Raspberry Chocolate Celebration Cake

I think at this point in my baking career, I refuse to make a chocolate cake with butter. I will only use oil because it allows me to make the cake without my stand mixer, and often in one bowl. And I think a cake made with oil turns out just as well as one made with butter, in my opinion, possibly even better.

Raspberry Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Sweetapolita

Chocolate cake:

1 egg + 1 yolk

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup hot freshly brewed coffee

1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two six inch cake pans.

Whisk together sugars, eggs, and oil. Add cocoa powder and coffee and mix. Add buttermilk and stir.

Add all dry ingredients at once then whisk until batter is just combined.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until middle springs back in middle when poked.

Ganache:

9 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Place chocolate in dry bowl. Heat heavy cream in saucepan over medium heat until barely simmering. Pour cream over chocolate. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes and then whisk until smooth. Let cool for an hour or two at room temperature. Alternately, place in refrigerator and stir every 15 minutes. When cool, whip ganache with whisk attachment of stand mixer until light and fluffy. Use to frost in the middle of the layers and for the crumb coat.

Frosting:

1/4 cup raspberry puree (from fresh or frozen raspberries)

3 egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Place a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water over a medium flame. Bring to a low simmer. Add egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar to a very clean bowl of standmixer. Place bowl of standmixer over simmering water and whisk constantly. Sugar will dissolve and mix will get foamy. Remove bowl from heat when mixture is warm to the touch. Add raspberry puree. Whisk on medium high speed using standmixer for 8 to 10 minutes. Meringue will become very fluffy and form stiff peaks. Frost outside of cake immediately.