My little girl turned five yesterday. And what birthday girl doesn’t want a beautiful cake. As Miss K and I searched cookbooks and the internet for the perfect cake to bake, she decided she wanted a Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Frosting. The raspberries on the top were her idea and very crucial to her having the perfect birthday cake.

I must say that layer cakes are a little intimidating to me, as you will find there are none here on Caramel Potatoes. However, by not having to frost the sides, I found this cake to be so simple. Add the fresh raspberries on top made for a pretty presentation with little effort.

I must say miss K.  loved her cake and was quite proud to show it off to everyone before eating it.  Luckily for me, the cake tasted as good as it looked.  So Happy 5th Birthday miss K!

Chocolate Layer Cake with Fresh Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

Cake:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter,  very soft, plus extra for greasing pans
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pans
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (3/4 ounce)
1/2 cup hot water
1 3/4 cups sugar (12 1/4 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks

Fresh Raspberry Buttercream Frosting:

11 ounces fresh raspberries
2 cups butter
6 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch-round by 2-inch-high cake pans with softened butter; dust pans with flour and knock out excess. Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, and hot water in medium heatproof bowl; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 inch of simmering water and stir with rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup sugar to chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in small bowl. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment. Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30 to 45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about one-third of flour mixture followed by half of buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated). Scrape down sides of bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; smooth batter to edges of pan with spatula.