a bag of flour

This recipe has long been one of my favorites, and it’s probably the one that has changed the most over time. It used to be a simple (and admittedly slightly dry) sponge cake, layered with a combination of whipped cream and melted chocolate, and has evolved into a decadently moist and fudgy cake with a silky chocolate buttercream frosting. But the one thing I would never change about this cake is it’s design.

It all started when I learned a little cake decorating trick during a short internship at a bakery in France: Spread melted chocolate on an ice cold marble slab and it will harden almost instantly. If you work quickly and add a little bit of vegetable oil to the melted chocolate beforehand, it will stay flexible enough to be wrapped around a cake. It’s so simple, yet absolutely genius!

I have tried many different designs with this technique over the years, but I keep coming back to one of the first ones I came up with: a simple, rough chocolate rose  with raspberries arranged in between the petals. It’s minimum effort with a maximum wow-factor.

Raspberries and chocolate are a perfect pair, but you could also use strawberries or leave out the fruit completely. The use of espresso powder and rum or whiskey is also optional, especially if you are making the cake for little ones or expecting mothers.

Whatever flavors you choose, this cake is always a show-stopper. Now before you say this looks really hard, I can’t do this, and give up, read the tutorial first. I promise you, you can!

So here we go:

The most important thing is that you have a smooth cutting board made out of marble or granite that is small enough to fit into your freezer. Got it? Well there you go, you’re halfway there. Make sure to place your marble slab in the freezer at least 2 hours before you want to start decorating, preferably over night.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring it occasionally. You can remove the bowl from the double boiler before it is completely melted, the residual heat will take care of them. Once the chocolate is completely melted, add a little bit of vegetable oil and stir until the mixture is smooth.

Before you start working on the chocolate decorations, you need to assemble the actual cake. Start by placing the bottom layer on the stand or platter you want to serve the cake on and spreading a thin, even layer of raspberry jam on it.

Cover with a layer of chocolate buttercream frosting:

Tip: If you’re having trouble spreading the frosting, let the knife or spatula you are using warm up in hot water, but remember to dry it off before using it.

Add the top layer:

And cover the cake with the remaining frosting. If you are going to follow the chocolate rose design, you don’t have to worry too much about getting it perfectly even and smooth.

Now it’s time to grab an angled spatula (or a second flexible knife) for spreading the melted chocolate on the cold marble slab and a long flexible knife, for cutting the chocolate sheets and releasing them from the marble. Remove the marble slab from the freezer and get everything ready. Grabbing a towel is also a good idea. There will be chocolate everywhere. It’s a delicious mess, but a mess nonetheless.

If you are right-handed, start by picking up the bowl of melted chocolate with your left hand and holding the angled spatula in your right hand. Now pour some chocolate onto the marble slab and quickly spread it into a thin sheet using your spatula. Don’t worry if it starts to harden as you are spreading, it will create an interesting rough surface.

Once the chocolate has hardened, cut the sheet to size and carefully scrape it off the board using your flexible knife. It should release very easily. Now carefully pick up the chocolate sheet and wrap it around the cake. If it has already become too hard, simply let the radiant heat of your hands warm it up for a couple of seconds before bending it into shape. I usually make two to three wide chocolate sheets for the outside of the cake and use the edges that I cut off to create the rose petal design on top. You can use small dabs of melted chocolate to connect the outside pieces. If you feel like the chocolate it hardening too fast, add a little bit more vegetable oil to the melted chocolate.

Try spreading the chocolate a little bit thinner on the edges to create a delicate frayed petal look. Quickly wiggling the spatula from side to side as you are spreading the chocolate will ensure that the edges come out a bit uneven, just like a real rose. Once you are happy with your chocolate decorations, it’s time to fill the gaps with fresh raspberries.

It’s beautiful, it’s delicious, and it will be our little secret how quick and easy it is to make.

Enjoy!

And let me know how it goes!

Cake recipe adapted from Add a Pinch.