• Cake:
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (increase to 2 1/4 cups for high altitude)
  • 1 T baking powder (reduce to ~3/4 T for high altitude)
  • 1/2 t fine salt
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (reduce to 1 or 1 1/4 cup for high altitude)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup whole milk (+ a splash for high altitude)
  • 1 t pure vanilla extract
  • Filling:
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 2 T water
  • 2 T cornstarch
  • Ganache: See Chocolate Ganache recipe
  • Frosting: (OR see the frosting for the Lemon and Chocolate Cake)
  • (note: adjusted original)
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 2/3 cup cocoa
  • 5 - 1/3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 Teaspoons vanilla
Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment as well. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat well, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, beating until combined. Add milk and vanilla and beat until just combined.

Divide batter between pans; smooth tops with an offset spatula. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 33 to 35 minutes (28 minutes at high altitude with 9 inch pans). Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks to cool completely.

Filling:
In a small saucepan, combine the raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of water. With a whisk or fork mash the raspberries down to release some juices.

Heat over medium heat until it reaches a low boil.

In small bowl, mix remaining tablespoon of water with cornstarch.

Add to raspberry mixture and and stir quickly to combine.
Continue heating the mixture at a low boil for another minute, until it is thickened and looking glossy.

Let cool. Strain through a sieve to get most of the seeds out.

Frosting:
Met the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Add the cocoa, stir until the mixture is smooth and thick. Remove the pan from the heat and place the coca mixture into a medium size bowl. Let it cool slightly.

Add the milk and vanilla alternately with the powdered sugar to the bowl until you have the spreading consistency you desire.

PUT IT TOGETHER
Layer the filling like so: a thin glaze of ganache on the top of the bottom layer, ring with raspberries, fill with raspberry filling. On the bottom of the top layer, glaze with more ganache and put the two layers together. Frost with frosting, and glaze with the rest of the ganache if you have it. Give it a border of fresh raspberries on top.