The perfect summer treat!

Don´t tell me these don´t look amazing! These mini chocolate and raspberry sandwich cakes are a real treat and perfect for the summer. They are a very light dessert that celebrate the delicious taste of fresh raspberries.

If you have a little time on your hands why not make these chocolate and raspberry sandwich cakes to impress your family or guests after dinner? They are optimal as a summer dessert as you use fresh raspberries. It is, however, also possible to use frozen raspberries for the buttercream. To top the cakes it is nicer though to use fresh raspberries.

The cakes are made in the same way you would make chocolate brownies and taste like it, too. The raspberry buttercream is a bit more time-consuming to make, as you first make a raspberry purée to flavour it. If you want to save time you could perhaps just buy a some raspberry jam, squeeze it through a sieve to get the seeds out and then use it.

On the topic of celebrating the fruits of summer, why not also give this strawberry fraisier cake a try? It is also a stunning dessert and is sure to create a great impression!For more great baking ideas, check out my other recipes!

Mini Chocolate and Raspberry Sandwich Cakes

Recipe

Ingredients:

FOR THE CAKES:

• 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
• 100g unsalted butter, diced
• 2 medium eggs, at room temperature
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 150g caster sugar
• 90g self-raising flour
• pinch of fine sea salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder

FOR THE RASPBERRY PURÉE:

• 200g fresh (or frozen) raspberries
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp water

FOR THE RASPERRY BUTTERCREAM:

• 125g caster sugar
• 6 tbsp water
• 3 medium egg yolks, at room temperature
• 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced

TO FINISH:

• 24 fresh raspberries
• a little icing sugar for dusting

YOU´LL ALSO NEED:

• 12-cup-loose-based mini sandwich tin or cupcake/muffin tray
• a sugar thermometer
• piping bag fitted with a star nozzle

Method:

1. Lightly grease a 12-cup-loose-based mini sandwich tin or a non-stick cupcake/muffin tray with some butter. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before making the cake mix (if they are cold the chocolate mixture will become lumpy).
3. Gently melt the dark chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl over a bain marie. Then set aside to cool slightly until needed.
4. Put the eggs and vanilla into a large mixing bowl and whisk on a low speed with an electric mixer for a few seconds until frothy. Add the sugar, then mix on high spped until the mixture is very thick and pale and has reached the ribbon stage (when you lift out the whisk, the mixture should leave behind a ribbon-like trail).
5. Whisk the just-warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture on a low speed. Make sure to scrape down the side of the bowl and whisk until everything is well combined. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the bowl and carefully fold it in using a metal spoon or plastic spatula.
6. Spoon the mixture into the cups of the mini-sandwich or muffin tray, making sure you add equal amounts to each hole. Carefully level the surface with a teaspoon.
7. Bake in the preheated oven 15-18 minutes until the sponges are just firm to the touch and have started to shrink away from the sides of the tin. Carefully unmould and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Meanwhile, make the raspberry purée. Tip the raspberries into a medium pan, add the sugar and water and set over a low heat. Gently stir the mix until the sugar has dissolved. Next, bring to the boil and then simmer for about 4 minutes until thick, stirring frequently. Tip into a sieve set over a bowl and push through to remove any seeds. Then leave the purée to cool.
9. To make the raspberry buttercream, place the sugar and water in a small pan. Heat gently until the sugar has completely dissolved. Then bring the syrup to the boil and boil for 4-5 minutes until it reaches 110°C (use a sugar thermometer to measure this).
   While the sugar is boiling put the yolks into a heatproof bowl and beat briefly with a hand-held electric whisk (you can place the bowl onto a damp dish towel to prevent it from wobbling).
10. As soon as the sugar syrup has reached 110°C, slowly pour it on to the yolks in a thin, steady stream whilst whisking at the highest speed. Continue whisking until your mixture becomes thick and pale (it should reach ribbon stage). Whisk for a bit longer to make sure the mixture cools to room temperature before adding the butter (if it´s too hot the butter will melt).
11. Slowly whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time, to make a thick icing. Next, mix in enough of the previously prepared raspberry purée, until you reach the desired colour and flavour. Chill the buttercream for about 20 minutes until it is firm enough to pipe.
12. To assemble the cakes, cut each little cake in half horizontally. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe a swirl of raspberry buttercream onto the bottom half of each cake, before placing a raspberry in the centre. Set the top half of the cakes on the buttercream and press down gently. Then pipe a small rosette of buttercream onto the top of each cake and decorate with the fresh raspberries.
13. Finally, dust the cakes with icing sugar, put on to a serving plate and enjoy!!!

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