This is a three layer, no sugar added, egg-less chocolate cake with layers of chocolate mousse and the most beautiful fresh raspberries, topped with a rich dark chocolate ganache and more fresh raspberries, with homemade chocolate buttercream icing for the sides and decorative border, and fresh Lindt dark chocolate shavings all around!
It seems that all too often I do not get to enjoy my creations, but I simply cannot WAIT to bite into this one later tonight!
Here is the recipe for the cake, ganache, and chocolate mousse (augmented from the Hershey's chocolate cookbook):
Cake:
1 1/4 C all purpose flour
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1 stick butter
1 C Ideal sugar substitute
1 C milk
1 T white vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Heat oven to 350. Line bottoms of 3- 8" round pans with parchment paper and lightly grease sides. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Melt butter, stir in Ideal sugar substitute. Add milk, vinegar, and vanilla to the butter mixture and stir until blended. Add dry ingredients and whisk until well blended (batter will be thick). Dollop batter evenly into pans and try to spread into a thin even layer. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remover from pans (and remove parchment paper) and allow to cool completely before assembling.
Ganache:
Heat 1 C (1/2 pint) of heavy whipping cream in a saucepan over low heat until warm. Add 1 1/2 C chocolate chips (for the above cake, I used Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips) and stir constantly until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for about an hour and a half.
Chocolate mousse:
1 t unflavored gelatin
1 T cold water
2 T boiling water
1/2 C Ideal sugar substitute
1/4 C cocoa powder
1 C (1/2 pint) cold heavy whipping cream
1 t chocolate extract (can substitute vanilla if you don't have the chocolate extract)
Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let stand for 1 minute. Add boiling water and stir- allow to cool slightly. In a small mixing bowl, stir together Ideal and cocoa, add whipping cream and chocolate extract. Beat at medium, until stiff peaks form, then pour in gelatin and beat until well blended. Refrigerate for 20+ minutes.
