Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Perfect Chocolate Cake
CAKE:
1 cup cocoa
2 cups boiling water
2 ¾ cups flour
2 teas. Baking soda
½ teas. Salt
¼ teas. Baking powder
1 cup butter
2 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ teas. Vanilla

FROSTING:
6 oz. chocolate chips
½ cup light cream
1 cup butter
2 ½ cups confectioners sugar

FILLING:
¼ cup butter
3 cups sugar
1/3 cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla

Combine cocoa and boiling water, mix till smooth and cool completely. Mix flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Beat at high speech, butter with sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). At low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with cocoa mixture in thirds. Beginning and ending with flour mixture. Divide evenly into 3 - 9” round greased and floured cake pans. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool in pans about 10 minutes. Loosen sides and remove from pans.

FILLING: Mix butter, sugar, milk and vanilla until blended. Spread half over bottom layer of cake. Place second layer on top and spread remaining filling. Place third layer on top and spread frosting.

FROSTING: In medium saucepan combine chocolate chips, cream, and butter, stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat. With whisk (I just use my kitchen aide) blend 2 ½ cups sugar. Turn into bowl, place over ice and beat until frosting holds shape. Now…this is the original recipe. I blend the sugar and then refrigerate checking consistency occasionally to see how thick it is. When it is spreading consistency, frosting cake. Garnish with washed and dried Raspberry leaves and fresh Raspberries. Sorry this is not the best picture (clear plate on lace tablecloth). You can drizzle on the sauce or puddle it in the plate then place a wedge on top or do both :).

Raspberry sauce:

1 - 10 oz. pkg. frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 Tbs. cornstarch

Place thawed raspberries in syrup in a blender or food processor. Blend until pureed. Strain with cheese cloth to remove seeds. In small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually add raspberry puree; mix well. Bring to a boil; cook until mixture is clear stirring constantly. Cool.