Raspberry Forest Cake Desserts

By DOMESTICDIVA

Nothing says celebration like this pull-out-all-the-stops cake. It’s topped with a forest of semisweet chocolate trees that’ll be the talk of the dessert table.

Ingredients

• CAKE
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• FROSTING & GARNISH
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up
• 18 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups fresh raspberries, divided

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper; spray parchment.

2. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl at medium speed 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into pan; smooth top with spatula.

3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (do not overbake). Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Invert onto wire rack; remove parchment. Cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, combine cream and 3 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan; heat over medium heat until butter melts and mixture is hot. Remove from heat; add 12 oz. of the chocolate. Let stand 1 minute. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Let stand at room temperature to cool and thicken slightly while cake cools. (Cooled frosting should be thick enough to cling to cake.)

5. Slice cake in half horizontally. Spread about 1 cup of the frosting over bottom cake layer; top with 2 cups of the raspberries. Top with remaining cake layer; spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Let stand 1 hour.

6. With masking tape, tape piece of parchment paper to cover back of baking sheet. Put remaining 6 oz. chocolate in small heatproof bowl; place over saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until chocolate is smooth and melted. Spread evenly over paper into 12x9-inch rectangle. Let stand until firm enough to hold shape when cut.

7. With tree-shaped cookie cutters (several sizes can be used), cut chocolate into tree shapes. Refrigerate to firm chocolate completely. Carefully remove trees from baking sheet (save leftover chocolate for another use).

8. Place remaining 1 cup raspberries on top of cake. Arrange chocolate trees on top of cake, using raspberries to prop trees where necessary. Cover carefully and refrigerate; serve cold. (Cake can be made 1 day ahead.) Refrigerate leftovers.

16 servings