OLIVIA’S FABULOUS RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Directions

• Step 1 A WORD ON LAYERS: Once you’ve baked the two layers, you’ve got a choice: You can stack them as is, or you can split each one in half to make a four-layer cake, It’s all about how much frosting and raspberry flavor you want with each bite, Four layers means more frosting It also means more height, You’ve got plenty of frosting and raspberry syrup to work with here, so you can be generous no matter which option you choose,
• Step 2 TO MAKE THE CAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and dust with flour, or use baker’s spray. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment.Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking powder together.Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and salt together on medium speed until smooth, about 4 minutes (the mixture will be pasty). Drizzle in the oil, pouring it against the side of the bowl, and beat until you’ve got a light, creamy mixture, about 3 minutes. One by one, add the eggs, beating for a minute after each goes in. Beat in the vanilla.
• Step 3 Working on low, add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk— begin and end with the dry, so that you’ve got 3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of milk. The batter will be dark and resemble frosting. Still on low speed, add the boiling water, drizzling it down the side of the bowl and mixing until the batter is smooth.Divide the batter evenly between the two pans, swiveling the pans from side to side to even them out.Bake the cakes for 27 to 30 minutes. A tester inserted into the cakes might come out clean earlier, but you want to wait until the cakes start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the pans to racks and let rest for 10 minutes, then run a table knife around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes, if needed, and turn them out onto the racks. Turn the cakes right side up and allow them to cool to room temperature.You can make the layers up to 2 days ahead, wrap them well and keep them in the refrigerator, or freeze them for up to 2 months. Thaw in the wrappers.
• Step 4 TO MAKE THE FROSTING: Sift the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl that you can use with a hand mixer. Add the salt and butter, and pulse the mixer on and off to begin the blending and to avoid a shower of sugar and cocoa. (Draping a kitchen towel over the mixer isn’t a bad idea.)When it’s safe, mix on medium speed until you have a thick, homogenous mixture. Reduce the speed to low and drizzle in the milk, then beat to complete the blending. You should have a lovely frosting that will spread and swirl easily. Then add 3 tbsp. Raspberry Powder to add a subtle undertone of Raspberry to the Chocolate Frosting. (See below to order Raspberry Powder).It’s best to use it now, although you can refrigerate it for a few hours or up to 1 day (if you do, bring it to room temperature and stir until it’s spreadable before using).
• Step 5 TO MAKE THE SIMPLE RASPBERRY SYRUP.  Bring all ingredients to a boil, making sure that the sugar is completely dissolved. Let it steep for one hour. Put the syrup through a fine mesh strainer and then add the optional Chambord.
• Step 6 TO FINISH THE CAKE: Put a dab of frosting in the middle of a serving platter, center one layer on it, right side up, and slip strips of parchment or wax paper just under the edges of the cake all around to protect the plate from errant frosting. Then paint the cake with the raspberry syrup. Then cover the syrup with a layer of frosting. In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of Raspberry Jam and 3 tbsp of water to make the jam more liquid. Then cover the layer of frosting with the Raspberry Jam. Arrange fresh raspberries, which you have cut in half, atop the Jam. Repeat this process with two more layers of cake, frosting, syrup, jam, and raspberries. When you get to the top layer, frost it and finish the cake with a layer of whole fresh raspberries.The cake can be served now— love it fresh and soft-but it’s easier to slice if you give it a couple of hours in the refrigerator. The cake is good cold, but it’s nicer when it’s not served directly from the fridge.I usually chill the cake thoroughly, then set it on the counter for half an hour before cutting and serving.
• Step 7 STORING: Filled and frosted, the cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. You can also freeze the frosted cake on a baking sheet until it’s solid, then wrap it airtight and keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost it, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight.