This is an easy chocolate cake that gives you a lot of bang for your buck in both richness of chocolate and presentation.  Using a packaged cake mix will cut down prep time considerably, so majority of your time will be spent in assembly and frosting the cake.  Preparing both the mousse filling and the icing are easy and each only use 3 ingredients.  This is chocolate at its finest with chocolate cake, white chocolate mousse for the filling, and then a rich chocolate ganache icing to pull it all together.  Your guests will think you spent half a day preparing this dessert – only you will know the truth!

 Ingredients:

1 Devil Foods Cake Mix

Small basket of fresh raspberries

White Chocolate Mousse Filling:

6 oz white chocolate chips

2 cups heavy cream

1 Tbl sugar

Chocolate ganache:

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

2 Tbl butter

18 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Make cake mix per package directions – pour into two 9″ round pans

2. While cake is cooking start the Chocolate Ganache icing

3. Pour heavy cream and butter into glass mixing bowl and microwave at 1 minute intervals until it comes to a boil.

4. Place semi-sweet chocolate chips into bowl and pour the boiling cream over the chocolate.  Let stand for 5 minutes.   Using a wire whisk quickly mix until shiny and smooth.   Put in refrigerator to set for about one hour.

Prepare Mousse Filling:

1. Whip  the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.  Place the white chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted.

2.  Blend a small amount of the whipped cream into the melted white chocolate and fold with a rubber spatula.  Add this mixture back into the large bowl of whipped cream in two sections (not all at once) – fold using the rubber spatula – don’t whip or you will lose all volume to the mousse.

Assembly:

1. Place pieces of parchment paper on a cake stand in four separate triangles – this will keep your plate clean as you ice the cake.

2. Place first layer top side down onto the cake plate – lightly scrape off the crumbs.  Using an offset metal spatula, spread the white chocolate mousse evenly over the first layer.

3.  Place second layer gently on top and then refrigerate for one hour to set the cake.

4. Start your frosting the cake by icing the top of the cake – it’s okay if the icing drops down the sides.  After top is iced, rotate the cake stand and ice all sides.

5. You will have extra icing left over – place it into a pastry bag and pipe buttons on top and sides of cake.

6. Add fresh raspberries on top of cake in center and it is ready to serve.

Serves:  8