Recipe

Gourmet Cake In A Cake Recipe

A bold chocolate espresso cake baked around a surprise raspberry almond mini cake, finished with a glossy cocoa ganache. Big flavor, clean slices, and maximum “wait, how did you do that?” energy.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.9

A sliced chocolate espresso bundt cake revealing a raspberry almond cake baked inside, on a white cake stand with a glossy chocolate ganache drip

Jump to Recipe

Let’s talk about the ultimate dinner party flex that still feels like something you can pull off on a Sunday afternoon: a cake baked inside another cake. Not a gimmick cake. A gourmet one. The outside is a dark, plush chocolate espresso cake with crisp edges and a tight crumb that slices like a dream. The inside is a tender raspberry almond mini cake that pops like a bright little surprise right in the center.

The good news: it’s not hard, it just has a few non-negotiables: the inner cake must be fully baked and chilled, the outer batter needs enough structure to hold it in place, and you have to resist the urge to overfill the pan like it owes you money.

Make this when you want bold flavor, clean slices, and that moment where everyone leans in to see the cross section.

Why It Works

Two distinct cakes, one bake: The chilled inner cake acts like a “cake plug” that the outer batter bakes around without sinking or smearing.
Big contrast, balanced sweetness: Bittersweet chocolate and espresso keep the outer cake rich but not cloying. Raspberry and almond add brightness and aroma.
Clean slices: A bundt pan plus a denser outer batter means you get a crisp edge and a neat reveal.
Ganache makes it feel fancy: One bowl, stovetop or microwave, instant glossy finish.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

How to Store Leftovers

Room temperature: Store covered for up to 2 days if your kitchen is cool. If your kitchen runs warm or you prefer to play it safe with dairy-based ganache, refrigerate the cake.
Refrigerator: Up to 5 days in an airtight container. Ganache firms up in the fridge, which is not a problem, it just turns more truffle-like.
Freezer: Wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or 1 to 2 hours at room temp.
Serving tip: For the best texture, let chilled slices sit at room temp for 20 to 30 minutes before eating.

Common Questions

Do I have to use a bundt pan?

No, but it helps. A bundt pan gives you structure, even baking, and the shape makes the hidden center extra dramatic. You can use a standard tube pan. A 9x5 loaf pan works too, but the reveal will be more of a stripe than a ring.

Will an 8-inch inner cake fit every bundt pan?

Not always. This recipe is written for a 10 to 12 cup bundt pan. If your pan is smaller (around 9 cups), bake the inner cake in a 6-inch round pan, or cut a smaller ring from the 8-inch cake (trim more off the outside and remove a larger center). You want at least 3/4 inch of space around the ring for the chocolate batter.

Why does the inner cake need to be chilled?

A chilled inner cake is firmer, so it stays put when you pour the outer batter around it. Warm or fragile cake can break and blur into the outer layer.

Can I use a boxed cake mix?

Yes. For the outer layer, choose a devil’s food or dark chocolate mix. For a standard 15.25-ounce box, add 1 teaspoon espresso powder. An extra egg can help with structure, but it varies by brand, so treat it as optional and keep an eye on bake time. The inner cake can also be boxed, just bake it in a small pan and chill it well.

How do I keep it from sticking?

Grease every ridge like you mean it, then dust with cocoa powder. Let the cake cool 10 minutes in the pan, then invert. Too soon and it can tear. Too late and it can glue itself in.

Can I swap the raspberry almond center for something else?

Absolutely. Good options: lemon poppyseed, coconut, or even peanut butter cake. Keep the inner cake on the denser side and avoid gooey fillings that can melt and migrate.

Nut-free option?

Easy fix: skip the almond extract and use vanilla extract instead. You will still get the raspberry pop and the clean reveal, just without the almond note.

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

10 to 12 cup bundt pan
8-inch round cake pan (for the inner cake)
Mixing bowls (2 to 3)
Hand mixer or stand mixer
Whisk and rubber spatula
Fine mesh sieve (optional, for cocoa and flour)
Wire rack
Small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl (for ganache)
Instant-read thermometer (optional, but very helpful for bundt cakes)
Serrated knife (for the cleanest slices)

I love restaurant food for the same reason I love cooking at home: that little hit of surprise. The first time I made a cake in a cake, it was honestly just me trying to use up a leftover mini cake and thinking, “If I can hide cheese inside a meatball, I can hide cake inside cake.” The result was chaotic in the best way. Since then, I’ve turned it into a reliable move: bold chocolate on the outside, something bright on the inside, and a ganache that makes it look like you had a plan all along.

Gourmet Cake In A Cake Recipe

(4.9 Reviews)

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 4 hours (including chilling)

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

Raspberry Almond Inner Cake

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract (or vanilla extract for nut-free)
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup raspberry preserves (seedless if you want super clean slices)

Chocolate Espresso Outer Cake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
3/4 cup neutral oil (avocado, canola, or grapeseed)
3/4 cup hot coffee
2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional but recommended)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cocoa Ganache

3/4 cup heavy cream
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional, for extra shine)
Pinch of fine salt

Pan Prep

2 tablespoons softened butter (or baking spray)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (for dusting the bundt pan)

Instructions

1) Bake the inner cake

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment on the bottom.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Cream butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in almond extract.
Add dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with milk, mixing just until combined.
Raspberry setup that survives trimming: Spread half the batter into the pan. Dollop the raspberry preserves evenly over it. Top with the remaining batter, then gently swirl a knife through the middle layer (do not just swirl the surface). This keeps the raspberry flavor inside the cake, even if you level the top later.
Bake 18 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely, then wrap and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

A chilled 8-inch raspberry almond cake on a cutting board, ready to be trimmed for the inner layer

2) Cut the inner cake ring

Once chilled, level the top only if needed. (Because the preserves are layered through the center, you are not losing the raspberry by doing this.)
Target size: You are aiming for a ring about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick (the band of cake), with a center hole about 3 to 4 inches wide. Use a round cutter if you have one, or a paring knife and patience.
Height check: If your inner cake baked domed, trim so the ring height is roughly 1 to 1 1/4 inches and sits level. It does not need to be perfect, it just needs to be stable.
Test-fit the ring inside the bundt pan. You want at least 3/4 inch of space around it for the outer batter. If it is snug, trim a thin slice from the outer edge of the ring and test again. The goal is breathing room, not perfection.

3) Make the outer batter

Keep oven at 350°F. Generously butter the bundt pan, then dust with cocoa powder. Tap out the excess.
Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and espresso powder (if using).
Add dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Whisk in hot coffee last. The batter will be thin, that is correct.

4) Assemble

Pour about 1/3 of the chocolate batter into the bundt pan.
Place the chilled raspberry almond cake ring on top, centered and level. Press very gently so it sits flat, but do not sink it to the bottom.
Pour remaining chocolate batter over and around the ring until it is covered. Make sure the chocolate batter comes at least 1/2 inch over the top of the ring so it is fully embedded.
Do not fill the pan more than 3/4 full.
Tap the pan on the counter 2 to 3 times to release air bubbles.

A bundt pan partially filled with chocolate batter with a raspberry almond cake ring placed in the center

5) Bake and cool

Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until a skewer comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. For extra certainty, aim for an internal temperature of 200 to 205°F in the thickest part.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and lift the pan off. Cool completely before glazing.

6) Make ganache and finish

Stovetop method: Heat cream until steaming hot, not boiling. Pour over chopped chocolate in a bowl. Let sit 2 minutes.
Microwave method: Heat cream in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts until steaming, then pour over chocolate and let sit 2 minutes.
Stir until glossy. Add butter and salt if using.
Let ganache cool 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens slightly, then spoon over the cooled cake.
Let set for 20 minutes before slicing.

Matt’s small trick: For the cleanest reveal, use a serrated knife and wipe it between slices. Yes, it is one extra step. Yes, it is worth it.

Nutrition information is estimated.

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