Chocolate Cake with Black Raspberry Ganache

I don't think I have ever met any one that didn't like chocolate. However I have met people who ate so much chocolate candy and got sick and were never able to eat anything chocolate for either a very long time or never again. My husband definitely falls into the category of chocoholic. In my later years I must admit I have grown more fond of it and like my husband, get a daily craving for a little something chocolate. This chocolate cake with black raspberry ganache will cure any chocolate craving you have.

The cake, well it's from a box, but the ganache is my own creation. I honestly don't have the kind of patience it takes to sift flour and other ingredients. Since the box mixes have in my estimation greatly improved through the years, box it is.

The ganache recipe makes more than you might want or need (as in the case with me), so use it for extra saucing when plating. An easy dessert transformed into a showstopper with the simple addition of the black raspberry ganache.

I started out with a dark chocolate cake mix from my friend Betty Crocker. Then I made this really delicious black raspberry ganache with semi sweet chocolate and some raspberry preserves along with heavy cream. It's rich, a little on the decadent side and makes for a simple yet elegant dessert.

To assure I would make the ganache properly I visited The Kitchn website and read through her blog post on ganache. It was helpful. You have to be patient in letting the ganache cool enough so it works properly. I actually cooled it for about 15 minutes after I made it and it was still thin. A visit in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes cooled it down enough so it poured over the cake well.

• 1 box Betty Crocker® Dark Chocolate Cake Mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 4 ounces semi sweet chocolate (I used Baker's bar chocolate squares)
• 1/2 cup black raspberry preserves
• 1 cup heavy cream
• parchment paper and cooking spray
• bundt or tube pan

1. If your preserves are in the refrigerator, bring them out and set on the counter while the cake is baking and cooling.
2. Mix the cake and bake it according to box directions. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack after you remove it from the pan.

When the cake is cooled, make the ganache.

1. Chop your chocolate and place in a food processor.
2. Heat the heavy cream in a sauce pot over medium low heat, stirring once in a while. When you see the cream is just starting to get tiny bubbles on the edges turn the heat off.
3. Measure out the black raspberry preserves and place in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 30 seconds to loosen it up. Add the preserves to the food processor with the chocolate.
4. Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and raspberry preserves and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Then pulse until it is blended and smooth.
5. Cool down to a consistency where it pours nicely over the cake. I placed my cake on a piece of parchment paper and used a small ladle to ladle the ganache over the cake. Use the extra ganache for serving when you slice the cake.

Cake mix on sale, chocolate was on sale, coupon doubled for the cream so this cake cost $6.55 to make. And a final thought on this cake: you could use the ganache when it's thin and make this into a poke sheet cake and pour some of the ganache all over the top, then let the ganache cool like it looks in the photograph and glaze the whole top of the cake with it.