Taking Requests

I was asked to make a birthday cake. Once I agreed, I realized I was way out of my league but I'd give it my best shot! My guidelines were: Chocolate and Raspberry. My goal was simply to make a great tasting cake thus creating a surprising distraction from the homely aesthetic that was sure to underwhelm the party guests.

I did a hybrid recipe of the Oh.My.Gosh.Cake (a.k.a. Swan's Down Cake Flour Simple Chocolate Cake) and this recipe that sounded like it fit the bill perfectly!

We were in Texas this weekend visiting family while my husband's band had their CD release party. I figured that the in laws would be willing to taste test for me. Thanks to their feedback (literally) I refined my technique and was happy with my revised recipe!

Pre-bake changes:

Greased the pans and coated with Cocoa Powder instead of white flour. Good tip courtesy of my Sister in Law, Tiffany. I folded chocolate chips in the batter before dividing into pans.

Assembly changes:

Thicker layers of icing, SEEDLESS raspberries for the filling (the first time was a bit crunchy!), chocolate bar shavings for the sides of the cake, and a raspberry garnish on top!


May I present to you:

Triple Chocolate Raspberry Cake



Kiddie Kakes (classic yellow w/ Chocolate frosting for the non-raspberry types)



Karin's Kake - A Happy Birthday Girl



I didn't taste a piece (I figured they wouldn't appreciate a missing sliver!) but, I heard that it was good. Maybe they were being nice, but I think it was probably a success! A personal accomplishment at least! Cheers to Taking Requests!