Chocolate Raspberry Cake - Rasps Whole Cakes #3




  This was the first birthday cake that I made for ME. My birthday was months ago, more than half year ago... as you all know, I post very slowly.

Personally I felt awkward making a cake for myself. But it's because my kids now understand that birthdays are something special for a person, then I can have my own cake and blow it too. I can't wait for the day when my kids will bake me my cake because no one will buy me one ... get it? LOL.

Remember I said my husband once helped me buy 1 punnet of raspberries, and this is the cake that used up that punnet. It was not that fresh anymore when I made this, so I was left with some pathetic ones. Trying very hard to remove the bad parts and get at least 8 whole rasps for deco. Talk about him buying and leaving it at home for a few hours unreferigerated (but with air cond running) in Subang before driving back to KK. That period of time, there was none in Ipoh, suddenly no stock anywhere. So, I asked him to get for me when he went to KL for a business trip.

My first time making a lacquer glaze. Ooooo... I tell you, my heart went bee bee bop bop while I was pouring, hands were almost shaking..... stresss!!!!!! It was because my glaze was 1C too high. I couldn't wait any longer so I just proceeded at 27C and I tell you, I really shouldn't have. The glaze won't stick well and after a few rounds of pouring and catching, it finally went down to 26C and it looked thick and much better.

I gave myself a huge pat on the back when it was finally fully covered. Phew!

Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Idea derived from The Baker's Dozen Cookbook
pg 94, with personal adaptations

9-inch Soft chocolate genoise
Light Ganache
1 punnet raspberries
Lacquer Glaze (26C, freshly made. 29C if made ahead and reheated)

1. Slice genoise into 2 layers. Place 1 piece onto a cake board that is of equal size with the cake.
2. Spread 1/3 of the light ganache onto the cake. Break some raspberries and arrange them onto the cake.
3. Spread 1/3 of the light ganache onto the 2nd piece of cake, and lay the frosted side down onto the first layer.
4. Spread balance of light ganache all over cake, making sure everything is even and smooth. Freeze the cake for 15 minutes. (best will be to chill the cake for 2 hours)
5. Prepare a wire rack.  Place a catchment tray underneath the rack, slightly bigger than the cake will do. Turn on the aircond, a warm room will not be suitable.
6. Remove cake from freezer and place it on the rack with tray underneath.
7. Gently pour room temperature lacquer glaze over cake starting from the center and then on the rim, making sure every bit of cake is covered. Let the glaze drip. Repeat if needed.
8. Transfer cake to a bigger cake board or serving platter. Top with whole raspberries.Chill cake for another 3-5 hours before serving.

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Soft Chocolate Genoise
Recipe source: The Baker's Dozen Cookbook
page 63

60gm clarified butter (Homemade version refer here. 90gm butter will yield around 60gm clarified)
60gm plain flour
38gm cocoa powder
5 Grade A eggs (65gm with shells each, if using grade C, use 6 eggs)
200gm sugar (you will need this amount to offset the bitterness of the cocoa)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven at 160(fan)/180C (My oven preheats in 6 minutes, so I do this only when it’s time to beat the eggs, so when to preheat, it’s up to u).
2. Prepare a 9 inch round pan and line the base.
3. Sift cocoa powder and flour together twice. Set aside.
4. Heat a pan of water. Break eggs into your mixer bowl and put in sugar. Turn the heat off and put the mixer bowl into the pan of hot water. Stirring it all the time so that it warms up without cooking. Remove bowl from pot when it’s warm. Beat eggs on high speed until ribbon stage (5 mins speed 8 on KA, 10mins with hand mixer)
5. Meanwhile, Turn up the heat again(just to reboil the water, then turn to the lowest heat) and place the clarified butter in the pan to keep hot (not warm). Put vanilla extract into the butter.
6. When eggs are done beating, pour half the sifted flour into the eggs and fold. Pour the balance of flour and fold again (as long as all the flour is folded, but streaks of egg can still be seen, it’s ok)
7. Drop approximately 1 cup of the batter into the butter and stir (not fold) until very well incorporated. Pour this into the batter.
8. Fold batter until incorporated and pour into prepared pan.
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. (Cake will rise 30-40% while baking and deflate later)
10. Remove from oven, let cake cool for 1 minute on wire rack. Loosen the crust from the pan, to prevent the cake from cracking. Loosen the sides after 3 minutes for even shrinkage and let cake cool off completely before removing from pan.

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Light Ganache
Source: The Baker's Dozen Cookbook
pg 331

250ml whipping cream
184gm dark chocolate

*Prepare this 6 hours  beforehand.(or up to 4 days earlier)

1. Break chocolate into smaller pieces and put into a  bowl.
2. Heat cream untill the periphery begins to bubble. Turn off the heat.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it stand for about 5 minutes. With a spatula, gently stir the chocolate to make sure it is completely melted.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 6 hours until thick and cold.

5. Whip the cold ganache until it turns to the colour Milo, don't overwhip.Use immediately ************************************************
Lacquer Glaze
Source: Rose's Heavenly Cakes

39gm cold water
1-1/8 tsp gelatin

100gm sugar
59gm water
21gm corn syrup (I used golden syrup)
50gm alkalized cocoa powder
58gm heavy cream

1. Place 39gm water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over. Let it sit for minimum 5 minutes.
2. In a saucepan, heat 59gm water with sugar until it melts and water is hot. Turn off the heat and stir in the corn syrup. Then stir in the cocoa powder until smooth. Stir in the cream.
3. Return the saucepan to medium heat, stirring constantly and let it heat until you can see bubble on the periphery.  Remove from heat and strain. Stir in the softened gelatin (from step 1) until everything is dissolved and smooth. Strain everything again into a glass measuring cup (metal will give the lacquer a funny taste later)
4. Allow the lacquer to cool down for a few minutes, stirring gently so that you do not incorporate air into it. Glaze coats best fresh at 26C, but can be made days ahead and reheated to 29C for best performance.

The genoise was very soft and delicious. Seems like a lot of sugar, but because the cocoa powder taste was also strong, the sweetness was just right. It also felt moist due to the high ratio of eggs to flour. It might seem dense visually, but it's definitely not so... it's soft and moist, almost souffle like.

And when your girl gives you this expression.... it's priceless

chocolate and berries, her favourite.

Added 7 April 2012

If you want to see how Rose glazes her cake with her Lacquer Glaze, see this video

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