chocolate raspberry heaven

  *it's best to let the cake refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight. it makes cutting it much neater

chocolate cake:

• 3 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups sour cream
• 1 1/3 cups boiling water
• 1 TBSP ground coffee powder
• 
  

In a mixing bowl, cream brown sugar and butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add alternately with sour cream to creamed mixture. Mix on low just until combined. Heat water and stir in coffee powder. Stir coffee mixture into batter until blended. Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Once cool, slice each round in half.

raspberry filling:

2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

With a mixer, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add raspberries. In a separate bowl, whip up the cream until stiff. Fold the cream into the raspberry mixture. Refrigerate until needed.

chocolate frosting:

6 oz good chocolate (i used a combo of dark ghirardelli and symphony)

1 1/2 sticks softened butter

1 large egg yolk, room temp

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Chop the chocolate and place it in a double boiler, simmer until melted (before i melted the chocolate, and used a peeler to make some chocolate curls for the topping) Set aside to cool. Beat the butter on high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the sugar. When the chocolate is cool, mix it in gradually. Don't whip. Spread immediately on cooled cake.

assembly:

Slice each cake so you now have 6 flat rounds. Lay one round on a cake platter and spread the raspberry filling in the center, leaving about 3/4 inch uncovered around the edge. This will prevent it from oozing out. Do this until all layers are used. Finish it off with the chocolate frosting and chocolate curls. If you have fresh raspberries, throw em on.

and we ate cake!