Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Vanilla Buttercream

Makes a 3 layer 6-inch round cake or a 2-3 layer 9-inch cake

Cake:

1 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

6 tablespoons salted room temp butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon instant coffee powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sour cream

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 + 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup boiling water

Filling:

9oz fresh raspberries

1 tablespoon water

2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar (2 for a tart filling and 3 for a bit more sweetness)

Buttercream:

2 sticks of salted room temp butter

4 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F) and line the bottoms of your cake pans with parchment and grease the sides (or grease & flour them if you don't have parchment)

- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix.

- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, coffee powder, and salt, mix until the mixture is sandy and dry in texture. Set aside.

- In the stand mixer bowl (empty) whip together your sour cream, eggs, and oil until just combined.

- Now alternate adding the sugar/flour mixture and the milk to the wet ingredients. Always start and finish with the dry mixture.

- Slowly pour in the hot water as the mixer is going and mix until just combined. Overmixed batter could result in a tougher cake texture.

- Evenly distribute the batter between pans (you may have some batter left over) and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

- While the cakes are cooling (for easier decorating, chill them for a few hours) start the raspberry filling!

- Place a small saucepan over low/medium heat and add your fresh raspberries, water, and sugar.

- Press the raspberries to burst (or in less technical terms: squish) them and cook the mixture on the stovetop for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

- Remove from the heat and set aside to let cool.

-And last, but never least, buttercream!

- In the bowl of a stand mixer whip your butter for 3-5 minutes until white and fluffy.

- Alternate adding powdered sugar and whipping cream until both are finished.

- Lastly add the vanilla and salt, and whip on high for 3-5 minutes.

- To fill your cakes: create a round dam of frosting around the top of the first layer of cake and fill the center with raspberry. Repeat with the second cake, stacking it on top of the first, and the add the last layer on top (for a 9 inch cake there may only be one filling layer). And finish it off with a layer of frosting on the entire cake.

enJoy!