susan hayward photography : red raspberry chocolate cake

I hate to cook, but I love to bake. Up to a point. By the time something comes out of the oven, about all I want to do is eat it. I can handle pouring a glaze or perhaps slapping on some frosting, but only if it takes five minutes or less.

So when my son asked me for red raspberry chocolate cake for his birthday, I almost broke down and offered to buy one of those cheater cakes at the grocery store instead (you know, with the fakey tasting, garishly colored frosting, usually involving some Disney characters on top). But I have raised my kids to discern the difference between home made and box cakes and real (as in made with butter) versus fake (as in made with shortening) frosting. We are sugar afficionados at this house, even if I can't spell it.

"Oh, all right," I said, digging through my recipes as my son smiled and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. My husband, who had just requested the same cake the month before, warned the kids to stay out of my way when it came time to actually bake the thing.

"Wouldn't you rather have my chocolate sheet cake instead?" I asked my son, hoping that he would settle for something easier.

He thought for one millisecond. "Nope."

I will post this recipe so you understand what a beast this can be. And how absolutely worth the two days it will take you to make it. It is just like the cliche: sinfully delicious.

Sinfully Delicious Red Raspberry Chocolate Cake

Listen up! This recipe is my version of a cake featured in Paris Sweets, a cookbook written by an American food writer who lives in Paris (lucky duck). I make it much sweeter than the original. Also, the cake recipe comes from Mary Ellen Maxwell who submitted it to a BYU Bookstore cookbook (1998).

TAKE NOTE: THIS CAKE TAKES TWO DAYS TO MAKE. PLAN AHEAD!!!

Cake recipe:

2c flour

2 sticks butter

5 T cocoa

2 eggs, slightly beaten (Eggland's Best or cage free eggs are the best) (yes, you can taste a difference)

1 tsp baking soda

2c sugar

1c water

1/2 c buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla (best quality)

Combine the flour and sugar in a heatproof bowl. In a saucepan, bring to boil 2 sticks butter, water and cocoa. Pour this over the flour and sugar mixture. Add buttermilk, eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla and baking soda.

Butter a 9-inch springform pan, dust with flour, shake out the excess, and put the pan on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (I also cut a circle of parchment for the bottom of the pan, butter it and flour that too. The cake comes out of the pan easier that way)

Bake the cake for 30-40 minutes in a 400 degree oven. You can double the cake batter to make a taller cake if you want. But it will take longer to cook.

Once the cake is done baking, put it on a cooling rack and after 10 minutes remove the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto another rack, lift off the pan bottom, then turn the cake over onto the first rack. cook the cake right side up on the rack.

The rest of the recipe will come later. I have a brain cramp right now!