Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Frosted Yellow Cake
Two-layer yellow cake mix base filled with fresh raspberries and raspberry preserves, topped with rich dark chocolate frosting made from melted semisweet chocolate, cocoa powder, and butter. Mini chocolate chips garnish the finished cake.
Ingredients
- 1 box Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mixhomemade yellow cake1:1baking
use preferred recipe
- 1 scant cup water
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed and drained
- ⅝ cup raspberry preservesstrawberry preserves1:1fruit
similar sweetness and texture
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
- 12 oz mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
- 2
Combine cake mix, water, melted butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for one minute, scrape sides, then mix on high speed for one minute.
- 3
Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
- 4
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
- 5
Combine thawed raspberries and raspberry preserves in a small bowl.
- 6
Place one cake layer bottom-side up on cardboard with parchment paper between cake and cardboard. Spread with raspberry mixture, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with second cake layer, bottom-side up.
- 7
Combine cocoa powder and boiling water, stirring until cocoa dissolves.
- 8
Beat butter, powdered sugar, and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.
- 9
Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides as needed.
- 10
Beat in cocoa mixture.
- 11
Frost cake, remove parchment paper from under cake, and garnish with mini chocolate chips.
Tips
Use parchment paper between cake and cardboard to prevent sticking and allow easy frosting removal.
Ensure all frosting ingredients are at proper temperature: butter at room temperature, chocolate and cocoa mixture cooled.
Spread raspberry filling carefully to avoid breaking the delicate cake layer.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Frosting may need room temperature softening before serving.
Cake layers can be baked one day ahead and wrapped. Frosting can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature and rebeat briefly before frosting assembled cake.
Slice with a warm, wet knife for clean cuts. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Common Mistakes
Do not overmix the cake batter after adding eggs to avoid dense, tough cake.
Do not apply frosting to warm cake layers to prevent melting.
Do not skip cooling cocoa mixture before adding to frosting to avoid breaking emulsion.
Do not forget 1-inch border when spreading raspberry filling to prevent squishing out between layers.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
similar sweetness and texture
use preferred recipe