COOKING: CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

This is what I like to call a “cheater recipe”.  It is one of those recipes that people ohhh and ahhh over and you feel kind of guilty because it is semi easy but looks and tastes like you devoted a week in the kitchen slaving over. The truth is you do spend some time on it but not as much as it will appear. 
Here we go:

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ heavy cream
• 1 ½ lbs milk chocolate
• 5 Tb rum extract
• 2 packages chocolate layer cake mix
• Raspberry jam

What to Do

Cake

1. Bake chocolate cake mixes as directed in 4 separate cake pans

2. Let cool

Sauce to add to cake

3. In microwave safe dish combine 1 ½ cups cream and 1lb chocolate

4. Microwave stirring and checking that it does not burn

5. Set aside and let cool

Combine and mix

6. In a large bowl break up cooled cake and add chocolate mixture

7. Beat on medium until smooth (mixture will be thick)

8. Spread chocolate mixture into spring form pan and press firmly down

9. Refrigerate over night

Gauche

10. Remove cake from pan (use knife around it to make sure it does not stick)

11. Make chocolate gauche for top by placing  ¾ cup cream and ½ lb chocolate in microwave safe dish

12. Microwave stirring and checking that it does not burn

13. Pour hot chocolate gauche on top of cake and refrigerate

Raspberry sauce

14. Mix raspberry jam with water. When ready to serve heat sauce

This is a very rich cake so make the slices thin. Drizzle the warm raspberry sauce over the sliced cake and garnish with a mint leaf. 

Enjoy!

* Photo credit NY Times