The Perfect Chocolate Cake with Ganache and Raspberry Filling

Cake:

3/4 cup good cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 c oil and 1/4 c melted butter
3 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup boiling water

In a large bowl, combine together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in milk, oil, vanilla and eggs. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add in boiling water. Batter will be thin. Pour batter into two 9 inch round cake pans that have been greased and floured (with sugar instead of flour - I cut a round piece of parchment paper and put it in the bottom. that seemed to really help. If you use the parchment paper, you will still need to grease and sugar or flour the pan). Bake for 25-35 minutes at 350 degrees or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for about 12 minutes and remove the cakes from their pans.


Ganache:

8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate - chopped into pieces
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp vanilla

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl and set aside.
Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring just barely to a boil; do not over-heat, else the cream will get scorched and burnt.
Now place a damp towel on your counter, place the pan of hot cream on the towel, and then add the chopped chocolate to the cream. Let it stand for 5 mins, then stir with a whisk until smooth. Add the vanilla to flavor the ganache.


Raspberry Sauce:

1 c sugar
1 T cornstarch
dash salt
2 c boiling water
20 oz thawed raspberries
5 T lemon juice

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Add 2 c boiling water. Bring to boil, then cook 2 more minutes. Add raspberries and lemon juice.

I pour some ganache over the first layer of the cake so the ganache covers the sides of the cake. Then I add the raspberries on top of the ganache, put the second layer of cake on top, cover that with ganache and add some chocolate shavings.

- Laura Sprague, adapted by Wendy Smith from Hershey's 'The Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake,' and Tracy Phillips (raspberry sauce)