Raspberry Chocolate Torte

Wow holiday guests with this striking cake that looks fancy but is easy to decorate. The fresh raspberries and chocolate mounds on top make it a real standout.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 2 cups sugar

• 4 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup baking cocoa

• GLAZE:

• 1/4 cup boiling water

• 4 teaspoons raspberry gelatin

• 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam

• TOPPING:

• 2 cups (12 ounces ) semisweet chocolate chips

• 2 cartons (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed

• 2 cups fresh raspberries

Directions:

1. Line a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and cocoa; gradually beat into the creamed mixture. Transfer to prepared pan.
2. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. Carefully remove waxed paper.
3. For glaze, stir water and gelatin until dissolved. Stir in jam. Brush evenly over bottom of cake. Trim edges; cut cake widthwise into thirds.
4. For topping, in a microwave, melt chips; stir until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped topping until blended; fold in remaining whipped topping (mixture will be thick).
5. Place one cake layer on a serving platter; spread with 3/4 cup topping. Repeat layers; top with remaining cake. Frost and decorate with raspberries and remaining topping. Yield: 12 servings.

Source: Taste Of Home

Softhearted Chocolate Cakes

A rich, soft center and raspberry sauce topping makes these chocolate cakes an irresistible dessert.

Ingredients:

• 1   cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces (1/2 pound)
• 8   ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or 1-1/3 cups semisweet chocolate pieces
• 4   eggs
• 4   egg yolks
• 1/2  cup sugar
• 1/2  cup all-purpose flour
• 1   teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8  teaspoon salt
•  Whipped cream (optional)
• 1   recipe Raspberry Sauce (see recipe below) (optional) and/or fresh raspberries

Raspberry Sauce

 

1  10  ounce package frozen and thawed red raspberries in syrup

 

Directions:

1. Lightly butter eight 8-ounce ramekins or 1-cup souffle dishes; line bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Place the prepared ramekins on a shallow baking pan or on a large cookie sheet. Set aside.

2. In a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; cool slightly. (Or, in a mixing bowl, combine the butter and chocolate. Place mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water and melt butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove bowl from the simmering water pot; set aside to cool slightly.)

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Mix a large dollop of the beaten eggs into the butter-chocolate mixture. Gently fold until combined. Add butter-chocolate mixture to remaining beaten egg mixture and fold. After a few folds, sprinkle in sugar, flour, vanilla, and salt. Continue to fold until the mixture is combined.

4. Quickly divide the batter evenly among prepared ramekins. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 9 to 10 minutes or until cakes feel firm to the touch on top edges, but still soft in the center when pressed with a fingertip. Remove from oven; set ramekins on a wire rack. Let cakes cool completely in ramekins.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. When cakes are cool, use a small metal spatula to loosen edge of cakes from side of ramekin and unmold onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. The centers of the cakes are supposed to be soft. (If not using immediately, wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.)

6. When ready to serve, place cakes on a microwaveable serving plate. Heat in a microwave oven on 100 percent power for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until warm. (Center of cake will slightly pop up.) Serve with whipped cream and garnish with a splash of Raspberry Sauce and/or fresh raspberries, if you like. Makes 8 servings. 

 

Raspberry Sauce

 

1. In a blender container or food processor bowl, cover and blend or process one 10-ounce package frozen and thawed red raspberries in syrup until pureed. Use a fine sieve to sieve berry mixture. Cover and refrigerate the sauce till ready to use. Makes 2/3 cup.

 

Source:  bhg.com

Bittersweet Chocolate Bark With Cinnamon Candies

If you prefer, substitute crushed toffee for the cinnamon candies in this Valentine's Day treat.

Ingredients:

• 8   ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into chunks
• 1/3  cup red cinnamon candies such as Red Hots candy

Directions:

1. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a small platter or plate and set aside. In a small heavy saucepan melt chocolate over medium-low heat, stirring often.

2. When chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Working quickly, stir in about 1/3 of the cinnamon candies. Immediately turn chocolate out onto parchment paper. With the back of a spoon spread out chocolate mixture until candies are in a single layer. Sprinkle remaining candies on top and place in freezer for 10 to 15 minutes or until hard. Leave bark in freezer until ready to break off pieces to serve. Break off pieces to serve. Makes 4 servings

Source: bhg.com

Heart-Healthy Chocolate Cake

This dark chocolate cake has a fruit and nut filling. It makes a wonderful dessert for entertaining.

Ingredients:

• 3/4  cup granulated sugar
• 1/2  cup water
• 4   ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2   tablespoons refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1   teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3  cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4  cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4  cup ground flax seeds
• 1/4  teaspoon baking powder
• 5   egg whites
• 1/4  cup apricot spreadable fruit
• 2   tablespoons toasted sliced almonds, coarsely chopped
•  Powdered sugar (optional)
•  Toasted sliced almonds (optional)
•  Fresh raspberries (optional)
•  Fresh mint leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x9-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and mixture almost boils. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until melted (mixture may appear slightly grainy). Place egg product in a large bowl. Gradually stir the chocolate mixture into egg product; stir in vanilla (mixture may appear slightly grainy). Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, flax seeds, and baking powder. Add flour mixture to egg product mixture, whisking until smooth. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Stir a small amount of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold remaining egg whites into chocolate mixture. Spread in the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Transfer cake to a cutting board. Using a 3 1/4-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut 6 heart-shaped pieces from cake. Stir together spreadable fruit and 2 tablespoons almonds in a small bowl. Spread mixture atop three of the heart-shaped cakes. Place remaining heart-shaped cakes atop the apricot filling on cakes. Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar, if desired. Top with toasted almonds, raspberries, and mint leaves, if desired. Cut cakes in half to serve.

 

Tip

• If desired, omit spreadable fruit and 2 tablespoons sliced almonds. Cut cake into heart shapes as directed. Do not stack cakes. Serve cakes topped with raspberries, toasted sliced almonds, mint leaves and sprinkled with powdered sugar, if desired. Makes 6 servings (1 heart cake per serving).

Source: healthheartliving.com

Chocolate Bouchons With Fresh Raspberries

This small but indulgent bite-size dessert features rich, moist cork-shaped chocolate cakes filled with luscious bits of melted chocolate, served topped with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of vibrant raspberry syrup.

Ingredients:

• 1   box of chocolate cake mix
• 2   cups mini chocolate chips
• 1   pint fresh raspberries
• 1   jar raspberry jam

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Spray muffin pan or bouchon baking mold with cooking spray.

3. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Add 2 cups mini chocolate chips to the batter.

4. Portion batter 23 full into a 2" x 1" deep muffin pan or bouchon baking molds.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Test with a wood skewer or toothpick - it should come out clean but not dry.

6. Transfer mini bouchon chocolate cakes to a cooling rack. After cooling for a few minutes invert the bouchon pan and let them cool.

7. Meanwhile place 1 cup raspberry jam in saucepan and warm.

8. Arrange mini bouchon chocolate cake on plate and drizzle one teaspoon warm raspberry jam over each and garnish with red raspberries.

 

Source: recipe.com