My niece Rachel visited us recently. She’s eleven and is a whiz in the kitchen.
“Here,” I said, “pick something.” I had given her my new copy of The European Cake Cookbook, something I reviewed with delight recently.
Now, the book has a Coffee Chocolate Cake that I knew Rachel would come back ready to make. Eagerly ready. When she returned, she had put PostIt notes on twenty recipes, not one of them that Coffee Chocolate Cake. I bit my tongue and off we went to make this combination of chocolate, caramel and berries.
Actually, we substituted dulce de leche everywhere in the recipe for the caramel. And, I bought some blackberries for that outer row of berry topping. It was Rachel who spread the dulce de leche on top, not easy, and then planted each berry. She was most proud of her creation. I was most happy with the taste.
Oh, she marked twenty cakes. I have a deal with Rachel. Every time she visits, we make a cake she has marked. And, eventually, that Coffee Chocolate wonder. I’ve, uh, added a sticker to the book. I don’t think she will mind.
Oh, the title of this book says “bundt” but the picture in the book had an “angel food” hole in the middle, not just a dent. We went with an angel food cake pan.
Chocolate Caramel Raspberry Bundt Cake
Yield: serves 8
Ingredients:
For the caramel sauce:
- 1cup (200 g) sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- ¼ cup (57 g) butter
- ½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the caramel sauce:
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (237 ml) whole milk
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder
- 4 teaspoons (16 g) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (90 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
- 3 cups (375 g) fresh raspberries, divided [optionally a mix of blackberries and raspberries]
Preparation:
Prepare the caramel sauce first. Place the sugar and water into a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sugar syrup takes on a rich amber color. Reduce the heat and add the butter, heavy cream, vanilla and salt. Whisk the ingredients into the syrup until the sauce is smooth and uniform, about 2 minutes. Pour the caramel into a small jar and set aside ½ cup (118 ml) for the recipe.
Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Spray a 9-inch (23-cm) round Bundt pan with a baking spray, or butter and flour very well.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in the milk.
Ina separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the cake batter, then mix it in just until the flour is incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between two mixing bowls. Into one bowl, add the melted chocolate; add the ½ cup (118 ml) of caramel sauce into the second bowl. Mix until the chocolate and caramel are incorporated into the batter.
Spoon the prepared batter into the Bundt pan, alternating with the chocolate and caramel batter. Add 1 cup (125 g) of fresh raspberries over the top; the berries will sink into the cake during baking.
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Place a cake tray over the top and invert the cake, then allow it to cool.
When ready to serve, garnish the top with the remaining 2 cups (250 g) of fresh raspberries and pour additional caramel sauce over the top.
Source: The European Cake Cookbook by Tatyana Nesteruk [Page Street, 2018]
Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/4.5 for 1/40th second at ISO‑640