White Chocolate Raspberry Torte

I’m getting fancy with you today.

I bring you the White Chocolate Raspberry Torte.

It’s my special occasion cake. The newlywed Mr. and Mrs. Laster stopped by last night and since we’ve owed them dinner since…um…when I hadn’t yet found out the sex of my baby who is now eight months old, they deserved a spectacular cake.

And this cake is a showstopper, in my opinion. The white chocolate in both the cake and frosting make it rich, while the raspberry filling offsets that with its tangy sweetness. The frosting is super light and airy thanks to…wait for it…Cool Whip.

A little ghetto-fabulous, you say? Try it.

It.

Is.

Awesome.

This cake takes a while to prepare, but it’s well worth the effort. If you have a stand mixer, it’s really quite easy. (Sometimes I don’t know how I lived without that thing, I swear.) So whenever you’re feeling fancy too, give this cake a try. It will not disappoint.

White Chocolate Raspberry Torte

adapted from Taste of Home Magazine (December/January 2010)

For the Cake:

¾ cups butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup white chocolate (use Guittard…always, for everything), melted and cooled

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups cake flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

For the Filling:

12 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries

¾ cup water

½ cup sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

For the Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 cup white chocolate, melted and cooled

½ tsp. vanilla

12 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed

Fresh Raspberries for garnish, optional

For the Cake:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in melted chips and vanilla. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and soda; beat into creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk (starting and ending with flour).

Divide batter evenly between two buttered and floured 9 inch cake pans (I recommend Calphalon, they are heavy duty and cook so evenly. I use them for all my baking needs). Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Cool for 10 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Once cooled, take a serrated knife and even out the cakes by cutting off the top (crusty) layer. This is best done on a cake turntable where you simply hold the knife parallel as you turn your cake, but you can make it work without on as well. Once the cakes are even, brush off any crumbs, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.

For the Filling:

In a small saucepan, bring the raspberries and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain raspberry mixture through a fine sieve and discard the seeds. You should be left with about 1 ½ cups of liquid. Let cool.

In the same saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Pour in cooled raspberry liquid and cook over medium heat until boiling. Stir while boiling for 2 minutes, until considerably thickened. Cool completely. Spread between cake layers (cut sides should hold filling) and refrigerate until ready to frost.

For the Frosting:

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in melted chips and vanilla; fold in whipped topping. Take a small amount of frosting and go over the top and sides of the cake to hold down any crumbs, refrigerate until set. Generously frost tops and sides of the cake. Pipe frosting around edges and garnish with fresh berries if desired.