I love raspberries. They have always been my favorite. When I was a kid my Dad would buy them for me on special occasions or if I had a big test. Kind of awesome, I know. They were always a treat because in Florida they were on the expensive side. As it turns out, they’re on the expensive side everywhere.

Here in Alaska they grow wild. We have loads of raspberry bushes in the yard. Now I understand why they are so expensive, they’re a huge pain. They are invasive and difficult to harvest. You get scratched with little prickelies  (*scientific term) from the branches and red stains all over your fingers. We don’t put anything on the plants, so at least half the berries rot or have spiders in them. Ick.

Despite my lack of a green thumb or any inclination to work in the yard we still have loads of berries. I froze a bunch and kept a few cups out to make this cake. It’s sort of original. You should know that in case you try to make it. It might not work, I’m not a professional but I’m at least as capable as that loser Rachel Ray.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Adapted from this recipe at Smitten Kitchen

6 Tbs. Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature

1 Cup Sugar, plus 3 Tbs. for topping

1 Egg

3/4 Cup Milk

1 Tsp. Vanilla

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1/2 Cup Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Powder

1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp. Salt

1 1/2 cups Raspberries, all spiders and dirt removed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. The original recipe tested in other types of pans. I’ve made the original several times and have always had great results with the springform pan.

Mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk and mix until well combined. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients, then add them to the wet mixture. Mix until just combined.

Spread the batter in the pan and top with a single layer of raspberries. You could use any berry, strawberries would be excellent, especially if you don’t like raspberries. Just make a corner of it with raspberries for me. Otherwise I’m not coming over for dessert.

Sprinkle the raspberries with 3 Tbs. of sugar.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. After the first 40 or so minutes check it with a toothpick to see if it is done. Mine seemed to take forever, I don’t know how long it really was though because I forgot how much time I initially put on the timer. That’s what happens when you drink wine while you bake.

Enjoy!

The raspberries are ripening in our yard. Jackson loves them. Last year he ate most of them, so I only made one pie all summer. This year I told him that if he gave them to me I could freeze them and when we had enough I’d make a pie.

So all day long he climbs the fence and digs around in the raspberry bushes looking for ripe ones. He brings them in (each time in a different container, but that’s another story) and asks, “Can we make an apple pie now?”

I say, “Not yet, and it’s a raspberry pie.”

“OK, I’m going to get more blueberries.”

We had this exact conversation 36 times today. We still don’t have enough raspberries to make a pie. Dumb.

In other dumb news, I watched my friend’s big, fat, baby today. He’s the best baby ever. He never cried or fussed or was unhappy. That’s really saying something, because I am a terrible babysitter.

He had on a Run DMC onesie, which was awesome. I asked Taryn if she agreed that is was awesome. She looked at me like I was crazy. I said, “Do you know who Run DMC is?”

“No.”

“Seriously?”

“Is that the band that Mark Wahlberg used to be in?”

“Oh my God.”

“Tupac?”

“Lil’Wayne?”

“Don’t talk for the rest of the day.”

At dinner I asked John, “Do you know who Run DMC is?”

“Run The MC?”

“No, Run DMC, D like Dog.”

“Does the C stand for Compton?”

Dumber.