Chocolate Berry Cake

It's a while since I posted. Not that I haven't been baking; just that I haven't seemed to have the time to sit down and write an entry. I have been asked for the recipe for this cake by a few folk though, so it made sense to record it here.

This is a triple layer sponge cake with a creamy butter icing. I chose to use raspberries, but you can substitute these for any type of fruit. I made it for a friend for Christmas as an alternative to the traditional fruit cake. This is a much lighter sponge, and the vanilla icing and raspberry jam filling mean that it won't be too rich.

Ingredients:

For the sponges:
3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
4 1/2 Tablespoons Boiling Water
337g Soft Margarine
337g Caster Sugar
6 Eggs
337g Self Raising Flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
110g Raspberries 

For the buttercream and filling:
Raspberry Jam 
400g Icing Sugar 
240g Butter (room temperature)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Essence
4 Tablesoons Milk

Method:

Grease and line three 8 inch (20cm) sandwich tins and preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 for a fan oven)/Gas Mark 4. 

Blend the cocoa powder and hot water into a smooth chocolate paste in a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. Next, add all the remaining ingredients (except the raspberries)to this paste and mix well until smooth and blended. Divide the mixture into three equal portions.

To one of the portions, add the raspberries and gently fold in. Then transfer each batch of batter to a tin and bake for about 25 minutes. The tops of the sponges should boune back when gently pressed, and a cake tester or knife should come out clean (there may be some raspberry juice in the sponge containing the fruit). 

Leave to cool in the tins for about five minutes before turning out. Carefully remove the greaseproof paper from the bottoms of the cakes and elave to cool completely. 

To make the buttercream, chop the butter into small pieces and mix til creamy. Gradually stir in the icing sugar and then add the vanilla essence and milk. Beat for five minutes to reach a creamy, fluffy consistency.

Take one of the plain chocolate sponges and spread a generous layer of raspberry jam on the top. Place the chocolate and raspberry sponge on top of this, and then spread a layer of jam on this sponge. Finally, place the second chocolate sponge on top to create your three layers. Using a palette knife or spatula, spread the buttercream on the top and sides of the cake. 

You can then decorate the top of the cake as you wish; pretty chocolate shapes go well and I chose popping candy milk chocolate crackers.