chocolate-raspberry wedding cake

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Chocolate lovers deserve to enjoy their favorite flavor, even on their wedding day. This dark triple-tiered beauty makes no compromises. Layers of moist chocolate butter cake are filled with raspberry preserves, frosted with chocolate ganache spiked with brandy, and decorated with an abundance of fresh raspberries. The square shape gives the cake elegant proportions, a pleasing change from the usual round, and the layers are cut into narrow rectangles for serving.

Note that each tier is a separate triple-layer cake. Because of the size restrictions of a home kitchen—you cannot get 9 baking pans in your oven at the same time—each tier is baked separately. The instructions for mixing, filling, and frosting are the same for each and are given only once, but the proportions of ingredients and baking times change with size.

The cake layers can be baked 3 to 4 days in advance, wrapped well, stacked on a cake board (3 to a board), and stored in the refrigerator. (If you place the layers on a cake board after they are wrapped to support them during storage, the board should still be usable during assembly.) If you have room to refrigerate the finished cake, it can be filled and frosted a day ahead. The advantage is that the cake will travel well without softening too much while it sits at room temperature the next day.

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MAKES A THREE-TIERED (6-, 8-, AND 10-INCH) SQUARE TRIPLE-LAYER CAKE; SERVES 100 (OR 80 TO 85 IF THE TOP TIER IS RESERVED)
  1. Up to 4 days in advance, bake the 3 Chocolate Butter Cakes (9 layers in all) as directed. After they have cooled, wrap the layers well in plastic, set each on an appropriately sized cake board that will support it, and refrigerate.
  2. Make the Bittersweet Brandied Ganache shortly before you plan to frost the cake.
  3. To assemble the wedding cake, place one 6-inch layer on the same size cake board; use the same one the cake was stored on. Spread ⅓ cup of the raspberry preserves evenly over the cake, leaving a ¼-inch margin around the edge. Repeat with the second layer and another ⅓ cup preserves. Set the third layer in place and frost the top and sides with 2 cups of the Bittersweet Brandied Ganache. Use a clean palette knife to create sharp corners and edges; if needed, warm the knife briefly under warm—not hot—water and quickly wipe dry before smoothing. Refrigerate the 6-inch tier, and the two remaining tiers, as they are finished.
  4. For the 8-inch tier, spread ½ cup preserves between the layers and frost with 3 cups of the ganache.
  5. For the 10-inch tier, use ⅔ cup preserves and 3 ¼ cups ganache.
  6. With a sharp serrated knife, trim all 8 of the plastic dowels so that they are ½ inch taller than the 3 finished cakes. Be sure to cut straight and evenly. Press 4 of the dowels into the 10-inch cake 4 inches in from the edge to create a 6-inch square pattern in the center. Repeat with the 4 remaining dowels, setting them into the 8-inch tier to form a 4-inch square in the center.
  7. Set the cake stand on the table. Using a carpenter’s level, make sure the stand is level; shim with small strips of cardboard, if necessary. Carefully stack the cakes on their boards in the center of the stand. Using a pastry bag fitted with a ⅜-inch plain tip and filled with the remaining ganache, camouflage the cake boards by piping dots of frosting in a single row around the joined edges. Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight. Transport, if necessary, cold, and let return to room temperature before serving.
  8. To finish decorating, set a silver sugar bowl or small vase in the center of the top tier and fill with berries. Or simply pile up raspberries on top of the cake, letting the berries cascade down the sides and around the base of the cake.
  9. To serve, cut the cake into rectangular pieces about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. The tiers should yield 18, 32, and 50 slices, respectively.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR ASSEMBLY AND DECORATION