Honey Chocolate Cake, Topped with Raspberry Frosting

Ingredients

• 2 2⁄3 cups cake flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 2⁄3 cup boiling water
• 1 1⁄3 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup Taylor Pass honey
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1⁄2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons raspberry jam

Instructions

1. Butter two 9-inch cake pans and preheat oven to 350°F.
   
   
2. Sift 2 2/3 cups flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.
   
   
3. Combine cocoa and espresso powder in another medium bowl.
   
   
4. Whisk boiling water, then milk and vanilla into cocoa mixture. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and shortening in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
   
   
5. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions each. - Beat batter until smooth, divide between pans.
   
   
6. Bake cakes for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick is clean, let cakes cool.
   
   
7. Combine raspberries and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. - Stir the mixture until it is a liquid. Stir in gelatin, continue to cook until dissolved.
   
   
8. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
   
   
9. Refrigerate overnight.
   
   
10. Beat heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. Add the three tablespoons of sugar and beat until combined.
    
    
11. Mix about a third of the whipped cream into the raspberry mixture until well combined. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Now put a thick layer of jam on the tops of your cakes.
    
    
12. Take one cake and put some raspberry mousse on the top, cover with 2nd cake. use the rest of your frosting to cover sides and top of the cake.