Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

To celebrate my dad's birthday I made this double decker chocolate cake. It's because of him I have this ridiculous sweet tooth I battle with everyday. I wonder if anyone else wishes they could have dessert for dinner? Or, is that just me? Okay, enough about my life long dreams of eating desserts for dinner, let's talk about this nummy cake. It was rich, moist, and decadent - everything a chocolate cake should be. I couldn't believe how moist the cake turned out. The recipe for the cake actually comes from the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box. You know if a recipe's been around for more then twenty some odd years it has to be good - and that it was! The raspberry layers are purely optional but I thought it added a nice tartness to the cake and cut a bit of the richness from the chocolate. Although I did find myself eating around the edges of the cake so each and every bite had a bit of chocolate ganache...num! This recipe would be just as delicious turned into cupcakes with a chocolate or buttercream frosting...ooh a buttercream frosting would be divine. Must try that next! Nummers :)


Black Magic Cake
Makes 2 9-inch cakes
Adapted from Hershey's

Ingredients
? 2 cups sugar
? 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
? 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
? 2 teaspoons baking soda
? 1 teaspoon baking powder
? 1 teaspoon salt
? 2 eggs
? 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
? 1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
? 1/2 cup vegetable oil
? 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (Batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.

* To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus one cup of milk. Let sit for 10 minutes, stir then add to cake mix.


Raspberry Filling and Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Adapted from Picky Cook

2 10-ounce bag frozen raspberries, thawed or fresh raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Puree the raspberries in a food processor. Press the puree through a fine-mesh strainer with the back of a spoon, removing the seeds. Heat the puree in a small pot with the sugar and cornstarch until mixture boils, stirring constantly. As it boils, it should quickly thicken. Stir in lemon zest at the end. Let it cool complete before spreading it thinly over three layers.


For ganache frosting
1/2 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Finely chop chocolate. In a small saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency). I found that stirring this over a bowl of ice water did a great job of cooling it off quickly and evenly.
Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.