Chocolate-Raspberry Waffle Cake

Watch how to make this recipe.

Special equipment: a waffle maker that makes round waffles

Preheat a waffle maker that makes round waffles on medium. Prepare the boxed cake mix according to the package directions.

Pour 1/3 cup of the batter into the center of the waffle maker, close the lid and cook until the cake is lightly browned and springs back when you touch it, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the cake from the waffle maker using a fork and set aside on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter; you should have 8 waffled cakes total. Let them all cool completely.  

Pulse the raspberries with the confectioners' sugar in a food processor until it looks like dust. Add the mascarpone, vanilla and 1 cup cream and pulse until thick and creamy. 

Put the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the remaining 1/2 cup cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles form and it just begins to simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth.

Put 1 waffled cake on a cake stand or plate. Use an offset spatula to evenly spread a 1/4 cup of the raspberry-cream mixture over the cake, pushing most of it to the edge of the cake, leaving a small well in the middle. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the chocolate ganache into the well and top with another waffled cake. Repeat with remaining waffled cakes, raspberry cream and ganache, finishing with some raspberry cream on top. Decorate the top with the fresh raspberries and drizzle with the remaining ganache (microwave the ganache for a few seconds and stir if it needs to be loosened). If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.