1package triple chocolate fudge cake mixBetty Crocker or Duncan Hines
½cupsour cream
¾cupwater
½cupvegetable oilnot olive oil
3large eggs
For Cheesecake Mousse Filling
8ouncescream cheese (1 cup)softened to room temperature
¾cupcold milk
1box instant white chocolate puddingdry, (If you can't find it, instant cheesecake pudding mix is a good substitute.)
⅓cuppowdered sugar
8ouncewhipping creamsee notes
12ouncebag frozen raspberries
For Chocolate Frosting
6ouncessemi-sweet chocolate chips
⅜cupcreamcan use half & half, cream, or milk
½cupbutter1 stick
2cupspowdered sugar
For Top Garnish
1large Hershey Milk Chocolate barno nuts
2cupsfresh raspberriesrinsed and dried
2Tablespoonspowdered sugarto dust top of cake before serving
Instructions
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut parchment paper to fit 3 round cake pans (8 or 9 inch). Lightly grease pans, then lay down parchment rounds.
Combine cocoa with boiling water in medium bowl, mixing with wire whisk until smooth; cool completely. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together with an electric mixer. Mix about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Using a hand mixer on low, beat in SMALL amounts of flour, alternating with cocoa-water mixture. Do not over beat.
Divide batter evenly in 3 round cake pans. Smooth top. Bake 25 -30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed.
Cool in pan 10 minutes, then carefully loosen sides with spatula and invert cake rounds on cooling racks. Let cool completely. When cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and place cakes back into pans to protect them. Freeze for at least one hour.
OR Use a cake mix with these directions
Add cake mix, sour cream, water, vegetable oil, and eggs to medium size mixing bowl. Beat at low speed of electric mixer for one minute, then two more minutes at medium speed until ingredients are well bended and fluffy. Do not over beat.
Divide batter evenly in 3 pans. Smooth top. Bake according to box instructions or until surface springs back when gently pressed.
Cool in pan 10 minutes, then carefully loosen sides with spatula and invert cake rounds on cooling racks. Let cool completely. When cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and place cakes back into pans to protect them. Freeze for at least one hour.
Raspberry Cheesecake Filling
Beat cream cheese until soft, slowly add milk, then pudding mix, then powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Whip cream until stiff and slowly fold into cream cheese mixture.
Fold in frozen raspberries (still frozen). See notes on adding in raspberries. Refrigerate mixture until you are assembling the cake.
Frosting
Combine chocolate chips, cream and butter in a medium saucepan or double boiler, and stir over medium-low heat until smooth. Remove from heat.
Blend in 2 ½ cups of powdered sugar with whisk or electric mixer. (To speed up the process, you can set your bowl over ice as you whisk or beat it.) Beat until it holds its shape.
To Assemble
Divide filling into half or thirds (depending on whether you have 2 or 3 layers). Spread a layer of filling over each cake layer (atop frosting if you used frosting), leaving an inch border free of filling (the filling will move toward edges on its own.)
Carefully stack 3 layers together. If they begin to slide, insert 1-3 wooden dowel(s) or plastic straws to stablize.
Top Garnish
To make chocolate curls, drag a vegetable peeler down the sides of a large Hershey bar.
Top with fresh raspberries, chocolate shavings and curls Just before serving, dust top of cake with powdered sugar.
Notes
You can substitute the 8 oz. carton whipping cream for an 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip (thawed). This will speed up the process & reduce the calories, but it doesn't taste quite as good.If you want your filling to be more white, then keep raspberries frozen and gently fold in raspberries; be careful not to stir too much. If you want your filling to be more pink defrost raspberries and mix them into creamed mixture until all is pink.The frosting adds a sweeter, richer flavor to the cake. Without the frosting, the cake is less sweet, like a European cake.