I decided I needed to take a short break from the cupcakes and make a grown up cake.  I keep looking through this cookbook and my mouth salivates every time I pass the recipe for Raspberry-fudge Fantasy Torte.  What the heck is a torte anyway?  I had to look it up because my mom told me this was not a Torte. I replied with “Yes huh! It says so right here!”  For those of you that don’t know, my definition of a Torte (that I have created from several sources) is a rich almost pudding like cake that usually is made with no flour, and is made with eggs, nuts or bread crumbs.  Also, it is covered in icing, especially on the sides.

That being said, I can only assume that this recipe qualifies because it is a rich cake with icing and chocolate chips on the sides?  Anyway, it’s fabulous. And once again, I come back to the challenge of “will mine look like the picture?”   I think I did a good job, but can’t wait to perfect it!

My tips for the this recipe are:

1. Don’t move your cake to a cake plate with a lip before trying to press chocolate chips on the sides.

2. Don’t have a 4 year old nearby while trying to press the chocolate chips on the sides because many will disappear.

Enjoy!

don’t have a 4 year old nearby when pressing ch

Cake

1 box Betty Crocker Supermoist chocolate fudge cake mix

1 1/3 cups water

1/2 cup butter or margarine (softened)

3 eggs

2/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Filling and Topping

3 cups whipping cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves

1 1/2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease bottoms and sides of 2 (8 or 9-inch)  round cake pans with shortening; lightly flour.  In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, butter and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly.  Stir in 2/3 cup chocolate chips.  Pour into pans.  Bake 8-inch rounds 35-40 minutes, 9-inch rounds 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool 15 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks.  Cool completely.

2. In chilled large bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.  In medium bowl, gently stir together 1 cup of the raspberries and the preserves.  Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the whipped cream.

3. Cut each cake layer horizontally to make 2 layers.  On serving plate, place 1 layer, cut side up.  Spread with about 3/4 cup raspberry cream mixture.  Repeat with second and third layers.  Top with remaining layer.  Frost side and top of cake with remaining whipped cream.  Arrange remaining 1/2 cup raspberries over the top of cake.  Press 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips into side of cake.

Courtesy Betty Crocker, Best cupcakes and cakes magazine, March/April 2011