Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Ganache

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! I’m excited. If you are still looking for something sweet to bake for the special people in your life, may I suggest this pretty cake?

This recipe is loosely adapted from one in Nigella Lawson’s How to Be a Domestic Goddess, which I still love many years after getting it. Honestly, who doesn’t want to be a domestic goddess? #goals.

I knew I wanted to make a bundt cake that combined chocolate and raspberry flavors. A lot of layer cakes incorporate chocolate and berry by having them in separate components – a chocolate cake with a raspberry icing, for example. But I have this adorable heart shaped bundt pan, and I was determined to use it.

I also had a vision of the cake covered with a pink ganache glaze. I knew from previous testing that incorporating any type of raspberry flavor into the white chocolate would ruin the color – it goes more mauve then pink. Plus that wouldn’t be nearly enough raspberry flavor for me. I needed to get both chocolate and raspberry into the cake itself.

Nigella to the rescue! I remembered that she had a delicious chocolate cherry cupcake recipe that essentially used cherry jam as the liquid in the cake batter. Working from that basic idea, I came up with this delicious cake. It has the right balance of chocolate and raspberry flavors and is perfectly moist. It’s also super easy to make — the batter comes together in just one pot. Can’t beat that!

You’ll need quite a lot of jam for this. Be sure to get at least 2 pints, although you won’t use all of the second one. I did not do this, and had to run to the store in the middle of baking, when I realized one jar was not enough!

You could of course make this any berry flavor you like – simply swap out the jam and liquor for the flavor of your choice (but stick with a seedless jam, for the texture). The liquor is also optional, but really helps punch up the flavor.

Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Ganache
Adapted from a recipe from Nigella Lawson’s How to Be a Domestic Goddess
Makes 1 cake, about 15 servings

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 2 2/3 cups seedless raspberry jam
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord (optional)
• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 8 oz white chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
• pink food coloring (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Brush a 10-cup bundt pan with softened butter and dust lightly with either cocoa powder or flour, shaking the pan to coat. Tap out the excess.

Put the butter in a 4 qt heavy bottomed sauce pan and melt over medium heat. When nearly melted, add the bittersweet chocolate. Stir for about 30 seconds, then take off the heat, and stir until butter and chocolate are fully melted and smooth. Add the jam, sugar, salt, beaten eggs, vanilla, and liqueur, mixing with a whisk until fully incorporated. Stir in the flour and mix until combined.

Scrape into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 65-75 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (a few small crumbs are OK) and the cake springs back when you gently press it with your finger. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Check to make sure the cake has pulled away from all the edges of the bundt pan. If it has not, gently loosen it with a small offset spatula or other thin tool. Invert onto a cooling rack and allow to cool fully.

To make the white chocolate ganache, place the white chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Bring the heavy cream just to a simmer in a small sauce pan (or in the microwave). Pour over the white chocolate and allow to soften for about 30 second, then stir until smooth and melted (if needed, you can microwave for just a few seconds to fully melt the mixture, but do not overheat the chocolate). Add food coloring, if using.

Place the cake on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the ganache over the cake, allowing to drip down the sides. Use a small offset spatula to glide the mixture over the cake if needed.

Cake should be stored, well wraped or covered, at room temperature for 4-5 days.