Raspberry Chocolate Cake

After eating our spaghetti dinner last night, Q and I enjoyed a slice of his "belated" birthday cake. He heard about this cake from his sister, Abigail, who loves making it for her husband, Brian. A layer cake takes some time, and this one calls for four layers! However, because one of my cakes fell slightly apart, I went to doing just two layers. Abigail gave me the advice of using wax paper on the bottom of my cake pans to insure that they come out fine. I've had trouble with these pans before, so I'll have to try this out.

So, after repairing the cake with some raspberry jam, I assembled this cake as beautifully as I could just for my Q...

We ate some more of the cake tonight, and it is divine! Abigail says that waiting 24 hours before eating, makes it taste even better. The raspberry filling and frosting has more time to saturate between the layers.

Here's the recipe. Be sure you give yourself plenty of time to make this cake. Then enjoy it with some family and friends!

Raspberry Chocolate Cake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups water

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1 recipe Raspberry Chocolate Frosting (see below)

Fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Grease and lightly flour two 9 1/2 inch round baking pans; set aside. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set dry mixture aside.

In large mixing bowl, beat the butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in chocolate, and vanilla. Add dry mixture and the 1 1/4 cups water alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans; spread evenly.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Cool the cake layers thoroughly on racks.

To assemble: Split cake layers in half horizontally to make four layers. Pace one cake layer, cut side up, on serving plate; spread with half of the raspberry jam. Top with second cake layer, cut side down. Spread with about 2/3 cup Raspberry Chocolate Frosting.

Place another cake layer, cut side up, on top of frosting; spread with remaining jam and top with last cake layer, cut side down. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting. Garnish with raspberries and mint sprigs. Refrigerate left over cake. (If you decide to keep it to two layers like I did, spread some frosting on the bottom layer, then add a thick layer of raspberry jam on top of that before putting the top cake layer on.)

Raspberry Chocolate Frosting

1  10 ounce package frozen red raspberries in syrup, thawed

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1  12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup light-colored corn syrup

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Press undrained raspberries through a sieve; discard seeds. (I used a small food mill for the first time and it worked great for this!) You should have about 1 cup puree. In a heavy saucepan combine the puree and gelatin; let stand 5 minutes. Cook and stir until gelatin is dissolved; set aside.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat and stir chocolate pieces over low heat until smooth. Stir in corn syrup until smooth.

Stir in whipping cream and vanilla until smooth. Stir in raspberry mixture; heat and stir until smooth and no flecks of chocolate remain. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled, stirring occasionally. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Makes about 4 cups (enough to fill and frost a two-layer cake).

This is what the cake looked like after we had some last night. Look at all that gooeyness coming out between the layers! YUM!!!