Dark Chocolate Cake with Frosted Cranberries

The holidays and chocolate just go together; there is no disputing that. Growing up we spent every Christmas at my grandmother’s house which entailed a day long of snacking on baked goods, nuts and chocolate and then when the big meal began it was filled with enough of our favourite holiday foods to feast on for a week, followed up by a decadent dessert, like this Dark Chocolate Cake garnished with Frosted Cranberries.

Each year I seek out new recipes to add to add to my traditional Christmas dinner recipes. There is a bit of nostalgia when it comes to traditional recipes but it’s nice to introduce a few new recipes that will hopefully turn into new traditions and lasting memories at my holiday table.

I turned to Ricardo Cuisine to gather ideas for the big day and for weekend ideas for quick meals, holiday entertaining and desserts for family and friends. This year I decided to try “THE BEST-BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE“. I tend to lean towards a milk chocolate versus dark chocolate myself but my mother-in-law prefers dark and I wanted to surprise her.

The recipe was easy to follow and offered a beautiful end result of layered cake filled and frosted with ganache. I felt like it needed a bit of colour to top off the rich dark chocolate with the cranberries but strawberries, raspberries or pomegranate would equally compliment this cake.

This dark chocolate cake is an interesting addition to the holiday table this year; just garnish with cranberries rolled in sugar for a festive look! For more inspiration, make sure to check out Ricardo Cuisine on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

If you like this recipe, let me know in the comments below, check out my other recipes and I’d love if you’d pin it for later on Pinterest or follow along for other great recipes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Dark Chocolate Cake with Frosted Cranberries

 

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Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 35 mins

 

Author: Stacey Martin

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups (500 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups (500 ml) sugar
• 1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
• ½ cup (125 ml) canola oil
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
• ¾ cup (180 ml) cocoa powder
• ¾ cup (180 ml) strong coffee, warm
• Cranberries and white sugar for garnish
• Ganache recipe can be found at ricardocuisine.com

Instructions

1. With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Butter and line two 20-cm (8-inch) springform pans with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine eggs, sugar, buttermilk, oil and vanilla with a whisk. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder and coffee with a whisk. Add to egg mixture. Add dry ingredients and stir until smooth. Spoon batter into pans. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely before unmoulding.
5. Ganache to be made while cake is cooling.
6. On a work surface, cut and remove the rounded top of each cake. Cut cake in half horizontally to make four slices. Spread ganache evenly over the entire surface of the cake slices with a spatula. Layer four slices and place on a cake stand.Rinse cranberries and roll in white sugar before placing on top of the cake for garnish and a light dusting of sugar on the surface of the cake for a snowy look.

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100%  my own.