Chocolate Raspberry Cake

• Oil cooking spray to grease pan
• 1½ cups White Wings plain flour
• ¼ cup dutch cocoa powder
• ¾ tsp bi-carb soda
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 175g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1¼ cups CSR Caster Sugar
• 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 120g bittersweet dark chocolate (61% cacao), melted and cooled

Filling:

• 4 punnets fresh raspberries (6 cups)
• ¾ cup plus 2 tbs CSR White Sugar
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Icing:

• 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
• 200g dark chocolate, melted & cooled

1. Preheat oven to 160°C fan forced. Lightly coat three 20cm round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another large bowl, beat butter with sugar on high speed until light and fluffy (approx. 3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with buttermilk in two batches. Beat to combine, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in melted chocolate.
5. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake for approx. 25 mins, rotating pans halfway through front to back and top to bottom, until a tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack 10 mins.
6. Run a small sharp knife around edges, then invert onto rack. Remove parchment and let cool completely. With a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so they're level.
7. Filling: While cakes are baking, stir together 3 cups raspberries, sugar, salt, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over high, stirring frequently and mashing with the back of a spoon, until mixture comes to a boil (approx 2 mins). Continue to cook, stirring, until mixture thickens and clings to spoon, approx. 7 to 8 mins. (You should have 1 1/3 cup.) Let cool 30 mins. Stir in 2 cups raspberries, reserving remainder.
8. Spread half of filling over one cake. Top with second layer; spread remaining filling over top. Top with final layer, cut-side down. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
9. Frosting: Gently combine chocolate hazelnut spread and cooled melted chocolate in a medium bowl. Stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, or until mixture is spreadable (frosting will firm slightly when spreading). Spread frosting over top and side of cooled cake. Top with fresh raspberries to garnish.