I’ve been known to repeatedly slam my head in to a metaphorical wall and simultaneously scream, “Why does this hurt?” I’m thorough like that; I need to drive a point home. Walking away, admitting defeat, is often times not an option.

But, I am getting a little better.

Today, I let this recipe stand alone on it’s own merits. No self-effacing humor, nary a pithy comment, an absolute absence of snark. When faced with describing something so fantastic, I admit defeat.

These raspberry vanilla cake bites are sinful, over-the-top and truly decadent. They were described as “cake bon bons” by a taster; I could not have come up with a better description. Raspberries, chocolate and fluff? The dipped in chocolate? Yowza. People seemed utterly elated by these, which is what I was going for. The picture doesn’t catch their full glory, but then again, can perfection ever really be captured?

Raspberry Vanilla Cake Bites

adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook via Joy the Baker

For the Cake

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg plus 1 egg white, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup whole milk

For the Raspberry Binding

1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves

2 heaping Tablespoons of Fluff

14 ounces Cadbury Milk Chocolate for dipping

To Prepare the Cake

Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour one 8-inch round baking pan, knocking out excess flour.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer, on medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, then beat in vanilla, and beat until thoroughly blended, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed and add flour mixture and milk, alternately in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and mix until batter is just smooth, do not overmix. Batter will seem loose.

Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake until cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cake will still be pale in color, not golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan on a rack, then invert on a rack to cool completely.

While Cake cools, mix together the strawberry preserves and fluff.

When cake is completely cool, crumble into a large mixing bowl. Add the strawberry mixture and mix together with hands This will be messy. Mix until the cake and preserves are thoroughly incorporated.

Shape cake mixture into 1 inch balls or squares by pressing the cake mixture together with your fingers and rolling in the palms of your hand. Place the shaped cake bites on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Once all the bites have been rolled, cover and place in the fridge for 20 minutes (I left mine overnight, no problem).

Melt milk chocolate in the microwave, or over a double boiler. Dip chilled cake bites into the melted chocolate and place back onto the baking sheet. Once all balls are dipped, place in the fridge for 20 minutes to harden the chocolate.