I need them. I love it!!
Yay! That’s great to hear, Char!
Hi, me again. Could I use this buttercream under fondant? Will it hold?
Yep! This is what’s best used under fondant, so go right ahead. You’ll want to leave the chunks of raspberry out, but you can use raspberry puree or seedless jam to flavour it, or, of course, leave it vanilla. Hope this helps!
You inspire me, Rosie!
Your blog is beautiful! I am completely floored by your talent! You surely are an inspiration!
That picture at the very top should be nominated for food blog picture of the year. This looks outstanding.
Thanks, Mike! That’s quite a compliment :)
I love chocolate so I will use this recipe to make for myself enjoy. Thanks so much for sharing the great post.
The cake is a stunner and I badly want to make it, but – I feel like an idiot – I can’t find in the recipe where you use the marshmallow filling? Thanks!
Thanks so much! The recipe for the Toasted-Marshmallow Filling/Frosting is above the Ganache recipe in this post, but was orginially used in the Campire Delight Cake: https://sweetapolita.com/2011/02/campfire-delight-6-layer-rich-chocolate-malted-toasted-marshmallow-cake/
Hope that helps!
But how is it used in this cake?
It’s the middle layer of filling in this cake. It would also be great without, but I happened to love those flavours together. Hope this helps!
Thank you! :-)
This cake looks sooo good! I want to try it soo bad! I know if I try to make it, it won’t look/taste anywhere as good as this!
Thanks, Jen! You can do it! :)
Thanks to everyone for your wonderful compliments about this cake! xo
WoW. That took some time.
http://www.blairlockout.com
WIW! This cake is amazing!
Hello! I just discovered your blog through the Kitchn and I am amazed by this cake. It is so unbelievably beautiful.
I will be coming back for more!
Magda
I have a question, I want to make this cake for my Grandmother’s birthday. Do you mix the swiss meringue with the toasted frosting together? Im a little lost. Thank YOU!
Hi Stasia,
Actually, they’re separate fillings/frostings altogether–I added a layer of the marshmallow frosting in the middle layer, but the rest is the raspberry buttercream. Good luck!
First of all that cake looks absolutely awesome, I contrast between the soft pink and sharp drizzles of dark chocolate!
One question though; what does the marshmallow component add to it? I’ve never worked with marshmallows before so I don’t quite know what they’re like in desserts. Also, the recipe you have for it above, is that batch all incorporated into the buttercream? I want to try this after my finals and want to be raring to go!
Hi Andy!
Thanks so much for the kind words about the cake! To answer your question, basically what I did was use my Toasted Marshmallow Frosting recipe as the middle layer of filling in the cake, and the other layers and outside are all frosting in the raspberry buttercream. They’re separate recipes and fillings/frostings. It just breaks up the raspberry (not that it needs breaking up!) and incorporates a unique toasted marshmallow flavour/texture into the cake. You can most definitely omit that element and just do all raspberry; I happened to have some in my fridge from a cake I had just made, and thought it would be fun to include. It’s totally up to you. I hope this helps! Good luck with the cake and your finals. :)
Hi Rosie! I found your blog yesterday and I am SO excited! I love you already!! I saw this recipe and had to make it… and just finished it! This cake was fun to make… I love the rectangle angles, so different for a layer cake.
We haven’t tasted it yet, but I know it is going to be delicious! My 3 year old keeps asking me, “Who’s birthday is it?”! lol
I was also confussed about the Marshmellow Frosting, I went back several times to look at the pictures, and I thought I could see a color difference in the middle of the cake, but I wasn’t sure. (and I didn’t read the comment section before) So, I just added all of the Toasted Marshmallow Frosting in with the raspberry buttercream (when I added the raspberries) and it turned out wonderful. The cake is so much taller than I thought it would be, very exciting though!
My sweet husband didn’t know and ate my PERFECT raspberry I was saving for the top! Will gain few pounds for this one!
Thank you Rosie for a special recipe!
Hi Rosie
I’ve also just stumbled on your blog (I live in the UK) and have really been loving it too! You infect your readers with enthusiasm for your baking and make us really want to try your experiences out too, which is so great. I’ll be baking as many of your recipes as I can in the immediate future….and will no doubt be bankrupt on ingredients spend…
Keep on delighting us!
Lorien xx
Hi Rosie!
I plan on doing this absolutely gorgeous looking cake on Friday!
But: we don’t like coffee in our desserts/ cakes, so i was wondering if i could substitute the coffee with something else? I guess i can’t just leave it out since there would be a lot of liquid missing.
Thank you SO much, Katie
Truly, Katie, I promise you won’t taste coffee! It’s really just a way to boost the depth of the chocolate, and so it does. If you’re really wanting to omit it, you can replace with boiling water. Good luck!
Ok, thanks for your quick answer! I think i just try it with coffee then!
Yummy! Rosie, does this recipe work well if you make half the portion?
Hi Rosie,
I am now for sometimes a huge fan of yours. I think you are so talented. I love all your pictures! And this cake can’t go out of my mind, so beautiful, amazing colors. I won’t stop thinking about it until I make it I presume. This week (for my birthday actually ;) ) i tried your modified recipe of vanilla swiss meringue buttercream and put some strawberry in there, then put it on some choco cuppie. Never tasted something this good ;) I even liked it more than my chocolate-chocolate cuppies, and I am normally a chocolate slave ;)
So I wanted to thank you, you inspire me very much. I love your photography style, I always know in Flickr when you took the photograph even if I don’t see your name! So keep up the good work! Love what you do. And your girls, my god they are pretty!
Have a nice day!
OK…I looooooooooove the look of this cake! It is gorgeous and I am sure VERY tasty! So I attempted to make it for my hubby’s birthday. Last night I whipped up the buttercream icing and put in the raspberries then kept it in the fridge. This morning I brought it to room temp and used the beaters to whip it up an it just turned to a curdled juicy mush…:( Any ideas on what I did wrong? I wanted to make this cake for my parents’ anniversary too. Any insight would be great. Thanks! I am going out now, to redo the icing…hope to be tasting it soon. :)
Hi Jenne! So glad you’re giving this cake a go. I will add this to the post for others, but you will want to add the raspberries at the last minute, and you will also need to make sure that they are nice and dry. Hope this helps, and good luck!
Hi Rosie,
Love your blog, love your cake designs…I’m gonna make this one next…if i want my raspberry buttercream to look just like yours does, should I puree the berries first or mix in whole? And I see your caution about adding the raspberries just before frosting the cake to avoid an icky mess…and I’ll do that…but what about after decorating it…will the raspberry buttercream hold up once applied to the cake or does it need to be served soon after decorating…?
Thanks for your help..normally I don’t mind figuring out these little details by trial and error..but with this one there won’t be a lot of time for second attempts!
Hi Molly! Thanks for the sweet words! I added the raspberries at the last minute, just by popping into the mixer (I happened to make the buttercream itself right before using it) and mixing on low for just a few seconds or so. Then, once applied to the cake and set in the fridge for a bit, it kept really well. It’s just that in a big bowl, the water from the raspberries sinks to the bottom and kind of icks it up! On the cake itself, it looked this exact way for the several days it was in my fridge. Good luck!
It’s just after 6am…I’ve only had a few hours of sleep…and I am reading about cake. Heavenly. Cake.
Thank you, I hope to get back to sleep…and have sweet dreams.
YUM!!!
Julie M.
ps Growing up in the States, my parents always bought our ice cream in rectangular cartons.
Hi Rosie,
I’m a huge fan of yours from Sydney, Australia…discovered your blog a few weeks ago and was gobsmacked by how gorgeous your cakes are!! They look absolutely delicious…at times I find myself wanting to lick the screen just to taste, LOL! One of my faves would have to be this one! It’s my birthday on Friday so I’ll be attempting to make this…a round version of this…hope it turns out as gorgeous as yours!! Keep your fingers crossed for me :)
Keep inspiring us with your gorgeous work!
Sophie :)
I have bookmarked this page and keep coming back to it – it is infatuation, no doubt about it. For my partner’s 40th birthday last week I borrowed your idea of pouring the ganache over the the top of the buttercream but I chose lemon buttercream (choclate and lemon is his favourite dessert combo). Thanks for sharing such a wonderful cake! I just love your work.
Oh my gosh, it looks to die for! I’m going to make this Friday for my sixteenth birthday, hopefully it turns out good! Fingers crossed ;)
One question, once the cake has cooled and you are about to cut it into 4 pieces, do you need to cut the top layer to make it flat for stacking, or does it not rise too much?
You have sooooo much discipline, only 3 bites!!!! I would have had my way with that beauty. I often (all the time) go through my couple of weeks on and off of devouring cake. As a fitness instructor I kinda have to keep it in check. Lovin this blog by the way!
I just made this cake, and it was stunning…until i added the ganache. it melted parts of my buttercream down the sides of the cake, and isnt nearly as sharp looking. is it that i needed to refridgerate my cake longer to set the buttercream, or was the ganache maybe too hot? or perhaps you have a trick?
ive made a few of your cakes, the whiteout cake and this chocolate cake are go-tos for me now, always a hit! thanks for the inspiration :)
Thank you so much for this speechlessly wonderful recipe. I just make the lovely meringue buttercream for my cake last weekend, and it was such a show-stopper. Everyone in my family loved it!
Just drop by my blog to see my not-even-close-to-your-amazing-creation cake if you have time. :P
I have been eyeing this recipe for awhile now and I finally have an opportunity to make it! My question is about the cake. I do not have dark cocoa, would the cake still have great flavor if I use a lighter cocoa or should I give in and go buy some ;)??? Thanks!
This looks both beautiful and delicious. I’m going to have to try this one. It seems we feel the same way about baking. I enjoy the Process way more that the eating. Though I do love a good layer cake.
My grandmother used to slice ice cream for us with her electric knife! It was great!
I’m baking this cake tomorrow and I’m so excited! This website is amazing! I would love to get one of your cakes but you’re too far away! Anyway, thank you for taking the time to make and update this website!
Hannah, my 15 year old daughter, made this cake on Monday. It was a wonderful treat to come home to. She spent a great deal of time on it and did a wonderful job. We have been baking in our family for years…thank you for inspiring her!! :)
THIS IS SO GORGEOUS!! Thanks for sharing! I’m stumbling and pinning :)
Ashton
http://www.somethingswanky.com
{Sweet Treats Thursday} Thu-Sun
Love it, it looks delicous, plus your photos are to die for.
@lovelypromeande.com
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday. He loved it! He even said that to me this is the best cake ever!!
All guests finished their slices very quick too. I was so happy!
One of the guests said to her husband “you never finish my cake this fast!”
Then her husband responded “No offence to you, but this cake was really really good.”
This conversation also made my day :P Thank you so much for sharing the recipe :)
This is incredible! Just found your page and will definitely be following you from now on! What an amazing creation!
Quick question: you mention that you need ~2 times the meringue buttercream for this cake. Does that mean I should double the recipe you put down, or is the recipe listed here already doubled?
This cake recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to bake it this weekend!
I’d like to start by saying how absolutely beautiful your photographs are! Just gorgeous. A rectangular cake makes a lot of sense to me. The buttercream to cake ratio has to be higher than it would be in a traditional round cake, and who doesn’t love a little extra buttercream. It has a dramatic look to it, too. I just found your website yesterday and am already obsessed with your writing, recipes, and photos. Can’t wait to see more from you and in the interim, I’ll be baking these gorgeous recipes. I’ve got The Whiteout Cake in the oven now. ;) Thanks!!!
I made this cake this past weekend and it was a huge hit. I used 2 dark chocolate cake mixes and made four cakes in 8X8 square pans. The cake was very tall but as I was feeding a crowd it was perfect. I doubled the buttercream as you suggested and it was a showstopper! Next time I want to make it with your cake recipe, although I have a hard time finding dark cocoa. Thanks for a great cake.
I found your site only a couple of days back and I’m already in love with it! Your cakes are all so beautiful, and your photographs are simply amazing. I’ve always been a little wary of trying any recipes involving meringue, but the pictures of your SMB were just too tempting and I had to give it a try – I have to say it’s so much lovelier than any regular frosting that I’ve made :) I was wondering though, if you could let me know whether I could use dark chocolate in the cake recipe as I do not have access to very good cocoa. Also, could you include the measurements in weight as well – how much does a cup of flour weigh generally? (I’m not sure if I measure very accurately using cups!) Thank you so much!
Love what I’ve been reading so far!
How can I replace the marshmallow puff/cream? I do not think I will find something like that. We only have plain marshmallows here.
Thanks!
Hi Rosie,
I will be making this cake for a big family birthday party next week. I was just wondering approximately how many people this cake will serve? This looks delicious, I’ve been eying it for days now!
Hi Rosie,
Here is a fan from Amsterdam. I totally love your website, your designs and stories. You have a unique style, I totally loved your Asparagus cake! And I love that you answer so many questions even though some of them can be a tiny bit repetitive ;-). And now one of my own…
I am a newbie in baking, and supplies here in Holland are not so manyfold as in the US. So I can’t find the sheet you use in this recipe. So I would like to try baking a smaller cake in my jelly roll sheet (15x10x1). Could you give me a tip how to to modify the cake recipe to make this in a jelly roll?
Thanks!
This may seem like a pretty dumb question, but this is my first time making a layer cake like this. . . at what point do I remove the cake from the cake pan? After its cooled, but before chilling in the freezer? Or does it stay in the pan until you are ready to slice the cake into layers & decorate?
Hi Rosie,
Like Ella above, I am planning on making this absolutely beautiful cake for my dear friend’s 50th birthday. Her favorite flavors are chocolate and raspberry! I would like to know about how many servings you think it would yield/how big you think the slices might be. Thanks so much and all the best,
Ellen
i saw this on pinterest and it made me pause and think “what fabulous person created this beauty”?
Yes yes frosting on all sides? why not. This should be a trend now.
You have mad skills my dear.
Good morning,
Will I be ok frosting the cake early in the morning if I mix in fresh raspberries into the frosting? I will be bringing the cake to a party at about 3:00 that afternoon. I am worried that the raspberries will begin to “break down” in the frosting on the frosted cake. Thanks very much.
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
You should be just fine to frost the cake on the morning of your party. Once frosted, the raspberries seem to hold up well (I kept mine in the refrigerator up until a few hours before serving). I would just recommend making sure that the raspberries are as dry as possible–I’ve noticed this makes a big difference. I hope that helps and that you and your friends enjoy the cake!
Dear Rosie,
Thanks so much for getting right back to me!! That is a big relief. I’ll dry the raspberries overnight. I can’t wait to make this beautiful cake. It fits the bill perfectly for our dear friend who is turning 50 and whose favorite flavors are chocolate and raspberry :)
Hi,
Wow, that cake looks so amazing. Perfect combo, with the rasberry and chocolate. Can’t wait to try to make it this weekend. I’ll take on the challenge to make it gluten-free and serve it for my husband as a Valentine’s Day dessert!
Such beautiful and inspiring cakes.
Anna
Droooooooooooool!!!
Would it be possible to leave the coffee out of the recipe and still have it work?? I’m just thinking for kids, but it’s likely such a small amount that it doesn’t matter????
Julie, I usually leave it in even for kids, because it’s a small enough amount, but of course you can always substitute boiling water. The depth of flavour won’t be as intense, but it will still be delicious!
Hi Rosie,
I am a bit of a newbie to cake making but I would like to make this tonight for my mom’s birthday tomorrow. I was just wondering if it would last overnight in the fridge fully prepared, or if I should ice it tomorrow?
Thanks! Love your blog!
Hi Hayley,
So sorry I couldn’t get back to you in time, but for future reference this cake typically does well overnight in the fridge once fully prepared, but should be served at room temperature. Hope this helps, and Happy Birthday Hayley’s mom! :)
Hi dear
can u pls explain me this step …sorry for my silly
Place 1st layer face up (on a platter, or whatever you choose to serve the cake on), and spread about 1/2″ thick layer of buttercream on top. Repeat this step, adding any flavours of buttercream or filling you like, placing your final layer face down. Cover with plastic wrap loosely, and chill for about 15 minutes in freezer or 30 minutes in refrigerator.
iam assuming is it like a bread one slice of bread then frosting then one more slice of bread adjacent to each other iam wondering how it would stay tight enough for all the pieces pls get back to me at the earliest
i really wanted to do this for my sons birthday with blueberries 1/2 pint would enough for this cake …
pls get back to me at the earliest thanks again for sharing this recipe
I just made the dark chocolate cake for a friend’s birthday cake, with just chocolate ganache on it. Oh my! Such a delicious cake, thank you!
Rosie,
I have been reading your blog for a few months, and it all started when I googled “chocolate cake and raspberry buttercream” which led me to this post. I wanted to make a pink and brown cake for my daughter’s first birthday, and although I did not end up making this one (ran out of time, all my kids were sick, you know the drill…), I have been reading you ever since.
I did finally make this cake for my mom’s birthday yesterday. Although mine was not nearly as pretty as yours, it was a hit with everyone, so thank you!
Oh, and I agree with you on sprinkles – there is no such thing as too many :D
you have inspired me to bake again and just in time for my baby’s birthday on coming up too quickly on may 5. she will be 20…
my dilemma, what can i use to replace the cacao barry cocoa – xdark? i am unable to find it locally and don’t have time to order it.
gracias
Thanks, Jennifer. Glad to hear it! You can use the best cocoa powder you can find, even Frye’s will work well. I hope this helps!
I wanted to make a cake for someone who is going away for a couple years and her favorite thing is raspberries so I searched online and found this cake (I used your post on SMB before so wasn’t surprised this one came up).
Because I didn’t need a giant cake, I used your Dark Chocolate and Ruffle cake recipe. I tried my hand at it a few weeks ago to see how much the recipe ended up making and it was perfect for the size of cake I wanted so…this weekend I replicated your lovely rectangle cake: http://instagr.am/p/KS9qP_DA6O/
My ganache was a bit bumpy but I will attribute that to the chocolate I used (not very good quality to say the least) but strained it and it came out silky smooth. I also used clarified butter instead of oil for the cake and it may just be psychological, but I think it enhanced the taste.
Anyway, thanks for showing the world your creations! I’m not good at coming up with ideas but I can usually imitate pretty well so thanks for this great idea! Everyone really liked it.
Had the opportunity to try a cake that was inspired by this recipe and it was absolutely amazing. Must try it myself in the future. :)
Oh my Goodness your cake looks gorgeous! I love it, I tried it out today…well I made the cake part today, I baked it in three 9 inch pans and layered it with Oreo crumbs/whipped cream mixture. I made it into a Oreo cake for my sons bday! Finally he liked something homemade! Thank you Rosie!
I’m in the United States, and therefore not familiar with the metric system. Out of curiosity, how do you measure out ingredients in ml without converting to cups? Is there such a thing as metric measuring cups, or do you rely on a large glass measure?
Rosie can I ask where you buy your Heavy Cream from? I have looked through most grocery stores in Toronto for this and only find whipping at 35%. Do I need to go to a speciality store for this?
Hi Esther! I use whipping cream at 35%–in this case it works really well. I hope that helps!
Rosie! Looooooooove your blog!
If I do add raspberries to the buttercream, can I still freeze my cake?
Tanks a million and keep doing what you do best: drive us totally insane with your amazing cakes!
I made this cake for a friend’s birthday. The ganache recipe still doesn’t work very well (maybe because I didn’t use cream and chocolate with enough fat) but overall the result was good!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the cake! Just a note that the ganache recipe included in the post is the one that I use for ganache (the one I used in the photo on round 1 of making the cake was the one that didn’t work out), so next time if you give it a go with the cream and higher fat chocolate, it should work well. Hope your friend had a fabulous birthday!
Hi Rosie
I’m going to make this cake for my daughter’s 22nd birthday this month. Can you tell me what Americolor you used for the pink food colouring. Thanks.
Hi Rosie
I am no food blogger/photographer but bake regularly. Bake mostly quick breads for the house. Nothing fancy. Your blog inspired me so much that I made my first Double-Layered birthday cake!
Inspired by this good looking cake! :)
I ended up using different recipes because I did not plan to make this one but with 2 yummy chocolate cakes sitting on the cooling rack, I was looking for ideas to frost them and dug this link from my bookmarks..
I managed to make a decent looking birthday cake which everyone loved!
I need lots more talent to make anything as close to this :D
Thanks for inspiring me!
Hi Rosie,
Let me say this looks terrific! One I will definitely have to try ….soon!
I was thinking of using the raspberry buttercream as a filling in a chocolate wedding cake, just wondering with the fresh raspberries (I love the look) if it will handle being refrigerated from Thursday until Saturday or if it would be better to do the raspberry puree?
Thank you
I make cakes for my girl’s birthdays. I usually don’t take the risk of trying a blog recipe for an occasion without trying it first. For whatever reason I could not resist taking my chances on this recipe. I loved the rectangle cake idea! I of course ran out of time and ended up making a round cake, and didn’t risk the swiss meringue because I haven’t attempted that type of icing before. I did make a raspberry icing and topped it with the choco ganache. The cake was amazing!! I love the subtle chocolate, not to sweet, super moist, perfect density cake!! I will definitely be making this again!
Hello, Rosie!
Beautiful, beautiful work! I just love following your blog :)
May I ask if this buttercream is sweet, or more raspberry-tart? Do you know what I mean? I typically don’t lean towards buttercreams, so I can’t quite estimate how this might be. I’m baking for a friend’s birthday and she likes fruit or fruit and chocolate cakes, and loves raspberries in dessert. I thought this one might be just the ticket! I don’t think I can resist making it anyway – it’s too gorgeous. But I thought I would ask about the frosting to see if it has a good fruit flavor to it. Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Stumbled across your blog a few months back and I owe it to you for introducing me to the deliciousness that is swiss meringue buttercream and only use that now instead of regular buttercream (hate the taste of it) Just had a quick question, how would this cake fare under a layer of chocolate marshmallow fondant? Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks!
My goodness! This cake is stunning. You’re a baking genius!
Hi Rosie,
Love all your recipes!!! I’m addicted to your site and am telling many friends about your amazing blog!!! Hoping on some advice on using this recipe in a different way. Just thinking of making this chocolate cake in a 8 inch square tin with the raspberry buttercream between the layers, but also hoping to ganache the cake and then fondant the cake. Wondering if you think the cake will work with the ganache and fondant?
Thanks Alissa
I just made this for a going away reception and WOW!!! Mine did not look anywhere as beautiful as yours, but I’m not afraid to try new things and this sounded awesome. My ganache didn’t work out well, but that’s my fault…ganache sometimes doesn’t work unless you’ve got the right chocolate, which I obviously didn’t. No one cared!!!! It was so incredibly awesome, I had to take some and hide it so I could actually have a bit later!
Hi, this looks stunning! I’m planning on baking covering a buttercream with a gnanche drizzle but am a little concerned about the buttercream melting under the warmth of the ganache. Did you have any trouble with this?
Helllooo and thank you for posting this recipe! I made it last night for my best friends birthday and let me tell you, it looks amazing and delicious. I do have some pointers that weren’t included in the directions that some may find helpful and a small discrepancy about the amount of buttercream that is to be made and size of the cake. I ended up not using the 4th layer of cake because I ran out of buttercream, even though I made the middle layer marshmallow filling. I barely had enough to finish the sides once everything was all said and done. So I was a bit disappointed with that, but the cake was definitely high enough with just the three layers. Another thing was that the size of my cake was definitely bigger than the one pictured above, if you want it that size you’d have to do a decent amount of trimming of the sides. I also have a decent amount of ganache left over, so I used it to drizzle over the layer of cake I didnt use and made brownie sized chocolate ganache yummy things. One last thing, when I was making the marshmallow layer and you had to broil/toast the marshmallows I was so scared of burning them that I took them out a little too soon and ended up having to scoop out the centers of the large marshmallows because they would not mix. It would be safe to say, you could flip those marshmallows over a 3rd time to get them warm enough, but like the directions say, you have to watch them very closely. And as for time, in case any of you were curious, it took me about 5 hours to make this cake! Im sure I could definitely cut down on the time if I made it again because I would know what I was doing and I would probably make some stuff the day before, but it definitely took me a long time during this first go of it. Thanks again for posting!
I made this cake for my GF’s 21st birthday. It turned out amazingly! The cake baked up probably twice as high as it should have, which made the cake about a foot in height! That’s ok, it just made it even more grand looking when I presented it to her in a fancy cocktail bar. Everyone wanted a piece! Here’s a pic of the finished product. Not bad for a boy who’s never made a cake from scratch in his life eh? =)
http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/407654_3060306706181_137869327_n.jpg
For ingredients, butter is the regular butter right? Or always unsalted? Or only if u state unsalted butter then use unsalted butter? Coz I read a lot of ur silmilar cake post, but in the ingredient some says unsalted some just say butter, I am confused! Plz help!
Hi Charlene,
If it’s one of my recipes, it’s always unsalted unless I write “salted” butter. You can typically assume a baked good recipe is always unsalted butter. I hope that helps!
Can I make this cake and freeze it???
I followed this recipe to the T….and it completely BLEW UP in my oven! It’s dripping out of the sheet pan and all over the oven. I live in Bend, so a bit higher elevation…but honestly I have never had this happen! Any ideas??
I am a chef and this blog is absolutely amazing when I need inspiration for a new dish.. Thank you so much
Rosie, this cake is so beautiful, I decided to make it!
The toasted marshmallow filling was delicious, the cake was a bit difficult to work with though… It was very fragile but tasted great. I didn’t have enough buttercream to frost the whole cake. Lets just say that your looked much better than mine, but mine still tasted delicious!
I love your blog!
C.
Hey Rosie!
Thanls again for a beautiful recipe. I have a double layer 7 inch and a double layer 10inch cake to make . Can I ask how many quantities would I need?
Thanks so much for so many beautiful recipes!
Appreciate your help
Danielle
Hi Rosie
Just wanted to say thanks. I have made your SMBC recipe three different times in the last month or so, and it always comes out great. Have used both fresh eggs and egg yolks in the pouch (how they come down here in New Zealand) different times and either work for me too.
Twice I have made chocolate cake, raspberry syrup and choc ganache inside and raspberry SMBC to cover, and once tried it with chocolate cake,Mango coulis and Mango SMBC, but the mango ended up a bit bland. It did not give a really mango-ey hit. I used freeze dried mango powder in the SMBC. Have you used the freeze dried fruit powders to flavour SMBC?
Thanks for sharing your recipes and creativity.
Vickie
Just a quick question about the notes added regarding the raspberries. When you say to wait to add the raspberries before you frost the cake, are you talking just if you add them whole? Does it matter if you are using just the puree? The next note says you can store the raspberry buttercream for up to one week. Please clarify. Thank you!
I want to make this for a friend’s birthday on Thursday but I don’t have an electric mixer only a hand held one. This may seem like a stupid question but how will this change the way I mix all the ingredients? Will it just take longer or will some steps really be extra difficult if I don’t have a big electric mixer?
You mentioned that you started with a double batch of buttercream. Does that mean I need to double the recipe provided? 5 whites looks like a single batch but I want to be sure.
Hi there! That’s right, the 5 whites is a single batch of the butterceam, so you would need to double that. Hope that helps!
Thanks Rosie!
Hi thee Rosie, does cooking the egg whites to 160 degrees kill all the bacteria possibly present in the egg white, since it is very important to know? I want to try soo many meriunge recipe’s but get turned away because of the raw egg whites. What is the temperature that kills all possible bacteria present in egg whites? Thanks a lot Rosie!!
Hi Rosie-I made this yesterday and it is divine. It was the right amount of cake for a 6″ square two-layer cake and perfect amount of SMBC to fill and ice it. Thank you for a great recipe!
I made this yesterday, what a gorgeous cake! I wish I had listened to your advice to stick the buttercream in the fridge earlier on– I’d iced the cake, and only then stuck it in the fridge, and was dazzled by how much the buttercream changed in texture.
I only had fresh apricots on hand, and the apricot buttercream was just lovely, too. When I repeat this recipe, I might try making apricot-rosemary buttercream, or perhaps, apricot-lime. Regardless, I was just so happy with how an elaborate cake really wasn’t that difficult to make. Thank you so much!
pictures are beautiful ….. I seem to have concerns with this recipe. What are the measurements for a normal more common layer cake? I have no idea where Caco Barry Extra Brute Cocoa Powder is sold. When I googled it, it seems like it’s a product that would need to be ordered? I’m not doing that, that’s way to involved & requires time for it to be delivered. What are the silmilar brands? I’m not sure why they wouldn’t already be listed within the recipe. And why black coffe? And how strong is strong? I like mine strong & I’m certain if I used my own blend of strong coffe the cake would be more mocha than chocolate. uhmmmm….
Hi Jennifer,
Re: the Cacao Barry, I don’t know the availability where you live, but I buy it at a local cake decorating supply shop. Any premium dark cocoa powder would work. The coffee can be any kind of coffee, strong brewed, regular, espresso, etc. The cake doesn’t taste remotely mocha, as the coffee simply enhances the chocolate.
Well,I’m in Texas & all I can find is Hershey’s cocoa powder which is milk chocolate. Even though Hershey’s makes their “special dark” in a powder, its new-ish around here & hard to find. The Specialty Decorating stores are open during my normal business hours. But, I’ll try one more grocery store & hopefully they will have it. Thanks for replying, I appreciate it.
This is the 2nd time I’ve forgotten to make the double batch of the buttercream because it only mentions it on the blurb above the recipe and not in the recipe itself or notes. :( It’s made me late for the party both times. I make sooooo many of your cakes so often that I just forget. Could you please add it to the notes? That would be very helpful
Oh! Okay, I didn’t realize that–it’s been awhile since I’ve peeked at that post. Sorry, Erin! I’ve modified the recipe to include the ingredients for the double batch of buttercream. So sorry! xo
Thank you Rosie! That was fast. You’re awesome. I LOVE your cakes. Are the raspberries doubled in the new recipe? For some reason I thought it was a handful before as well. Cheers -Erin
Hi, I love your website and cakes, especially this one!
I’d like to use fresh raspberries for this cake. Do you mash and use entire raspberry — with seeds?
Thanks so much for your response.
Hi,
Can i prepare the butter cream in advance and refrigerate it for 3 days with raspberry mixed in it?
I had a doubt Since you have mentioned in the Notes that with Rasberry the buttercream would become yuck.
Thanks for the recipe. You rock!
Hi! I’m terrible at cutting cakes in half. If I halved the recipe and just made 2 seperate cakes that I then used as layers, would that work OK?
Everyone adores the taste of this cake. It looked perfect when I cut into it after removing from the refrigerator, however after it sat out on the counter for about 8 hours, the buttercream bled into the cake so that there was not a separation of cake and frosting layers anymore. The cake seemed very wet. Any ideas why this happened and how I could prevent this. I’m making the cake for my daughters wedding in October, because it’s her favorite!
Hello! Such a beautiful cake!!
I was wanting to make this a 4 layer cake! How much would I have to increase this recipe? Thank you for your help!