G-Love Cake: Just What the Doctor Ordered

Last week, on my day on call, things were not looking so great. As the call team, we are required to finish all of the cases scheduled for the day. At mid morning, it looked like we had one doctor with two day's worth of patients. I was pretty sure we were never leaving the hospital.

And then Dr. G came to the rescue (on his vacation day!) and saved our lives. I even got to leave before the sun went down!

So I give you: The G-Love Cake. Created especially for the Knight in Shining Armour of the Cath Lab. Chocolate cake with raspberry filling and a mocha Swiss meringue buttercream. To die for!

Mmmm... chocolate cake! You really can't go wrong with chocolate. This cake is made with bittersweet chocolate melted down with fresh brewed coffee to bring out the chocolate's flavor. I also added sour cream to keep the cake moist and light.

Like any baked treat, you start by creaming together the butter and sugar and slowly add in the eggs (one at-the-time as Paula Dean would say). Next, the yummy melted chocolate and coffee mixture gets poured into the batter along with some vanilla and... yummm...

Now comes the cake flour mixture and sour cream. Yes, you must use cake flour! It makes your cake much more tender. And I know you want a tender cake. Don't worry, they sell it at Walmart!

Now, pour this delicious mixture into three greased and floured nine inch round pans. Trust me- grease and flour them well. Yes, even if your pan is "non-stick". You will thank me.

Pop those babies in the oven and go find something to do, like make frosting. Don't peek! They should be done in about half and hour.

After your cake tester, aka toothpick, comes out clean leave the pans to cool before flipping the cakes out. Don't do what I did and try to rush the cake to make a dental appointment. Because instead of this:

You'll have this:

Oops. Patience is not a strong suite of mine. Two layer cake it is!

While you're letting those three... or two... cakes cool lets make the delicious caffeinated frosting.

Mocha Swiss meringue buttercream. Sounds kinda complicated. Don't be afraid! It's really pretty simple and so worth it!

First, you start by making the meringue half of the equation.

Egg whites and sugar are heated over a double boiler (fancy for heat-proof bowl stuck over pot of simmering water) until the sugar is dissolved. It should feel smooth between your fingers.

For those of you with a stand mixer this next part will be a cinch. I hope to some day to join your ranks. For now I will beat this mixture for 10 minutes with my ancient hand mixer until stiff peaks form and the mixture is glossy and beautiful.

See how the meringue stands up on its own? That's what you want!

Now you get to add an entire pound of butter, tablespoon by tablespoon, into the meringue, mixing well. Don't freak out if this happens:

It may look like the mixture has curdled, but keep mixing and it will smooth back out.

Add in melted semisweet chocolate, espresso powder and vanilla and... voila! You have a fabulous frosting! This step is where you can use some creative license and flavor the frosting to your needs or tastes. The base has a great texture for frosting or piping and is not overly sweet- perfection!

Now you can put your cake together.

Smother the cake layer with 1/4 inch seedless raspberry jam and top with the second cake. Repeat if you didn't destroy your third layer.

Then smother it with frosting and decorate with fresh raspberries. And don't forget to lick your spatula!

I bought this to work and it it was 80% gone by 9am. Need I say more?

G-Love Cake
6oz bittersweet chocolate
3/4 c brewed coffee, strong
1 c butter, unsalted, softened
2 c sugar
4 eggs, large
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c cake flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 c sour cream

1. Combine coffee and chocolate in saucepan over super low heat and cook until melted.
2. Beat butter on medium until creamy and gradually add in sugar.
3. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
4. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla and beat 1 min.
5. Mix together dry ingredients. Add alternately with sour cream to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix on low until blended. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you mix.
6. Pour batter into three 9" greased and floured pans. Bake @ 350 for 25-30 min until cake tester comes out clean.
7. Let cool then turn out onto wire rack to finish cooling.

Mocha Swiss Meringue Buttercream
5 egg whites, large
1 c + 2  tbs sugar
Pinch of salt
1 lb butter, unsalted, softened and cut into tbs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
1 tbs instant espresso powder (not instant coffee!)

1. Whisk eggs, sugar, and salt in double boiler until mixture is warmed and sugar dissolves.
2. Pour mixture into mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks form and this mixture is cooled. Approx. 10 min.
3. With mixer on medium, add butter 2-3 tbs at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Add vanilla, chocolate, and espresso powder and beat on medium until smooth