Motherhood has been simultaneously the most isolating and most integrating experience of my life to date. Today, though, I only want to focus on the latter.
It’s difficult to write about how becoming a parent has strengthened my ties to others without controlling for other factors, the largest being a concurrent move to a new city, one away from a large support network of family and childhood friends. I can’t be sure to what degree the new and strengthened interpersonal connections I’ve made are a result of our transplantation to Brooklyn or of having a baby, but my gut is telling me that Z is the bigger and more influential change of the two.
So, I believe it is motherhood that has nudged (necessitated, it feels?) this introvert to actively seek new friendships and reinvigorate (albeit imperfectly) the urge to nurture old ones. The push is selfish because I am more dependent on others’ help than I have ever been, and it is generous because having a child has made me more compassionate and newly motivated to find ways to support those around me.
It is one of the happy, unexpected outcomes of becoming a parent.
Over the past year and a half I have met and become friends with so many amazing people: the skilled and loving midwife who delivered Z, the witty and inspiring contributors over at GardenFork, and a diverse group of moms that has been a powerful sounding board and frequent source of comic relief.
One of these moms who has become a dear (and I’m going to go ahead and predict: lifelong) friend celebrated her birthday last week, and I made this cake to celebrate. I added dark chocolate chips to the simple chocolate cake base to amp up the fudge factor and the frequent burst of sweet-tart raspberries keeps it exciting. The cake doesn’t need any icing but since when is ganache about a need? I do wish I had gotten some more pictures (and styled the cake), especially of the inside so you could see how enticing it looked, but you will have to take my word for it. I made the cake on a day when Z strangely refused a nap of any kind, so I snapped a handful of pictures, the second half of which include a small, dimpled, ganache-stained hand…
Double Chocolate Raspberry Cake
adapted from Playful Cooking
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c olive oil
1 c coconut sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c ricotta
1/4 c milk
1 pint raspberries, divided use
1 1/2 c dark chocolate chips, divided use
1/3 c heavy cream
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or oil a tall-sided 6-inch cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil and coconut sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, ricotta, and milk and whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in 1/2 pint of the raspberries and 1 c of the chocolate chips.
3. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan and bake until cooked through, about 40 minutes. I used a toothpick to test mine and it came out wet, but I realized that it was probably melted chocolate from the chocolate chips. It may be more accurate to gently press on the top of the cake to see if the cake feels firm enough to be cooked through. After 10 minutes, remove the cake from the pan to cool completely.
4. Place the remaining 1/2 c chocolate chips in a small bowl. Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until it begins to steam. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and wait 1 minute before stirring until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Wait about 5 minutes for the ganache to cool to the point where it is still pourable but not so runny that it will just drip right off the cake. Pour over the cake and use a spatula if needed to spread the ganache to the edges. Top with the remaining 1/2 pint of raspberries.
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