Raspberry-Cream Chocolate Torte

For me, cakes say cosiness and contentment, home, warmth and love. Whatever the occasion, there`s always room for a cake. Most people`s first baking memory is of making a cake, side by side with their mother, helping out but ultimately wishing she would be quick and put the cake in the oven so the could get on with licking that spoon or bowl.

Lorraine Pascale `Baking Made Easy`

Ingredients

6 eggs

100g sugar

100g plain flour

1/2 cup of bitter cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

150 g ground almonds

Cream:

• 600 g whipping cream, cold

• 100g icing sugar

• 200 g raspberries (can be fresh or frozen)

• sideways - grated dark chocolate (about 50 g) or chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles

Yogurt chocolate sauce

100 g plain chocolate + 4 tablespoons plain yogurt 

Equipment

23cm (9in) deep round loose-bottomed sandwich tin

Eggs are to be fresh and heated at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 170 C.

Grease the cake tin and line base with baking paper.

Sponge

Into a clean bowl, sift flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix.

Put the eggs white in second bowl and beat for about 2 minutes until well foaming. Add sugar beat for a few minutes until they are stiff and glossy. Still whisking gradually add the egg yolks ad beat until combined.

Add a mixture of flour, and mix together. Finally add the ground almonds and stir gently with a spoon.

Dollop the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes.

When cooked, the sponge should spring back when pushed lightly, will be a light chocolate colour and a skewer inserted into middle of the cake will come out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes or so, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Once it is cool, slice the cake in to 3 tops.

raspberry cream

Put the whipping cream in a mixing bowl and beat for about 2 minutes until the cream is thick

Add raspberries and mix briefly at greater speed until raspberries partially disintegrate.

decoration

Place the bottom of the sponge on the plate. Put a big dollop of raspberries cream on top and, using a palette knife, spread the raspberries cream over the cake. Place the second level on top of the raspberries cream sponge and spread the cream over the cake. Place the top sponge and cover the side cake with cream and spring chocolate.

The top of the cake spread with yogurt chocolate sauce.

Yogurt chocolate sauce: chocolate, broken into cubes, melt, add the yogurt and mix together, spread over the top of the cake. Decorate in any way, fresh raspberries, flowers or chocolate shavings. 

inspiration by http://www.kwestiasmaku.com/