Best 3 Berry Chocolate Fruit Decadence Recipes

CHOCOLATE DECADENCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of wax paper. Butter paper and dust pan with flour, knocking out excess.
• Make batter:
• Melt chocolate and butter in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking until smooth.
• Cool slightly.
• Beat together eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until pale yellow, thick, and a ribbon forms when beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes with a standing mixer or 8 minutes with a handheld. Fold one fourth of egg mixture into chocolate mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining egg mixture.
• Pour batter into cake pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Put cake pan in a hot water bath and place in middle of oven. Bake 45 minutes (top will be set, but a tester will not come out clean).
• Remove cake from water bath and cool completely in pan on a rack. Run a thin knife around edge of cake and chill, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 12.
• Make sauce:
• Purée raspberries with sugar in a food processor or blender, then force through a fine sieve into a bowl. Chill until ready to serve.
• Remove cake from pan:
• Put cake pan directly on a burner at very low heat. Move pan around on burner to warm bottom, about 30 seconds, then shake pan to loosen cake. Invert cake onto a rack. Remove wax paper and invert cake onto a serving plate.
• Bring cake to room temperature. Serve with sauce and whipped cream.

DECADENT CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Grease bottom and side of 8-inch springform pan or 9-inch round cake pan with shortening. In 2-quart heavy saucepan, melt 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in flour until smooth. Stir in egg yolks until well blended; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until soft peaks form. Using rubber spatula, fold chocolate mixture into egg whites. Spread in pan.
• Bake springform pan 35 to 40 minutes, round cake pan 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (top will appear dry and cracked). Cool 10 minutes. Run knife along side of cake to loosen; remove side of springform pan. Place cooling rack upside down over cake; turn rack and cake over. Remove bottom of springform pan or round cake pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, add enough water to reserved raspberry juice to measure 1 cup. In 1-quart saucepan, mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Stir in juice and thawed raspberries. Heat to boiling over medium heat. Boil and stir 1 minute. Place small strainer over small bowl. Pour mixture through strainer to remove seeds; discard seeds. Stir liqueur into mixture; set aside.
• Place cake on serving plate. In 1-quart saucepan, heat glaze ingredients over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until chips are melted. Spread over top of cake, allowing some to drizzle down side. Place whipped cream in decorating bag fitted with star tip. Pipe a rosette on each serving. Serve cake with sauce. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE DECADENCE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with waxed paper. Using vegetable peeler, remove peel from oranges in strips. Coarsely chop peel in processor, stopping occasionally to scrap down sides of bowl. Add 1/3 cup sugar and blend until peel is minced. Add marmalade and puree. Using electric mixer, cream butter with pureed mixture and vanilla in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in remaining 1 cup sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift dry ingredients into small bowl. Mix dry ingredients into batter alternately with orange juice.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tops are golden brown and tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 38 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool. Peel off paper.
• For the chocolate ganache:
• Bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Add chopped chocolate and stir until melted. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour ganache into large bowl. Freeze until very thick but still spreadable, stirring frequently, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
• For glaze:
• Melt marmalade in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Mix in Grand Marnier.
• Cut each cake into 2 layers. Place 1 layer on plate. Brush with 1/4 of glaze. Spread 1 cup ganache over. Top with second cake layer. Brush with 1/4 of glaze. Spread 3/4 cup ganache over. Top with 1 1/2 baskets berries (about 2 1/2 cups). Spread 1/2 cup ganache over third cake layer. Invert, chocolate side down, over berries. Brush with 1/4 of glaze. Spread 1 cup ganache over. Top with fourth cake layer. Brush with remaining glaze. Spread 3/4 cup ganache over top of cake. Spoon 1 cup ganache into pastry bag fitted with medium star top. Spread remaining ganache over sides of cake, drawing icing spatula up to create vertical lines. Pipe decorative border of ganache around top and bottom edges of cake. Freeze cake 20 minutes. Arrange remaining berries atop cake, covering completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover cake loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
• Garnish cake with mint sprigs. Serve cake at room temperature.