My Own Raspberry Layer Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

When I search for a recipe on google, which gets no exact hits, just those hits google thinks 'you might have meant instead', I get worried.  Maybe everyone in the 'know' knows it would be a terrible idea.  Maybe those flavors just don't mix.  Maybe I misspelled 'cake'.

But, it turns out, sometimes I have ideas.  Ideas people haven't written thousands of recipes for.  Ideas that actually come from me and my culinary self. 

Like: Raspberry Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Now, I know what you are thinking: of course recipes for this exist out there.  Let my testify: you will find armloads of recipes for Chocolate-Raspberry Cake (like this one I did last year), or recipes for Raspberry Torte, or all the kind of cupcakes your heart could desire.  But, listen up google, while I love chocolate based cakes, I wanted something lighter, and while I love tortes, they aren't layer-y, celebration-y enough, and though I'm somewhat fond of cupcakes, they can never ever replace a cake.  What I really wanted was a layer cake, where the layers were raspberry cake and the frosting was dark chocolate.

So, I, much to my chagrin, had to come up with a recipe... of my own.  By which I mean, I pieced together and tweaked other recipes, but still, I felt pretty triumphant by the end.

For the cake layers, I took my cue from a three-layer strawberry cake (thank you, smittenkitchen).  But, it was a small crowd (and a small oven), so I slimmed it down to two layers, and swapped out the strawberries for the raspberries.

Before the steps, here's a tip.  If you don't happen to have 'cake flour', you can make your own.  Just mix 7/8 cup of regular flour and 1/8 cup cornstarch.  And instantly you have 1 cup of cake flour.

After you whisk together the dry ingredients, its time to put together some raspberry puree.  If you are smart (which I was not) you will use a 12 ounce bag of *defrosted* raspberries to get 1 cup of raspberry puree.  Do not attempt this with (a) frozen raspberries (you can't get them through a sieve)

or (b) 1 cup of frozen raspberries (you will never ever get 1 cup of sieved puree from that).

Unlike a lot of cakes, where you begin by creaming your butter and your sugar, for this one, you just throw the butter and raspberry puree in with the dry ingredients from the outset.

But, come on, how charming is the color of this batter?

I couldn't get over it.

Next, beat up some egg whites with milk.  Then, fold some of those eggs whites into the batter, to lighten it up.

Fold in the rest of the egg whites in 2 more additions.

Pour into two butter and parchment-ed cake pans.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

Let rest and turn out after 10-15 minutes.  Let cool for at least an hour, and then you can frost away.  Unlike last time I attempted to frost a cake (and did so with the elegance of a 5 year old),
this time, I surrounded the bottom of the plate with parchment, which I could then drip onto all I wanted, and remove when I was done.

It worked great.

Garnish with some raspberries.

And, this is important, while the cake will be...
 
...very good without extra, fresh raspberries...

...if you serve it with even more raspberries, it will be perfect.  Really, the extra bites of fresh raspberries brings out the somewhat subtle raspberry flavor in the cake itself.  So, they are a must.

 There you have it: my very own Raspberry Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting.

Raspberry Layer Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting (adapted from smittenkitchen)
For the cake*:
Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour**
2 cups sugar
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup pureed raspberries (passed through a sieve)***
5 extra large egg whites****
1/4 cup + 3 Tablespoons milk
Fresh raspberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.  Butter two 9-inch round cake pans.  Line with parchment and butter the paper.

But the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl.  Whisk together.  Add the butter and raspberry puree.  Mix to blend the ingredients.  Raise the speed to medium, beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites and milk.*****  Add the whites to the batter in three additions, scraping the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate after each addition.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake for 30-34 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.  Allow the layers to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.  Invert and turn onto wire racks and peel off the paper.  Let stand until completely cooled before assembling the cake, at least an hour.

For the dark chocolate ganache frosting (I've used this before)
Ingredients:******
8 ounces fine-quality semi-sweet chocolate1/2 cup heavy cream (aka heavy whipping cream)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:
Finely chop chocolate. In a small sauce pan, 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 (30-40 minutes).

Frost the cake, garnishing with fresh raspberries.  Serve with more fresh raspberries.


*I did two layers for this cake, but if you want to do three, follow the smittenkitchen's measurements
**If you don't have cake flour, substitute 7/8 cup all-purpose flour and 1/8 cup cornstarch for 1 cup of cake flour
***I used 12 ounces of frozen raspberries, pureed them in a food processor, and then pressed them through a sieve to remove the seeds.
****Technically, it should be 5 1/3 egg whites, so I attempted to add 1/3 of an egg white, but you might be fine if you just did 5.
*****I'm not quite sure how much you are supposed to whisk the egg whites.  I'm sure soft peaks would be fine, but I just went for really very frothy.
******This makes some extra frosting

A purist fig preserve

First of all, I realize most of the country is now transitioning to that season called 'fall' where the leaves are turning and your are getting in the mood for apples, pears, and pumpkin baked goods; however, it was 100 degrees where I live yesterday, so the feel of summer is still lingering on.

Which makes this post about fig preseves not seem completely seasonally inappropriate.

Last year, I made Thomas Keller's Fig Jam from Ad Hoc at Home, which was absolutely wonderful: the figs were steeped in balsamic vinegar, there was a sachet of spices added... really a lovely fig jam.  But, a very assertive fig jam.  Perfect for pairing with meats and very strong cheeses, but this year, I wanted to try something a bit softer, that show cased the figs and figs alone.

But, the danger I find with all store-bought fig jams I have ever tried is that they are tooth-achingly sweet.  Figs are already incredibly sweet on their own; why drown out their subtle sweetness with pounds of sugar?  Seriously, the recipes I have been finding for fig preserves call for 2 pounds of sugar for 2 pounds of fig.  I decided, as with almost all other preserve recipes I know, to drastically cut the sugar.  Yes, this means they won't last for years, but isn't that just a reason to make more fig preserves next summer?

For this recipe, I opted for 1 cup of sugar for 2 pounds of figs.  The only other ingredient is a squeeze of lemon juice to try and balance out the sweetness of the figs.  The result is a very subtle, but intensely figgy fig preserve.  Perfect for a cheese board, but also a very pleasant spread for toast or biscuits.  It probably wouldn't pair with meat as well as the Keller jam, but, then again, there are worse things than a pantry stocked with an excess of preserved figs.


To make these, start with ripe figs.  This is actually the hardest part, as figs are only in season in the last summer early fall.
 
Next, quarter the figs.

Put them in a Dutch over, and toss them with 1 cup of sugar.

Let them sit for 30 minutes, until the liquid from the figs has mostly dissolved the sugar.

Next, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, but stir frequently.
 
Eventually the figs will begin to break down, and gain this lovely, lush deep purple color. 

But, you will need to find a way to get the figs to break down.  Sure, you could cook them for hours and hours... OR, you could break out the 'secret weapon' of canning: the potato masher.

Seriously, by mashing the figs with it (or apples or whatever you want to be broken down in your jam) you will achieve a much better consistency.

Eventually taste the preserves for sugar, and add a squeeze of lemon to cut the sweetness a bit.

After 30 minutes or so (or after it passes the plate test), you are done.  Put the preserves and sterilized jars.

And, you will be able to enjoy that taste of late summer in the seasons to come!
 

Fig Preserves
Ingredients:
2 pounds of ripe figs
1 cup of sugar
1 lemon

Directions:
Quarter the figs.  Put in a Dutch oven with 1 cup of sugar.  Let stand for 30 minutes, until most of the sugar has dissolved.  Bring to a boil, over medium heat.  Stir frequently.  In order to achieve the right consistency, at the end, use a potato masher to mash the figs.  At the end, add a squeeze of lemon, to taste.  Once the right consistency and taste is achieve, put the preserves in sterilized jars.

Makes about 3 1/2 half-pint jars. 

World Peace Cookies

Maybe everyone else, or at least the French, are fully aware of the world of sables; however, this is my introduction to it.  And, I'm afraid there is no going back.

Sables are like the French version of shortbread.  They are butter based, which is in no small part why they are so good.  What I fell head over heels for is their texture (again, in no small part due to the butter).  'Sable' in French means sand, and the outside is sandy, with a firm texture, but the inside is tender and melty.  I honestly cannot imagine a better texture for a cookie.  Couple that with the fact that they are chocolate through and through, except for a edge of sea salt, and no wonder these cookies promise to bring world peace!

Start by sifting together your dry ingredients.
Then really cream together the butter.
Add the sugars, vanilla, and salt.
Did I mention that the salt really puts these sables over the top?
Whip that all together.
Now, for adding the dry ingredients, since there is cocoa powder, which tends to explode like a bomb when you mix it, Dorie Greenspan has you cover the bowl with a tea towel while you add the dry ingredients.  Brilliant!

Once the flour is a little incorporated, you can mix it until just incorporated.

Next, add in some chocolate chips.

Make sure they are good, dark chocolate chips.  I like Ghiradelli 60% chips.

Pour that out onto a surface, and shape into a disk.

Divide the dough in half.  And roll each half into a log, wrapping it, and let it chill.

One thing that is wonderful about this recipe is that you can freeze one of the logs, and just slice it off whenever you are ready, i.e., when its midnight and they start singing their siren song...

Once it is fully chilled, you cut the log into disks.  Warning: the cookies will crack when you cut them.

In fact, many of them will literally split in half.
 
Not to worry, that is just their 'nature'.  As long as you squish them back together you will be fine.

Then, bake them off.  They won't look done when they're done baking, but just remove the rack to a baking sheet, and trust it.  Eventually, remove the cookies to the rack itself.

Now, I tried them warm and at room temperature, and while both were good, nothing could ever compare to the warm, melty goodness of the chocolate right out of the oven.

Enjoy!

World Peace Cookies (from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours)
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
5 ounces bitter sweet chocolate, chopped into chips or semisweet chips

Directions:
Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking soda together.

In a separate bowl beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy.  Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.

Turn off the mixer.  Pour in the dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time.  Take a peak-- if there is still a lot of flour on the surface, pulse a couple of time more; if not, remove the towel.  Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough-- for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don't be concerned if the dough looks a little crumble.  Toss in the chocolate piece and mix only to incorporate.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half.  Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.  If you've frozen the dough, you needn't defrost it before baking-- just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer).

Getting ready to bake: Center the rack and preheat the oven to 325.  Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Using a sharp thing knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick.  (The rounds ar elikely to crack as you are cutting them- don't be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie).  Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes-- they won't look done, nor will they be firm, but that's just the way they should be.  Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature.

One Great Zucchini Gratin

This gratin knocked my socks off. In no small part, I'm sure, due to the zucchini I picked from father's garden just hours before... but still, this is one to remember.

The top delivers that to-die-for crunch that always elevates vegetable, well really all, dishes for me, and the almost instant beschamel sauce is just that, almost instant, adding a lovely, creamy dimension to the zucchini in no time.
To make this, start with zucchini or squash, or a combination (which adds such lovely color).
Chop them up into 1/4 inch slices.
Saute for 10 minutes.
Add some flour and nutmeg.
Add some hot milk.
And, instantly: you have a beschamel on your hands.

Put that in a baking dish.
Cover with a mixture of breadcrumbs and Gruyere (or any other good melting cheese).
Dot with butter.
Pop in the oven for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Then... dish it up.
And, don't worry if you cannot restrain yourself from eating it all. I couldn't.

Zucchini Gratin (adapted from the barefoot contessa)
Ingredients:*
6 Tablespoons butter
2 lbs zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 teaspoons salt**
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup hot milk
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
3/4 cup Gruyere, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.

In a 12-inch skilled, melt the butter. Saute zucchini for 10 minutes, or until just tender. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the milk, cooking over low heat for a few minutes until it makes a sauce.*** Pour the mixture into an 8x10 baking dish.

Combine the breadcrumbs and Gruyere, and sprinkle over the zucchini. Dot with 1 Tablespoon butter, cut into bits. Bake 20 minutes, until golden brown.

*I cut this recipe in half and used an 8 x 8 dish, but the cooking time was the same.
**I did tablespoons instead of teaspoons when I made this, which was a mistake, but after scraping some salt off the cooking zucchini, it managed to be okay... Well, pretty much okay...
***This happened in under a minute for me.