Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling and Meringue Ghosts
This dark chocolate cake is filled with layers of raspberry jam and topped with chocolate ganache frosting and little meringue ghosts for a festive Halloween treat.
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This dark chocolate cake is filled with layers of raspberry jam and topped with chocolate ganache frosting and little meringue ghosts for a festive Halloween treat. I think my favorite part of this cake is the little meringue ghosts – they’re just so cute!
Halloween is such a fun holiday – it’s not practical by any means, but it is so much fun to celebrate. I love when people get really into it and decorate their houses with cobwebs and pumpkins and ghosts and goblins. I try to decorate my house for every holiday, even if for some holidays the decorations are on the subtle side. Going all out on holiday décor is something I picked up from my mom and that includes making various themed desserts.
Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling and Meringue Ghosts
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Halloween Cake Recipe
- Chocolate cake – This chocolate cake recipe is made with melted chocolate as well as cocoa powder for a moist cake and extra chocolatey flavor.
- Ganache – Ganache is a mixture of melted chocolate and heavy cream stirred together until a silky, shiny glaze comes together. In this recipe half the ganache is whipped into a rich chocolate frosting used to cover the cake while the other half is poured over top to slowly drip down the sides of the cake as decor.
- Raspberry jam – Raspberry jam is the obvious choice for a halloween themed cake and it complements the chocolatey flavor perfectly.
- Meringue – The ghosts are made using the French method of making meringue. It’s made by beating the egg whites and slowly adding the sugar until it’s completely incorporated and dissolves. The mixture should hold in stiff peaks before they are piped in little ghosts.
How to Make Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling and Meringue Ghosts
For the dark chocolate cake:
- Prepare the cake pans. Heat oven Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter 3 (8-inch) round cake pans. Dust with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper and set the pans aside.
- Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Make the matter. In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed, about 2 minutes. Next, add the eggs and the yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the chocolate. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla extract, beating to combine, about an additional 30 seconds. Turn the mixer on low speed and alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture, ending with the flour.
- Bake the cakes. Evenly divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely. Set the raspberry jam aside until ready for assembly.
To make the chocolate ganache:
- Pour cream over chocolate. Coarsely chop the chocolate and add to a medium mixing bowl. Add the cream to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, for about 8 minutes. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk constantly until smooth and shiny.
- Let the ganache cool. Divide the ganache in half. Let half cool to room temperature and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high with the confectioners sugar until it forms stiff peaks.
For the meringue ghosts:
- Make the French meringue. Preheat the oven to 225°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar on high speed until foamy. Add the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating consistently until the sugar is completely dissolved and the egg whites are glossy and stand in stiff peaks.
- Pipe the meringues. Add to a pastry bag fitted with a medium circle tip to form the ghosts. Pipe them 1-inch apart on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
- Bake. Bake until the meringues are firm and they easily lift off of the waxed paper, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let the cookies stand in oven with door closed until they are cool, dry and crisp, for at least an hour. Do not open the oven or take them out, let them sit so they are not gooey in the middle. Dip a toothpick in the gel to create the eyes of the ghosts.
To assemble:
- Spread jam over cake. Place one layer of cake on top of a cake stand. Spread an even layer of raspberry jam over the cake then place another layer of cake on top.
- Repeat and frost the cake. Repeat with the remaining jam and cake. Spread some of the whipped ganache on top of the cake and evenly spread to cover the cake.
- Add ganache and decorate the halloween cake. Pour ½ cup of the remaining chocolate ganache on the middle of the cake so that it slowly drips down the sides. Top the cake with the meringue ghosts and the chocolate shavings.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this Halloween themed cake recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:
- Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Halloween Candy
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bat Cupcakes
- Sea Salt Bourbon Caramel Apples with Spiderweb
Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling and Meringue Ghosts
Ingredients:
For the dark chocolate cake:
- 1½ cups 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa, plus more for dusting pans
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 packed cups light brown sugar
- 3 eggs, plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups low-fat buttermilk
For the chocolate ganache:
- 1 pound semisweet chocolate
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
For the meringue ghosts:
- 2 egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon edible black gel
For assembly:
- 3 cups raspberry jam
- ½ cup dark chocolate shavings
Instructions:
For the dark chocolate cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Butter 3 (8-inch) round cake pans. Dust with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper and set the pans aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and the yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the melted chocolate and vanilla extract, beating to combine, about an additional 30 seconds. Turn the mixer on low speed and alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture, ending with the flour.
- Evenly divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely. Set the raspberry jam aside until ready for assembly.
For the chocolate ganache:
- Coarsely chop the chocolate and add to a medium mixing bowl. Add the cream to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, for about 8 minutes. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk constantly until smooth and shiny.
- Divide the ganache in half. Let half cool to room temperature and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high with the confectioners sugar until it forms stiff peaks.
For the meringue ghosts:
- Preheat the oven to 225°F (107ºC). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar on high speed until foamy. Add the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating consistently until the sugar is completely dissolved and the egg whites are glossy and stand in stiff peaks.
- Add to a pastry bag fitted with a medium circle tip to form the ghosts. Pipe them 1-inch apart on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
- Bake until the meringues are firm and they easily lift off of the waxed paper, about 1 hour. Turn off the oven and let the cookies stand in oven with door closed until they are cool, dry and crisp, for at least an hour. Do not open the oven or take them out, let them sit so they are not gooey in the middle. Dip a toothpick in the gel to create the eyes of the ghosts.
For assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on top of a cake stand. Spread an even layer of raspberry jam over the cake then place another layer of cake on top.
- Repeat with the remaining jam and cake. Spread some of the whipped ganache on top of the cake and evenly spread to cover the cake.
- Pour ½ cup of the remaining chocolate ganache on the middle of the cake so that it slowly drips down the sides. Top the cake with the meringue ghosts and the chocolate shavings.
DID YOU MAKE THIS?
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I made this cake for my sons birthday (minus the ghosts). It was a huge hit. The combination of chocolate and raspberry was so good and the chocolate cake was so moist. Will definitely be making it again for other birthdays.