Chocolate Raspberry Cake {gluten-free}

This Chocolate Raspberry Cake is a foolproof gluten-free buttermilk chocolate cake, sandwiched with a simple fresh raspberry swiss meringue buttercream.

Prep Time1

Cook Time35

Total Time1 35

Course: Cake

Cuisine: British

Servings: people

Calories: 604kcal

Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

125 g dark chocolate
150 g white rice flour
60 g oat flour
20 g tapioca flour
90 g cocoa powder
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1¾ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
400 g buttermilk
160 g caster sugar
160 g soft light brown sugar
170 g olive oil
3 eggs medium, see notes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

210 g egg whites around 7 medium sized
350 g caster sugar
425 g unsalted butter at room temperature, cubed
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
300 g raspberries

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted oven / gas mark 4 and line and grease 2 x 8 inch round cake tins.
Melt the chocolate in a bain marie or a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, then set aside.
Whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, espresso powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large mixing bowl until well mixed.
Mix together the buttermilk, sugars, olive oil, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl then beat into the flour mixture.
Mix in the melted chocolate until completely incorporated.
Divide the mixture between the 2 cake tins and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean.
Turn out the cakes and cool on wire racks before covering with buttercream.

Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Heat the egg whites and caster sugar in a bain marie, or a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the temperature has reached 71°C.
Remove the egg whites and sugar from the heat and pour into a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk until the meringue forms firm peaks.
Change the attachment to a paddle attachment. On a low speed add the butter slowly cube by cube. When you have almost added all the butter the mixture will look curdled. Do not fret – this is supposed to happen and just means you are nearly done. Just continue to add all the butter. Once the butter is totally incorporated the buttercream will miraculously become a smooth velvety consistency.
Make the raspberry puree by tipping all the raspberries into a blender and blending on high for a couple of minutes. Press the puree through a sieve to remove the seeds.
Add the raspberry puree to the buttercream along with the vanilla extract and salt. At first the buttercream will look curdled again but just mix for a couple of minutes until it returns to its smooth state.

Assembly

Spread the buttercream in an even layer over one of the chocolate cakes, then place the second chocolate cake on top.
Smooth out the buttercream squidging from the centre of the cakes with a palette knife to create the naked effect.
Pipe buttercream roses on top of the cake until completely covered.
You can keep the cake in the fridge until needed but do serve the cake at room temperature.

Notes

The eggs used in this recipe are medium size, 60g with shell and 50g without shell. If you can't get hold of medium eggs I suggest you weigh the amount.

Ingredient substitutions

If you can’t have oats then you can substitute with sorghum flour.
Or you can swap out all the flours listed for the same amount of my Gluten-Free Homemade Flour Blend.
If you can't get hold of buttermilk then you can use whole milk + 1 ½ tablespoons vinegar stirred together and allowed to sit for 5 minutes. (lemon juice is also fine instead of the vinegar)

Tips and troubleshooting

Make sure the melted chocolate has cooled for at least 10 minutes before adding to the buttercream.
Break eggs into a separate bowl before adding.
Leave the sponges for 5 minutes to rest in their tins.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Use a sugar thermometer so you know exactly when to move onto the next step of the process.
The butter should be at room temperature - just slightly soft.
If you are doing everything right then when you have almost added all the butter the mixture will look curdled. Do not fret – this is supposed to happen and just means you are nearly done. Just continue to add all the butter. Once the butter is totally incorporated the buttercream will miraculously become a smooth velvety consistency.
If when you add the butter the buttercream turns to soup then your butter was too warm. Place the whole mixing bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes then try mixing it again.
If the mixture seems greasy and the butter won’t fully mix in with the egg whites then the butter was too cold. Put the mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, when the butter melts at the edges, remove and beat it up again.

Storing

This cake is suitable for freezing either before or after you have covered in buttercream for up to 3 months.
Keep the cake in the fridge if you are not serving it straightaway. Remove from the fridge about an hour before serving.

Ingredient measurements

Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy.

US customary measurements

These US measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups

Nutrition information

Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification.

The nutrition serving is for 1 slice of cake, assuming the cake is cut into 16 servings.

Nutrition