Chocolate Raspberry Cake

This cake is delicious warm or cold. You may need to add more milk to the frosting if it is too thick to spread easily.

Cake is best eaten the day of baking.

Ingredients

Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk or sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons cocoa
• 4 tablespoons low-fat milk
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Filling

• 4 tablespoons premium quality seedless raspberry preserves
• 2 cups fresh raspberries (whole frozen berries can be used)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
3. In a small sauce pan combine butter, water and cocoa. Bring to a boil. Pour chocolate mixture over flour and sugar. Mix well.
4. Mix buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla extract together and beat until smooth. Add to chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared baking pan.
5. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean. Do not over-bake.
6. Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack.
7. While cake is baking, melt butter and cocoa for frosting. Stir in milk. Do not boil. Remove from heat and add the confectioners' sugar; mix well and blend in vanilla extract. If frosting is too thick, add a little more milk.
8. Spread raspberry preserves over warm cake with a pastry brush. Place whole raspberries on top of the preserves and flatten just slightly with a fork. Spoon frosting over raspberries and spread carefully with a knife. Cake should be frosted while warm.
9. Serve with vanilla ice cream on top.