Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly coat with vegetable cooking spray two 9-inch cake pans.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda into a bowl. In a large bowl, combine the oil, sugar, and egg white and mix together. In another bowl combine the milk with the vinegar, and vanilla and stir until well-mixed.
Add the dry ingredients and milk mixture alternately in three parts to the oil-sugar mixture, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto a rack and cool completely.
Prepare the frosting by mixing the cocoa and sugar together in a stainless steel mixing bowl. In a separate small bowl mix the cornstarch and milk together until it is smooth. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry until smooth.
Place the mixture in the top of a double boiler and stir constantly until thick and glossy, about 7-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, place in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes on medium speed to avoid any lumps. Immediately cover with plastic wrap laid right on top of the frosting so that no air touches it. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Trim the top of the cake and spread a thin layer of frosting over one of the cakes. Place a layer of raspberries or other fruit on top, top with the second layer, inverted, and frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before slicing.
NOTES: Andrew Sutton, Executive Chef of one of the Wine Country's most elegant resorts, Auberge du Soleil, contributes a quite extraordinary dessert to this article. He recommends that the cake is best if made a day in advance, wrapped tightly, and set in the refrigerato |
