I have a yen for chocolate!
Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling and Mocha Icing
This is a deliciously moist cake, which was such a favorite at my
house that it became my kids' requested annual birthday cake. This chocolate cake is a wonderful dessert for any un-birthday as well. The jam filling is a delightful surprise with each bite and tastes fabulous with the mocha icing.
If you have a chocoholic in your family or among your friends (and who doesn't?), this cake will elicit enough praise to last for a week! If you are invited over someone's house for dinner, bring this and guests will beg you for the recipe!
Foodie Lit
Shadow Weaver is a fantasy-thriller that is hard to put down. Claire Merle has written a plot that is twisting and intriguing, and created characters that fight, search and change in their alliegences. Main character Mira is especially captivating and appealing.
Courageous and afraid, wounded and strong, she is an adolescent shadow weaver, an Uru Ana, who journeys into others’ minds but must learn what to do with the thoughts and memories she encounters. Mira tells us, “I am Uru Ana, privy to men’s darkest secrets, witness to the memories that haunt and the memories that comfort.”
Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling and Mocha Icing
Gluten-Dairy-Soy-Allium Free/Diabetic recipes substitutions below in expandthetable suggestions
Serves 8
Cake
3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1¾ cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 cup pecans, ground
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs, separated
¾ cup milk of choice
Filling
¼ cup raspberry jam, room temperature
Mocha Frosting
½ cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 ounces baking chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brewed coffee
Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat two 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray.
2. Separate eggs. Melt chocolate over double boiler. Remove from heat.
3. Mix together sifted flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and chopped nuts.
4. Beat butter until soft and add sugar gradually, blending until light and creamy. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla.
5. Beat yolks into batter one at a time. Beat egg whites until stiff and set aside.
6. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with milk. Stir batter until smooth after each addition.
7. Fold beaten egg whites into the cake batter. Bake in prepared pans for about 20-25 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
8. Cool.
Filling
1. Spread raspberry jam on top of one cake until the entire layer is covered. Place other cake over the jam.
2. Ice with mocha frosting.
Frosting:
-
Cream butter. Add confectioner’s sugar slowly and beat until smooth. Add in melted chocolate and mix until smooth.
-
Mix in vanilla and coffee. If icing is too thick to spread, add 1-2 teaspoons of water or milk of choice until desired consistency.
-
Spread on top and sides of cake.
Expand the Table suggestions:
Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten free flour.
Use only Dairy Free: Substitute dairy free margarine for butter in cake and icing and dairy free chocolate. Use any dairy free milk such as almond or soy milk in cake recipe.
Keep it Soy Free: Substitute any milk other than soy in cake recipe.
Diabetics can enjoy: Substitute ¾ cups stevia for sugar in cake recipe. Use sugar free jam for filling. Use sugar free confectioner’s sugar or drizzle warmed sugar free raspberry jam on top of cake in place of frosting.
Chocolate: You may substittute 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted, for the chocolate in the icing.