Warm Chocolate-Raspberry Pudding Cake

Warm Chocolate-Raspberry Pudding Cake
barely adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
serves 6 to 8

Frosting

• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Cake

• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp instant coffee powder
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 Tbs butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Generously butter a 9-inch round cake pan and set aside.

Make the frosting:  In a medium saucepan, melt the raspberry jam, cream, and chocolate over medium heat, stirring often.  Once it has melted, pour into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly with a spatula.  Set aside.

Make the cake:  In a large heat-proof measuring cup, whisk together the boiling water, cocoa powder, and coffee until smooth.  Whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla extract, and raspberry jam, then set the measuring cup aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the butter with the sugars at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.

Add the flour and cocoa mixtures alternately, starting and ending with the flour, and mixing at low speed just until incorporated.  

Spoon the batter over the frosting in the prepared cake pan, spreading it to completely cover the frosting.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack 10 to 20 minutes.  

When ready to serve, run a thin knife around the edge of the pan and twist it gently back and forth to loosen the cake.  Place a cake plate on top of the pan, then invert the cake and plate.  Gently lift the pan.

Serve warm, garnished with whipped cream and/or raspberries if desired (and I think they would be great with the cake, but we are snowed in, plus the raspberries at the grocery store are kind of sketchy this time of year).