Rich Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 2-2/3 cups (16 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 eggs
• 2 TB vanilla extract
• GLAZE:
• 1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 TB half-and-half cream
• 2 TB butter, softened
• 2 TB corn syrup
• Fresh raspberries and fresh mint, optional
  

Directions:

1. Grease a 10-inch springform pan and wrap bottom of pan with heavy duty foil; set aside.
2. In a saucepan, combine the chips, butter, cream and sugar; cook over low heat until chocolate is melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; stir until smooth. Pour into a large mixing bowl; cool.
3. In another mixing bowl, beat eggs on high for 3 minutes or until fluffy. Beat into chocolate mixture, a third at a time, until blended. Stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pan; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (top will crack). Cool on a wire rack (cake will settle). Cover and chill for 1 hour. Run a knife around edge of pan before removing sides.
4. For glaze, in a large saucepan, combine the chips, cream, butter and corn syrup; cook over low heat until the chocolate is melted; stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; stir until smooth. Spread enough of the glaze over top and sides of cake to cover. Chill for 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining glaze. Chill overnight. Serve with raspberries and mint if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Very rich cake. Instead of fresh raspberries, I make a cold raspberry sauce. Dump bag of frozen raspberries in bowl and add sugar to sweeten raspberries. It's up to you how much sugar to add. Stir and let sit until berries are thawed and it's a sauce.