Page 94 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

76 L U S C I O U S L A Y E R S

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven mesh sieve if you don’t want the seeds in
and preheat the oven to 350°F. Gener- your cake. (I like the bit of crunch they
ously grease three 9-inch round cake add.) Place the cake mix, raspberries and
pans with solid vegetable shortening, then their juice, sour cream, oil, and eggs in a
dust with flour. Shake out the excess large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric
flour. Set the pans aside. mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the
machine and scrape down the sides of
2. Strain the raspberries through a fine-
the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase
the mixer speed to medium and beat 2
R minutes more, scraping down the sides
again if needed. The batter should look

the Cake Mix Doctor says well blended. Divide the batter evenly
among the prepared pans, smoothing it
out with the rubber spatula. Place the
If you have only two cake pans, you
pans in the oven side by side, or if your
can still make this cake. Divide the
oven is not large enough, place two pans
batter between the two pans (it
on the center rack and the third pan in
won’t overflow), and bake for 32 to
the center of the highest rack.
35 minutes.
I adore this cake enrobed in
3. Bake the cakes until they spring back
Chocolate Ganache flavored with
when lightly pressed with your finger, 25
Chambord, but you could substitute
to 28 minutes. Check the pan on the high-
rum for the Chambord or you could
est rack first, as it will bake the quickest.
omit the liqueur altogether.
Remove the pans from the oven and place
If you’re in the market for a softer or
them on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes.
sweeter frosting, here are some ideas:
Run a dinner knife around the edge of
1
Add about ⁄4 cup sifted confectioners’
each layer and invert each onto a rack,
sugar to the ganache to make it more
then invert again onto another rack so
child-friendly. Or use the Chocolate
that the cakes are right side up. Allow to
Sour Cream Frosting (page 410), which
cool completely, 30 minutes more.
is rich and creamy. The Chocolate
Pan Frosting (page 434) is another
4. Meanwhile, prepare the Chocolate
alternative. It hardens on the cake,
Ganache, adding the Chambord, if de -
making it less messy for toting.
sired, after all the chocolate has melted.