Chocolate Raspberry Trifle

I made a chocolate cake for a party that stuck in the pan. Of course the cake was way too good to waste, so I made a trifle out of it. When I make this again, I would make a double batch of the raspberry coulis and add fresh raspberries.

Chocolate cake:
9 T cocoa powder
1 1/2 c cake flour (or use regular flour and substitute 3 T of the flour with corn starch)
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/2 c sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1/2 c coffee
1/2 c milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 9" cake pans.

Beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add one egg at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. In a seperate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking soda, salt & baking powder. In a measuring cup, mix the coffee and milk.

Stir 1/2 of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then the milk mixture and finally the other half of the flour mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool, remove from pans and tear into cubes.

Vanilla Pudding:
8 T sugar
4 T corn starch
1/2 t salt
4 c 2% milk
4 egg yolk, slightly beaten
2 T butter
2 t vanilla extract

Combine the sugar, cornstarch & salt in a saucepan. Gradually stir in the milk cooking over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.
Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolk to temper it. Pour the tempered yolk into the warm mixture. Bring to a gentle boil, cooking and stirring for an additional minute. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
Cool for 15 minutes before transferring to a dish to cool. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Hot Fudge Sauce:
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c water
1 c heavy cream
1 c light corn syrup
1/4 t white vinegar
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsley chopped
4 T unsalted butter, softened
1 T vanilla

Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a large pot. Whisk in the milk until well blended. Bring to simmer over medium high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the heavy cream, corn syrup, white vinegar and 2 oz of the chocolate. Return to the heat, whisking frequently over medium high heat until it reaches about 225 degrees F. The bubbles will be small and the liquid will be a little thicker and sticky. Remove from heat and add the remaining chocolate, butter and vanilla. Let cool.

Raspberry Coulis: I would double this next time and add some fresh raspberries at least on top of the trifle if not in the middle as well.
12 oz fresh or frozen raspberries
3 T sugar
2 t fresh lemon juice

Blend all three ingredients together and strain through a small sieve.

Trifle:
Layer 3 layers of each cake, pudding, fudge sauce & raspberry coulis in a glass bowl.