Moist, Seedless, Blackberry Filled Chocolate Cake
This seedless blackberry-filled chocolate cake, paired with a luscious blackberry filling, is delicious and moist. The cake’s texture is so tender and chocolate-rich, while the blackberry filling provides a delightful burst of flavor. This delectable and moist cake is sure to have you and your guests savoring every bite in no time!
My favorite chocolate cake recipe is incredibly moist and flavorful. I’ve adapted Chocolate Layer Cake (Popular Recipe!) – Sally’s Baking Addiction (sallysbakingaddiction.com) It’s my default choice whenever I need a chocolate cake base; I simply adapt the fillings and frostings to suit my creation for the day. I’ve enjoyed it with a classic chocolate ganache filling and chocolate buttercream frosting. I have also transformed chocolate cake into a salted caramel cake with firm chocolate ganache frosting, as well as a black forest cake with cherry filling and a whipped chocolate ganache. Its versatility and delectable taste make it outstanding.
This time, I chose a blackberry filling. The cake is already moist, but the blackberry adds a silky texture and a burst of flavor. I’ve strained out the seeds from the blackberry sauce to ensure smoothness, so you won’t have to worry about seeds stuck in your teeth with every bite. And believe me, there will be many bites! The blackberry pairs so beautifully with the chocolate that your friends and family will be asking for seconds, or even thirds—if there’s any left. The ganache, too, is exceptionally rich and velvety, akin to a luxurious piece of chocolate.
Here are the ingredients:
All Purpose flour: It’s perfect for this recipe. Specialty cake flour isn’t needed nor desired. The cocoa powder that is super fine helps to balance the all-purpose flour and give the cake that super moist tender sponge.
Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder: Hershey’s or Ghirardelli is perfect. Don’t use dutch-processed cocoa powder.
Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Both are used for lift
Salt: Gives the cake flavor, duh! Where’s the salt, where’s the salt, where’s the dang salt! Right?
Espresso Powder: This is optional, but really helps to enhance the chocolate flavor without giving it a coffee flavor. Don’t get me wrong I love my coffee but sometimes it’s all about the chocolate!
Oil: While butter is so luscious and yummy, alway, it’s getting a pass on this chocolate cake recipe. Why? Because cocoa powder is drying, and the oil helps to provide moisture necessary for this moist chocolate cake.
Eggs: Be sure to remove your eggs about 20 minutes before you use them in this cake. The temperature of the ingredients can affect the outcome of the cake.
Buttermilk: This adds acidity and moisture to the cake. If you don’t have any on hand, it can be easily made with lemon juice or white vinegar and whole milk. I usually don’t have buttermilk in my fridge, and I hate buying a big jug for a one recipe, so I usually make it myself. I have provided the instructions in the notes below.
Vanilla Extract: What can I say, everything is better with vanilla!
Hot Coffee or Hot Water: The heat from the liquid enhances the flavor of the cocoa powder and helps it to dissolve. If you’re not a coffee drinker, use water. Coffee however give the cake a more intense chocolate flavor. I’ve made this cake with and without coffee and I do like the added flavor I get using the hot coffee.
The Seedless Blackberry Filling:
Blackberries: Fresh or frozen blackberries will work. If you use frozen be sure to thaw ahead of time.
Cold water and orange juice: Both adds liquid to the berries which helps to strain the seeds through the sieve. The orange juice can be fresh squeezed or premade.
Powdered sugar: The recipe calls for a 1/4 of cup but add more if the blackberries aren’t sweet and flavorful.
Cornstarch: This will thicken the sauce enough to layer it on the cake. If it’s too thin it’ll will run.
Butter: A little bit of butter adds richness and another layer of flavor to the sauce.
Chocolate Ganache:
Ganache sounds so fancy that you’re probably thinking it’s super complex. It’s not it only uses 2 ingredients and if you follow the instructions below, you’ll have silky creamy chocolate ganache with little effort. In fact, it’s very satisfying when it all comes together!
Good Quality Chocolate Bars: I use baker’s brand semisweet chocolate bar with 56% cacao. It’s what I use and easy to find. I’ve also used Ghirardelli.
Heavy Cream: Do not use milk or half and half as the ganache won’t set up.
The recipes and instructions are below. Get bak’n!
Moist, Seedless, Blackberry Filled Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- 3 8-inch cake pans or you can use 2 9-inch cake pans
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 3/4 cups flour – sifted
- 3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa (don't use Dutch processed cocoa powder for this recipe).
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp espresso powder (optional)
- 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil avocado, vegetable, canola, coconut oils,
- 2 Large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk you can make this yourself. See notes
- 1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
Chocolate Ganache
- 2-4 oz Semi-sweet chocolate bars Baker's brand, Ghirardelli
- 1 cup Heavy cream
Blackberry Filling
- 2 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen (thawed))
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup orange juice Fresh or ready made
- zest of one lemon
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar (more if you want the blackberries sweeter)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
The cake:
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (177℃). Grease pans (3 8-inch or 2 9-inch) and line with parchment paper. I use parchment paper rounds, but you can cut out the rounds from rolled parchment paper.
- Whisk together in a large bowl the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and expresso powder (optional). Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add buttermilk and mix until combined. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment if you like, but I use a whisk and a little muscle (super easy) to mix together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Add the hot water or coffee and whisk on low speed until the batter is smooth and completely combined. The batter is really thin.
- Divide batter into your pans. Bake 20 – 26 minutes. When a toothpick comes out clean the cakes are done. Start checking the cakes at 20 minutes. The size of the pan will determine the amount of bake time (the bigger surface of the pan such as a 9-inch will take less time than an 8-inch pan). Be vigil, you don't want to overbake the cakes, or they will be dry.
- Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack until completely cooled.
Seedless Blackberry Filling:
- Add the blackberries, water, orange juice and lemon juice (wait to add the zest until after straining the blackberry seeds) to a food processor or blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds. This helps to breakdown the seed and makes it easier to push them through a sieve.
- Place a fine-mesh strainer on top of a 2–3-quart pot and strain the blackberries mixture.
- Using a rubber spatula, press the mixture through the strainer to get as much of the liquid as possible. Be sure to scrap the bottom of the strainer with a clean spatula to get the residual liquid. Continue this until your left with mostly seeds. It can be a little bit of work, but so worth it to remove those pesky seeds from the filling. Discard the seeds left in the strainer.
- Add the cornstarch and powdered sugar and mix thoroughly with a whisk.
- Add in the lemon zest
- On the stovetop over medium heat, stir the mixture frequently
- Once the mixture starts to bubble, add the butter and stir constantly until the mixture is smooth and thickened.
- Remove from the stove and place it in a bowl and put it in the fridge to completely cool. If you want to use immediately, spread the mixture out on a sheet pan to hurry the cooling process and the place it in the fridge for another 15 minutes to completely cool before using.
Chocolate Ganache for frosting the cake:
- Place chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.
- Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat until it gently simmers (do not boil the cream – that's too hot).
- Pour the cream over the chocolate and let is sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Slowly stir the mixture to combine. Start with small strokes in the middle, then move out as the it starts to come together.
- Cool for about an hour but still pliable and spreadable. It if to set and is tough to spread simply put it in the microwave for about 30 secs. Stir and check it to see if it's spreadable. Don't microwave so much that you need to let cool again.
Bringing it all to together:
- Once the cakes have cooled completely, the blackberry sauce has been prepared and chilled, and the ganache has set for a few hours, you are ready to assemble your masterpiece
- Start by placing one cake on a platter or cake round. Pipe a ring of ganache around the rim of the cake (If the ganache is too stiff to pipe heat it up in the microwave for about 30 seconds prior to putting it into the piping bag). This ring around the cake will help to hold in the blackberry filling. Divide the filling between to cake layers and spoon it onto the cake.
- Add the second layer and repeat the previous step. Create a ring around the cake and fill with the blackberry filling.
- Add the last cake layer and frost the entire cake with the ganache.
- To decorate: pipe chocolate flowers on top and place a blackberry on each flower.
- Place in refrigerator to set.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Making your own buttermilk is very easy. Add 1 TBSP white vinegar or lemon to a 1 cup measure. Add in whole milk to the top to level out to 1 cup. Stir and let sit for a few minutes.