Cake:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened alkalized
cocoa powder, such as Hershey’s
European Style, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter,
at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup sour cream
Whipped ganache filling:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate,
finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
Raspberry ganache:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate,
finely chopped
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Chambord
(black raspberry liqueur)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Raspberry compote:
1/2 pint raspberries (or a combination of
raspberries and blackberries)
2 tablespoons Chambord
1 teaspoon granulated sugar, or to taste
Assembly:
1 scant tablespoon seedless raspberry preserves
Sweetened whipped cream for serving (optional)
Make the
cake:
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees
F.
Lightly butter bottom and sides of a 6-by-2-inch heart-shaped
cake pan. Dust
the bottom and sides of the pan with flour, tapping
out the excess.
2. In a small bowl, using a wire whisk, stir together the flour, cocoa,
baking powder, baking soda and salt until thoroughly blended.
3. In a medium bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer set at medium
speed, beat
the butter for 30 seconds. Gradually beat in the sugar
and continue to beat for
2 minutes, or until the mixture is light in
texture and color. Beat in the egg,
beating until well blended. Beat
in the vanilla. On low speed, beat in half of
the flour mixture. Beat
in the sour cream. Scrape down the side of the bowl.
Beat in the
remaining flour mixture until just combined.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a
rubber
spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick or a
cake tester
inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean but
not dry. Cool the
cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
5. Carefully run the tip of a narrow thin-bladed knife around the edge
of the
pan. Place another wire rack on top of the cake layer and
invert the cake
onto the rack. Cool completely.
Make the
ganache filling:
6. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring
the cream
to a boil over medium heat. Pour the hot cream over the
chopped chocolate. Let
stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate,
then whisk gently until smooth. Let
cool, then cover and refrigerate,
stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1
hour, or until the ganache is
chilled but not set.
Make
the raspberry ganache:
7. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, combine
the cream
and butter and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring
occasionally until the
butter melts. Pour the hot cream mixture over
chopped chocolate. Let stand
for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate,
then whisk gently until smooth, whisk in
the Chambord and vanilla.
Let cool, then cover and refrigerate, stirring
occasionally, 45 minutes
to 1 hour, or until the
ganache reaches a spreadable consistency.
Make
the compote:
8. In a small bowl, combine the raspberries, Chambord and sugar.
Cover
and set
aside for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. (The
compote can
be made several
hours ahead and refrigerated.)
Assemble
the cake:
9. Using a hand-held mixer set at low speed, beat the ganache filling just
until
it lightens in color and holds soft peaks. Do not overbeat. (Note:
To avoid
overbeating, use only one of the beaters for the hand-
held mixer.)
10. Using a serrated knife, slice the cake horizontally in half to make two
layers. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate. If desired, spread
the
raspberry preserves evenly over the cake layer. Using a metal
icing spatula,
spread the ganache filling evenly over the cake layer.
Place the second cake
layer right side up on top of the bottom layer.
Using the icing spatula, frost
the top and sides of the cake with the
raspberry ganache. (The cake can be
assembled
up to 1 day ahead
and stored, covered, at room temperature.)
11. To serve,
slice the cake and serve with the compote and whipped
cream, if desired.
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