Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Chocolate Leaves
I honor the tree which produces the cocoa bean, oh yes I do!
If you can find fresh golden raspberries for this cake, wow! and decorate with wisps of thin gold
ribbon. With red raspberries, match with rose colored ribbon. Place the cake on an elevated cake
stand as a centerpiece ending to a special meal. The recipe makes one 8 inch round cake, and
doubles beautifully for layer cakes.
Cake:
1 1/2 c. unbleached organic flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. canola or safflower oil
1 tbsp. raspberry vinegar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 c. boiling strong raspberry tea, juice or water
2/3 c. honey or maple syrup, use maple syrup for lightness
1 pint fresh raspberries, golden if available!
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease pan and line bottom with parchment or waxed paper, set aside.
In large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Make well in dry ingredients, pour in
oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir until blended, and mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine boiling tea
and honey, stir until honey dissolves. Pour over flour mixture and whisk thoroughly to blend. Pour
batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool 5 to 10
minutes, run knife around sides of pan, turn out gently onto serving plate. Peel paper off cake. Set
plate on wire rack to cool. Spread with room temperature ganache. Decorate top with chocolate
leaves, then luxuriously fill spaces with raspberries.
Dairy Free Chocolate Ganache
A wonderful cake frosting or glaze, this versatile chocolate ganache is also the ultimate dairy free
fudge sauce, spooned warm over frozen desserts. Also warmed, it’s chocolate fondue, with cubes
of firm cake and fresh fruits!
12 oz. dairy free chocolate chips such as Tropical Source, or other favorite
1 cup vanilla soy or almond milk (not low fat)
1 tsp. orange or other favorite extract or 1 tbsp. raspberry vinegar (vinegar version is excellent)
Heat milk to just before the boiling point, then take from burner. Whisk in chocolate chips until
completely smooth, stir in extract. Cool or chill to desired consistency.
Chocolate leaves
6 oz. chocolate chips
Clean lemon or rose leaves
double boiler or equivalent, small pastry brush
Melt chocolate in double boiler over barely simmering water. Pull from burner. Take individual
leaves and brush underside carefully with chocolate. Place on waxed paper lined plate or baking
sheet. Place in freezer 2 or 3 minutes to quickly harden, then carefully peel the real leaf from the
chocolate.
I honor the tree which produces the cocoa bean, oh yes I do!
If you can find fresh golden raspberries for this cake, wow! and decorate with wisps of thin gold
ribbon. With red raspberries, match with rose colored ribbon. Place the cake on an elevated cake
stand as a centerpiece ending to a special meal. The recipe makes one 8 inch round cake, and
doubles beautifully for layer cakes.
Cake:
1 1/2 c. unbleached organic flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. canola or safflower oil
1 tbsp. raspberry vinegar
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 c. boiling strong raspberry tea, juice or water
2/3 c. honey or maple syrup, use maple syrup for lightness
1 pint fresh raspberries, golden if available!
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease pan and line bottom with parchment or waxed paper, set aside.
In large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Make well in dry ingredients, pour in
oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir until blended, and mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine boiling tea
and honey, stir until honey dissolves. Pour over flour mixture and whisk thoroughly to blend. Pour
batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool 5 to 10
minutes, run knife around sides of pan, turn out gently onto serving plate. Peel paper off cake. Set
plate on wire rack to cool. Spread with room temperature ganache. Decorate top with chocolate
leaves, then luxuriously fill spaces with raspberries.
Dairy Free Chocolate Ganache
A wonderful cake frosting or glaze, this versatile chocolate ganache is also the ultimate dairy free
fudge sauce, spooned warm over frozen desserts. Also warmed, it’s chocolate fondue, with cubes
of firm cake and fresh fruits!
12 oz. dairy free chocolate chips such as Tropical Source, or other favorite
1 cup vanilla soy or almond milk (not low fat)
1 tsp. orange or other favorite extract or 1 tbsp. raspberry vinegar (vinegar version is excellent)
Heat milk to just before the boiling point, then take from burner. Whisk in chocolate chips until
completely smooth, stir in extract. Cool or chill to desired consistency.
Chocolate leaves
6 oz. chocolate chips
Clean lemon or rose leaves
double boiler or equivalent, small pastry brush
Melt chocolate in double boiler over barely simmering water. Pull from burner. Take individual
leaves and brush underside carefully with chocolate. Place on waxed paper lined plate or baking
sheet. Place in freezer 2 or 3 minutes to quickly harden, then carefully peel the real leaf from the
chocolate.
