Raz-Berry Ganache

The kind u can't find in a second hand store...

Can you guess what was playing in my head during the entire production and planning (and eating) of this wonderful cake? I amuse myself to a potentially unbearable degree.

This weekend we celebrated Miriam's birthday, and she was nice enough to pick the cake I'd already been assigned out of a (short) lineup. Leading the witness, of course, plus I know she likes raspberries.
In short: chocolate genoise, brushed with cocoa syrup, torted and filled with the best raspberry ganache ever, made with chocolate, cream, raspberry puree, and Portuguese cherry brandy.

This cake transcended the sum of its parts, melding into one good lump of soft intensity. Happy birthday, Miriam.