Framboise a.k.a Celebrating the French way!

My darlings, something lovely is coming to life in my oven.

I have been peeking at it through the glass door for the last 45 minutes and my patience is wearing thin. Unfortunately the antsy-ness needs to be in check, until the end of the following day when I present it to my friend at his birthday dinner.


Rewinding to my first Friday morning at home this year, spent, away from work, indulging in uninterrupted "me" time streaming epsiodes of Laura Calder's 'French food at home'. She'd puttered around with some rustic dessert crepes and elegant tarts and then the pièce de résistance, Chocolate Framboise. I was hooked!

Up until that first glimpse of the Framboise, an important decision was looming over my head. I had to settle on a cake that would celebrate my friend and yet bring flair to a grown-up's birthday dinner. You see we're all embarking on our fabulous 30 somethings, so the days of store-bought chocolate cake with generic buttercream frosting and cheap champagne just doesn't cut it anymore. We have traded beer for batter. Really good batter.


And now back to the scene with happy Laura, silver fork, decadent cake and a crown of raspberries. See where I'm going with this?

So it was fate that this framboise should make its way into our life in the form of a birthday cake.


"But as impatient as I am, I'm also known for my generosity". In that statement, lies a promise to bring you my impression of the Chocolate Framboise. After all your patience should be rewarded too, right?

P.S: This cake is best made over two days. So whilst you will suffer terrible bouts of impatience, remember, patient people go to heaven. Dessert heaven.