This month’s King Arthur Flour Bakealong recipe, a Chocolate Mousse Cake with Raspberries is, simply put a stunner. And the taste is 💕💕💕💕💕💕
I mean just look at it:
Generally, I approach making layer cakes with equal parts excitement and trepidation. I’ve created some precariously Leaning Tower of Pisa-like creations in my day. Over the years I’ve learned a fair amount of tips and tricks to avoid problems I’ve had in the past. My cake confidence has improved a bit as a result. But this sucker has four layers. Four. Plus chocolate mousse filling and buttercream frosting. Yikes.
I knew I couldn’t usually do what I do when I am baking and cooking for my blog. Which is doing 700 other other things in between the steps of making three or four recipes at a time. Those things include engaging and posting on social media, sending texts, reorganizing my cabinets, pulling props to shoot, jotting down ideas for future recipes, and flipping through German cooking magazines for inspiration.
I’m normally a good multitasker but for this cake, I knew I had to concentrate. I left a day free to make it as the only recipe with no distractions.
First of all, I can’t stress enough how important it is to read an entire recipe thoroughly before attempting it or even before shopping for it. I’m so guilty of not doing this in the past. There nothing like getting halfway through a recipe and the next step includes an ingredient you didn’t realize was there and don’t have on hand. Or discovering as a surprise the mixture has to be refrigerated for 24 hours which immediately blows your plans for serving it that evening.
This goes for any recipe but if I didn’t read this one in its entirety, I wouldn’t have gotten fabulous flavor enhancing tips like adding espresso powder to the boiling water in the cake batter of mixing in mini-chocolate chips into the chocolate mousse filling.
King Arthur flour is all about giving instructions filled with troubleshooting, tips, and alternatives, like turning recipes gluten-free. The step by step walkthrough with each Bakealong recipe they offer will boost the confidence of bakers of all levels. It’s virtual hand holding.
Even with focusing, I still managed to forget the raspberries in the top layer of cake. I may or may not have relaxed a bit at this stage and checked my Facebook messages.
Thankfully, I was able to rectify my mistake before frosting the entire cake which would have sealed off the opportunity to do so. However, after smugly congratulating myself on the save, I realized I photographed the cake showing my mistake and thoughtlessly frosted it before I could re-photograph it after I added the missing raspberries.
Damn you, seductive social media! And who said food blogging is easy?
I loved the “ooh factor” when I finally cut the cake. Sliced, it’s gorgeous and it tastes divine.
Anyway, the main point here is the cake was actually fun to make and the recipe author also confessed fear about making fancy layer cakes. Consequently, she goes out of her way to reassure and encourage readers making everything as simple as possible. It was way simpler than I imagined.
The only step I left out on purpose was piping decorations on top with leftover frosting. I mean seriously. WHO has leftover frosting? Is there such a thing? Frosting made in my kitchen gets subjected to a tongue tax which leaves less for the cake.
For decoration, I opted for a lazy version of placing leftover fresh raspberries in the shape of a heart. I drew the shape with the sharp point of a knife in the frosting. and then used it as a guide to arrange the raspberries on top.
This cake is gorgeous, luxurious, delicious and impressive. What a treat for Valentine’s Day, birthdays or a special occasion. Make it. Stat.
