I feel like the hallmark to a great baker is how they approach the simpler things. For me, whenever I order multiple cupcakes from a bakery, one flavor is always red velvet. The simple reason is because with red velvet, there are a few criteria that need to be met: the cake must be red, although a more natural hue, a slightly detectable taste of cocoa powder, and a nice cream cheese frosting that is still tangy. I find that adding raspberries actually helps significantly with the tangy flavor, the red aesthetic, and adding a nice contrast to the cocoa, so I tend to pair raspberry with my red velvet quite often! For these doughnut creams, I went with my typical raspberry red velvet flavor combination that I would use in cupcakes, and made them into little doughnut creams! I used Valrhona’s raspberry inspiration chocolate, which is a raspberry flavored chocolate that is naturally colored, flavored, and vegan, to help flavor the glaze and as a cute little garnish on top of the cakes. To kick off February a.k.a. Valentine’s Month, what better way than something that is red, white, and made with chocolate and cocoa?

For the red velvet cake:
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 drops red gel food coloring

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together. In a bowl, combine the other ingredients together. Fold the flour mixture into that to form your batter. Pipe the batter into 6 cavities in a silicone doughnut mold placed on a sheet tray, filling each cavity about 1/3 the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 14 minutes, rotating the mold halfway through to guarantee even baking. Allow the cakes to cool down completely in the freezer until they are cold to the touch before unmolding.

For the raspberry-swirled cheesecake:
8 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin powder
1/4 cup water, in two parts
1/4 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
24 raspberries

In a bowl, cream the cream cheese with a paddle attachment first. Then mix the gelatin into half of the water. Place the gelatin, water, sugar, and salt into a pot and bring to a simmer. Once the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is reduced by half, pour that into the cream cheese mixture, whipping until combined. Add in the vanilla. Fold into that your heavy cream. Pipe the mixture into 6 cavities in a silicone doughnut mold. Reserve about 1/16th of that mixture and transfer it into a piping bag. Cut the raspberries in half. Sprinkle 8 half-raspberries into each cavity. Then press in your cooled down red velvet cakes and freeze these for at least 4 hours before attempting to unmold them and finish with the glaze.

For the tempered raspberry squares:
4 oz Valrhona raspberry inspiration
a pinch of salt
1g grated cocoa butter

Over a double boiler, melt down the raspberry inspiration and salt in a heatproof bowl. Once the chocolate is half melted, take off heat and stir until fully melted. Keep stirring until all of the solids are completely liquified, and then stir in your cocoa butter. Once the cocoa butter is mixed in, continue to mix until the mixture reaches 87 degrees F on a thermometer. Spread the mixture onto acetate in a thin layer. Allow the chocolate to set for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator before cutting out 1/2-inch squares. Return to the refrigerator for another 5 to 10 minutes before attempting to unmold from the acetate. Reserve your scraps, since you can use that for the glaze.

For the raspberry mirror glaze:
1/4 cup water, in two parts
5 teaspoons gelatin powder
1/3 cup raspberry coulis
2 oz Valrhona raspberry inspiration
4 oz white chocolate
a pinch of salt

In a bowl, mix half of the water with the gelatin. Place gelatin, raspberry coulis, salt, and the remaining water into a pot and bring to a simmer. Once the gelatin is melted, add in the chocolates. Allow that to sit, off heat, for at least a minute before stirring to combine, and passing through a sieve to remove any lumps. Reheat the glaze to 90 degrees F before attempting to use.

For garnish:
Fresh raspberries

Place your still-frozen doughnut mousses onto an icing rack. Pour the 90 degree F glaze over the doughnuts and allow that to set. Trim any excess off the edges and transfer to a serving platter. Pipe on dollops of the reserved cheesecake mixture and finish with a fresh raspberry and some squares of the tempered raspberry inspiration.