There’s a lovely, inherent indulgence to good chocolate. Combine good chocolate with a tart fruit like raspberries, and you have a classic, irresistible pairing. And then add sweet mascarpone, one of my favorite additions to anything.
I made this cake on a busy Sunday, a day in which I also woke up with a wee hangover, played tennis anyway, had an amazing brunch, weeded the flower bed, cleaned the patio, poured dirt to cure in the new box garden, and did a few metric tons of laundry before settling down for a delicious dinner of salmon and asparagus grilled by the chef of the house. This was followed by dessert and the premier of a new "run through the forest, fight a lot of people” series on television. So, a beautiful, busy day with lots of texture. A beautiful cake with lots of texture, too.
Recipe: This one was mottled together.
Began with a box – Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate Decadence Cake. (No shame in starting ahead of scratch.)
Raspberry marscapone filling: Mix 8 ounces of mascarpone cheese, 6 ounces of raspberries, two teaspoons lemon, and sugar to taste.
Frosting: From a recipe I found and lost online. ‘Twas a pretty standard powdered sugar, bittersweet chocolate, vanilla and butter combo, whipped until incredibly creamy. I always use the best quality vanilla and chocolate that I can find.
Topping: mini chocolate chips surrounding the outside ring, and topped with fresh raspberries.
Reading companion: High time someone writes the quintessential chocolate poem. While we wait for that, there’s “Like Water for Chocolate” or the luscious movie “Chocolat” with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.
-Sweetcakes