Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (115 g)
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar (100 g)
• 1 Tbsp Water

• ¾ cup Dutch-Processed Cocoa (67 g)
• 1 cup Boiling Water (237 mL)
• 2 Eggs, room temperature (100 g)
• 1 Egg Yolk, room temperature (20 g)
• 1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 ¾ cups Unbleached White All-Purpose Flour (225 g)
• 1 ¾ tsp Baking Powder
• 1 ¾ cups Light Brown Sugar (350 g)
• ½ tsp Baking Soda
• 12 Tbsp unsalted Butter, room temperature and cut into 8 pieces (170 g)

• 5 Egg Whites
• 1 ¼ cups Granulated Sugar (200 g)
• ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
• 32–40 Tbsp unsalted Butter, room temperature 68–70°F (454–567 g)

Instructions

1. Place a medium bowl with a fine mesh strainer next to the stove.
2. Place cranberries, sugar and water in a saucepan and let sit for 15 minutes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until cranberries have popped and are noticeably softer.
3. Mash berries with a potato masher or a fork and force through the strainer. Allow cranberry jam to cool to room temperature. You should have about 4–5 tablespoons jam.

1. Butter and flour two round 8-inch cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Let cool to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Whisk together eggs, egg yolk, vanilla extract and ¼ of the chocolate mixture in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Place flour, baking powder, baking soda and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixture and mix the dry ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds with the paddle attachment. If the brown sugar is still in large clumps, break them up with your fingers.
5. Add butter and chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on low until the dry ingredients are coated, then increase mixer speed to medium speed and mix for 90 seconds. The batter should look creamy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
6. Add egg mixture in three batches, mixing on medium speed until eggs are thoroughly incorporated. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for another 10 seconds to ensure everything is well mixed.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 25–30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean with a few crumbs when inserted in the center.
8. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Line two wire racks with parchment paper and invert cakes over them, removing pans. Let cool completely before frosting.

1. For the Swiss meringue buttercream, the butter should be at room temperature, 68–70°F. If it is too warm, the buttercream will not set up properly and it will be somewhat runny. It is too cold, the buttercream will not incorporate into the egg whites.
2. Boil water in a saucepan large enough for the stand mixer mixing bowl to sit on top. Lower to a simmer. Place egg whites, sugar and kosher salt into the mixing bowl, then place over the simmering water bath. Whisk continuously until 165°F. Remove bowl from the water bath and, using the whisk attachment of the stand mixer, beat on medium-high speed until it is increased in volume, shiny and cool to the touch (about 80°F).
3. Reduce speed to medium and add butter one tablespoon at a time until the buttercream is soft, thick and creamy. About halfway through the buttercream will begin to look curdled. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to look like this. Continue to add butter and eventually the buttercream will look creamy and smooth.
4. You may not need all of the butter, so stop after the first 32 tablespoons are added and look at the texture. If it doesn’t look creamy, continue to add the butter one tablespoon at a time.
5. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add 4–5 tablespoons of the cranberry jam to the buttercream and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated.

1. Reserve ¾ cup of the buttercream in a smaller bowl for decorations.
2. Place one cake layer on a serving surface. Spread with 1 cup buttercream. Top with second cake layer. Crumb coat the cake by spreading a thin layer of buttercream over the entire cake. This technique will prevent cake crumbs from getting mixed into the final buttercream. Chill for 30 minutes.
3. Frost top and sides of the cake with remaining buttercream. Place reserved buttercream in a piping bag with a Wilton 1M tip and decorate the top of the cake. Add fresh cranberries for a decorative and edible pop of color.

1. This cake can remain at room temperature for up to 2 days if not decorated with fresh cranberries. After 2 days, store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.