Chocolate Mint Raspberry Cake

Chocolate Mint Raspberry Cake

Last Friday, it seemed like a good day to make cupcakes.  It was freezing cold outside, but the sun was glinting off of the rooftops and off the shovels of the 3 guys removing snow from the top of the building opposite my apartment.

If you’ve lived in Finland, you’ve probably seen them:  they’ll be wearing neon vests (as though that sort of safety precaution 8 stories up is necessary) and dressed in light winter clothing and heavy work boots, equipped with shovels and wearing some kind of harness to which a safety rope is attached.  With one end of the rope securely tied to the harness, it remains a mystery where they hook the other end or how long the rope actually is.  Nevertheless, these professionals can be seen all over the city after a period of heavy snowstorms – typically two guys on the roof and one or two below.  Those on the ground guard the cones and attempt to keep pedestrians out of the path of falling snow, while those above do the heavy lifting, ensuring that the roofs won’t leak or cave under the burden of winter’s precipitation.

Layer on the raspberries over the frosting

I’d finished my cupcake batter with the sun streaming in through the windows and an occasional glance toward the other rooftop to make sure the workers were still standing.  And then I remembered that it was International Women’s Day, and decided that if there is an entire day designated as a holiday to celebrate my gender, then it certainly calls for something more exciting the humble cupcakes.  So the cupcake batter became cake and raspberries were added along with a luscious and feather-light frosting made from mascarpone, heavy whipping cream, vanilla and a touch of sugar.

We ate it all weekend long, before and after our skiing trips and maybe, though there’s no clear evidence of this, maybe even for breakfast.  It is that kind of chocolate cake.

You see – there are three types of chocolate cakes in the world: there are those that say they are chocolate cake but have so little chocolate and are so light in color that hardly deserve to be bothered with.  “Essence of chocolate” cake is not what we are going for when we dream of chocolate cake.  No.  You need to be able to taste the chocolate.  “Light chocolate” is just synonym for “bad idea” in my book.

Then there are the very serious, deep, dark, dense, take-no-prisoners chocolate cakes.  The kind where you cut yourself a slim sliver, close your eyes, and savor the flavor on your tongue, just one small precious morsel at a time, knowing that the cacao level is hovering somewhere near 70%.  The kind that require melted chocolate folded into room temperature butter and a layer of ganache made from more melted chocolate and a little cream.  But this isn’t that kind of cake.

Frost the bottom of the top layer and place over the raspberry layer

This chocolate cake is your friendly but definitely full-on chocolate cake.  The one you might make for a kids’ birthday party, or on an evening when friends are coming over and you want something tasty to share.  You might serve it without frosting, but with vanilla ice cream instead, and a spoonful of chocolate or caramel sauce. Or maybe you wouldn’t bother with any of that, and you’d instead slice a piece and stand at the window facing the sunlight, cake in one hand and steaming mug of coffee in the other.

This cake is easy to make.  It has just a hint of mint – enough to add interest but not overwhelm.  It’s elevated this time by the frosting – something that requires you have specific ingredients on hand.  I used frozen raspberries – if you do this, thaw them thoroughly and drain them just a bit so the juices don’t run.  Fresh would be best, but it’s the middle of Winter here (ahem, Spring), and I need to work through the frozen berries before summer begins.

There’s a secret inside of this one…

By the time the cake was cooled and frosted and in the refrigerator awaiting consumption, dinner was ready, the sun was hovering just over the sea, and the snow-removal crew had gone home for the day.  So we sat in the rosy red light of the setting sun, licking the last of the chocolate crumbs off our forks, planning what we’d do over the weekend – other than finish off the cake, that is.

The light mint flavor matches the sweet-tart flavor of raspberries perfectly.

Chocolate Mint Raspberry Cake
This cake was inspired by the One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes in the Martha Stewart Cupcake book.  I used unrefined Spelt flour for this instead of white wheat flour, reduced the sugar and included brown sugar, substituted olive oil, added extra eggs yolks to the batter, and added peppermint extract.  It makes a mighty fine cake.

For the Cake:
1 1/2 cups / 3 dl spelt flour
3/4 cup / 1.5 dl / 89 g cocoa powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup buttermilk, plain yogurt or kefir
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
3/4 cup warm water

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Oil two round cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

In a medium bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients together with a fork or whisk.  Add the wet ingredients and beat with a stand mixer or handheld beater until smooth.

Divide the cake batter evenly between the two cake pans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until puffed in the center and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Run a knife around the outside of the cake inside the pan to separate the edge from the cake pan.  Invert the cakes onto a wire rack; remove parchment paper, and flip cakes over so they are right side up.  Cool completely.

For the Frosting: 
1 small tub (8.8 oz/250g) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 cups / 4 dl heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract (if you use vanilla sugar, omit the sugar)

1 cup / 2 dl fresh or frozen raspberries

In a medium bowl, whip the marscapone until it is light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.  Add the heavy whipping cream and whip with a stand mixer or a handheld mixer until soft peaks form.  Add the vanilla and sugar, and beat very briefly, just to combine.

Assembly:
Set one cake layer on a cake plate and cover the top with frosting.  Layer the raspberries over the top of the frosting so they completely cover the cake layer.  Frost the bottom of the remaining cake layer and lay it carefully, frosting side down, over the raspberries.  Use the remaining frosting to cover the entire cake with frosting.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.  Can be made up to two days ahead.

Serves 16.