Hey all,

Hope you had a lovely weekend…?

I’ve spent most of mine snoozing. I’ve slept so much in the last 48 hours, it’s approaching the disgusting threshold. I don’t mean that I’ve been laying around in bed, refusing to get out, no no. I’ve actually slept 12/13/14 hours straight per night then had the cheek to nap for another few hours in the day too. This miserable weather just makes sleeping so appealing, and apparently, I’m tired enough to sleep for copious amounts of time too. I mean, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have a to-do list longer than my arm.

Sleep > everything.

Lately, my response to people asking how I am / how things are going has turned into “cold.” I’m tired of being a hermit. But the cold makes me want hot chocolate and all the cosy blankets and um, sleep. Also, can I please have a real life fireplace?

Bring on spring already!

Tomorrow is Blue Monday, allegedly the most depressing day of the year. What better way to fight off the blues than with a generous slice of chocolate cake..? A few weeks ago, I made this little number for my work chums (contender for the best colleague award, maybe? Jk.) and thought this is the perfect occasion to share. Whipped cream, spiked with tangy raspberries, sandwiched between two layers of moist, fudgey chocolate sponge, slathered in whipped cream, and topped with yet more raspberries and a generous sprinkling of dark chocolate shavings.

Chocolate has the power to fight off all my woes, however trivial they may be.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 300g plain flour
• 175g caster sugar
• 75g cocoa powder
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1.5 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 230ml whole milk
• 120ml melted unsalted butter, cooled to room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 235ml boiling water
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules (don’t worry if you dislike coffee, you won’t even taste it – it helps with activating the bicarb and intensifies the chocolatey flavour)

Raspberry Whipped Cream:

• 250ml double cream
• 1 heaped tablespoon icing sugar
• 125g mascarpone cheese
• 120g raspberries

Whipped Cream Frosting:

• 400ml double cream
• 250g mascarpone cheese
• 2.5 heaped tablespoons icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To decorate:

• 15g grated dark chocolate
• 10 raspberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to gas mark 4. Line and grease 2 x 9 inch baking tins.
2. Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the milk, butter, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk till well combined.
4. Add half the liquid mix to the dry mix, stir to combine, before adding the other half.
5. Carefully mix the coffee granules with the boiling water in a jug before pouring into the cake batter and stirring well to combine.
6. Split the cake batter into the two pre-prepared baking tins and place in the oven for 35mins or until a cake tester comes out clean.
7. Remove from oven and leave in the pans for about 10-15mins before removing and placing on a cooling rack.
8. In the meantime, make the raspberry whipped cream by whisking together the double cream, mascarpone and icing sugar. Stir in the raspberries.
9. In a separate large bowl whisk the double cream, mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla extract to make the whipped cream frosting.
10. To assemble, carefully place the first slice of cake in the bottom of a springform cake tin, spread the raspberry whipped cream on evenly. Make sure you go all the way to the edges before topping with the second layer of cake.
11. Remove the side of the tin and carefully move the cake onto a cake board. Use a palette knife and the whipped cream frosting to cover the top and sides.
12. Decorate with piped swirls, top each one with a raspberry and generously top with dark chocolate shavings.

Enjoy!

– Kay