CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RASPBERRY MOUSSE FILLING RECIPES

Steps:

• Chocolate Cake: In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until very pale.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually beat in the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
• Sift the flour and cocoa over the egg mixture; gently fold in.
• Pour into a buttered 8-inch springform pan; bake is a 350 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
• Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it.
• Let cool on a wire rack.
• Raspberry Syrup: In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water; cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the liqueur.
• Let cool.
• Raspberry Mousse: In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand for 5 minutes to soften.
• Puree the berries in a food processor and then strain through a sieve to remove the seeds.
• There should be approximately 2 cups of puree remaining.
• Transfer the puree to a separate saucepan.
• Add sugar and lemon juice; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the liqueur; transfer to a large bowl.
• Over low heat, heat the gelatin until dissolved; stir into the raspberry mixture.
• Chill, stirring occasionally, over a larger bowl of ice and water for about 20 minutes or until the consistency of raw egg whites.
• Whip the cream; fold into the cooled raspberry mixture.
• Reserve 1/2 cup for garnish.
• To assemble, cut the cake into 3 or 4 thin layers; reserve 2 layers and freeze the remaining layers for another use.
• Sprinkle 1 cut side of each of the 2 layers with the raspberry syrup.
• Place 1 layer, syrup side up, in a 9-inch springform pan; pour in half of the raspberry mousse.
• Top with the second cake layer; pour in enough of the remaining mousse to come almost to the top of the pan.
• Smooth the surface.
• Refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
• Chocolate Glaze: In the top of a double boiler over hot, not boiling, water, melt the chocolate with the cream, stirring until smooth.
• Let it cool to room temperature yet still spreadable; pour over the mousse and spread evenly.
• Spoon the remaining mousse into a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip; pipe 3 concentric circles over the top of the cake.
• Pull a toothpick through the circles to form a spider web design.
• Refrigerate until chilled.

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, beat butter with sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in liqueur. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk in two batches. Beat to combine, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in melted chocolate.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through front to back and top to bottom, until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a small sharp knife around edges, then invert onto rack. Remove parchment and let cool completely, about 25 minutes. With a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so they're level.
• Filling: While cakes are baking, stir together 3 cups raspberries, sugar, salt, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over high, stirring frequently and mashing with the back of a spoon, until mixture comes to a boil, 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and clings to spoon, 7 to 8 minutes more. (You should have 1 1/3 cups.) Let cool 30 minutes. Stir in 2 cups raspberries, reserving remainder.
• Spread half of filling over one cake. Top with second layer; spread remaining filling over top. Top with final layer, cut-side down. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Garnish with remaining raspberries.