Raspberry Custard Cake

My friend Chae had her 30th birthday this week. A few friends got together this afternoon to celebrate...and we decided to make a meal of all her favourite (current) cravings and food obsessions (she's pregnant!). It was a fun and yummy time (with filet mignon, cooked to perfection!)...my contribution to the meal was a cake. Her all time favourite cake. She buys it from a local bakery...this is the link to it. Yumm!

In doing some covert reconnaissance (this was a surprise party), I found out that she loved the cake, however, the buttercream icing was a little "much" and was a little too sweet.

So I endeavored to make my own version of this cake for her party, and make it a little bit better. I read tons of google recipes, and decided on this one for the custard filling.

Filled and ready for the crumb coat!

It was a perfect recipe, and I loved it! Ok, so here's the how to: 2 boxes of Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake. - divided into 4 parts (but I only used 3). Custard filling on the bottom layer, raspberry jam (mostly seedless preserves, with a small amount of regular -with seeds- preserves). The real version has seeds, but not too many. Combining the two was perfect I think. I didn't mix it with anything else, I used it straight from the jar.

Then for the icing. Since Chae said buttercream was too much, I wanted something lighter, but still sweet. Didn't want it to be too custard-y and blah. I found this recipe on a yahoo chat board, and it was almost a disaster...my changes to the original recipe in BLUE...

Mock Whipped Cream Frosting with Pudding Mix
4 tbsp. flour (2T cornstarch)
1 c. milk
1/2 c. margarine (butter)
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar (approx 5 C icing sugar, possibly more)
2 tbsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. instant pudding mix (any flavor desired) (vanilla, and about 3T)

Combine flour and milk in saucepan and cook over LOW HEAT until thick, stirring constantly. Cream the margarine, shortening and sugar together for 4 minutes. (Can use all margarine if desired).
Add cooled flour mixture and vanilla; beat an additional 4 minutes. spread on cooled cake. (Basically, it was NOT sweet and kinda gross with only 1C icing sugar, I just kept dumping it in until it tasted good)

When making a "rose" on a cupcake, you start on an outer edge and swirl into the center. For this cake, I started in the middle and swirled to the outer edge.

It was really pretty!!

At the last minute (right before serving it), I melted eight 1oz squares of semi-sweet bakers chocolate and poured it over the top and let it run down the sides (like on the real one!). It was SOOO good. Chae (and others) said it tasted just like the real thing, but BETTER because the icing was better. Wahoo! Cake success. Nothing like trying to make a fave and coming up short, so I was glad this one was a yummy success!

Truly delicious. Make this cake for a party, and you've got friends. It's SO good!