Chocolate Blackberry Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g)
• 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
• 3/4 cup dark or Dutch-processed cocoa powder (75g)
• 2 tsp baking powder (8g)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda (9g)
• 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
• 1 cup warm water (240g)
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (240g)
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil (110g)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature (112g)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8g)
• 2 1/2 cups (5 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (565g)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8g)
• 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
• 7 cups powdered sugar (904g or a 2 lb. bag)
• 1/2 cup blackberry jam (160g)
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (80g)
• 2/3 cup dark or Dutch-processed cocoa powder (66g)
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled (180g)
• 1 cup blackberry jam (315g)
• 2 pints blackberries
• 1 pint blackberries
• Edible gold paint of gold luster dust mixed with clear liquor or extract

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Dark Chocolate Cake Layers ---

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C. Line and grease four, eight-inch cake pans with parchment rounds and non-stick baking spray. Set aside.

3. 3

   Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup dark cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp of salt in a large bowl. Whisk together until combined.

4. 4

   In a separate, large bowl, add 1 cup of warm water, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup oil, 2 eggs, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Give the mixture a quick whisk to combine the ingredients.

5. 5

   Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix by hand until fully incorporated. The batter will be on the thin side, but that’s the consistency you're after!

6. 6

   Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans and bake for about 20-22 minutes. I like to use a kitchen scale to weigh the pans. It makes sure each pan has the same amount of batter and helps the cake layers bake up to be the same height.

7. 7

   Remove the cake layers from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Gently run an offset spatula around the rim of the cake pans to loosen them, then flip them onto wire racks to finish cooling.

8. 8

   These cake layers bake up pretty flat, so I usually don't level them. However, you can level them with a serrated knife if you want to! And if you make these cake layers in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.

9. 9

   --- Blackberry and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting ---

10. 10

    While the cake layers bake and cool, make the blackberry and chocolate buttercream frosting.

11. 11

    Beat 2 1/2 cups of butter, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp fine salt on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.

12. 12

    Gradually mix in 7 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. The frosting should be quite thick at this point.

13. 13

    Place 1/2 of the buttercream in a separate bowl and mix 1/2 cup of blackberry jam into it. Cover it with plastic wrap and set aside.

14. 14

    Add in 2/3 cup of dark cocoa powder and 1/3 cup heavy cream into the remaining buttercream. Mix on low until the cocoa powder is fully incorporated and no clumps remain. Then mix in 1 cup of melted and cooled dark chocolate.

15. 15

    Beat on low until the ingredients are fully combined and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting seems too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.

16. 16

    Place the chocolate buttercream in a large piping bag and cut a 1-inch opening at the bottom of the bag. Set aside.

17. 17

    --- Assembling this Chocolate Blackberry Cake ---

18. 18

    Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.

19. 19

    Pipe a ring of chocolate buttercream around the perimeter of the cake, then spread about 1/3 cup of blackberry jam on the cake layer inside the buttercream ring. Top it with a layer of blackberry buttercream (use about 1/5 of the blackberry buttercream) and press a third of the blackberries into the frosting.

20. 20

    Repeat with the remaining cake layers and place the top cake layer upside down to make it easier to frost.

21. 21

    Spread a thin coat of chocolate frosting around the cake to fully cover the cake layers. If you find the cake layers are sliding around, pop the cake into the freezer for 10 minutes to chill the filling and lock the cake layers in place.

22. 22

    Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (10 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

23. 23

    Then add a second, thicker layer of chocolate frosting to the cake. Add texture to the buttercream by making some swoops with either a large offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Spread swipes of the remaining blackberry buttercream over the chocolate buttercream and add a ring of buttercream dollops and fresh blackberries around the top of the cake.

24. 24

    Chill the cake until the frosting is firm to the touch, then use a sterile paintbrush to paint the berries and the side of the cake with streaks of edible gold paint or gold luster dust mixed with clear liquor or extract. This is optional but it really elevates the look of this cake!