Raspberry & chocolate

It's summer again. A lot of people hated it, but I am one of the rare cases that happen to enjoy the summer time in Hong Kong. The humid air, the unbearable heat, the smell of sweaty people surrounding you are indeed intolerable. But I like the hot weather that slows everything done, a flow of fresh crisp air whenever you walk into the air con, and the sweating that helps you detox.

I made a raspberry chocolate cake to celebrate black charcoal head's b-day. I almost just wanted to make a fresher summer fruit cake because of the weather, but since he loves chocolate so much I have to made something that's extremely chocolaty to satisfy his taste buds.

The sponge cake base is a butter-free chocolate cake. I don't like using butter for cake because butter will take away the flavors of other ingredients. I like my cake to be eggy and fluffy.

Have to give credit to the whipped egg whites for the airy texture, evident by little holes that gives the cake its stereofoam like structure.

Melting my valrhona chocolate for the chocolate mousse.
Making some mini cakes for individual tasting. I have been looking for tear-drop cake molds for a long time, lucky me I found these at one of the HK vendors. Although not my favorite Mafer branded molds, but these also have beautiful shapes.

Either I don't have talent decorating large cakes, or there's an unknown standard guidelines or procedure that I need to learn from professionals. I found it difficult to make my large cakes presentable. I tried to beautify it by making some printed chocolate cones but still looks a bit weird.. so pardon me for not putting together a complete cake for window display, the taste is really good though.
The combination of raspberry and chocolate is impeccable, raspberry's sweetness and sourness compliment the heavy chocolate mousse perfectly. I made the jelly with fresh raspberry, and enhance with the citrus flavors of grand marnier and lemon. The chocolate mousse is made with valrhona chocolate and creme anglaise.
Received the greatest compliments from BCH and his entourage....glad to know my time was well spent!