This cake is every chocolate lovers dream. Its one of the most amazing cakes I have ever made and it it one of those cakes that just gets better and better after a few days in the fridge. The best slice I had was the last piece that was left in the fridge after two days together with a big cup of coffee. And that was my breakfast that day And it was one amazing breakfast. Not so healthy though but ooh so good.
The recipe for this cake comes from here. I did some adjustments to the frosting since I found it to be a little bit to sweet for me and I used 1 cup of brown sugar and 1 cup of caster sugar instead of the 2 cups of caste sugar in the original recipe for the cake. I also flavored my frosting with some licorice powder if you don't like licorice you can omit that.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cupcocoa powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter,softened
1 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting
3 cups confectioners sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut in half, and softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup half and half
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
0,5 tablespoon of liqurice powder

Cake:  With the oven rack in the middle position, heat the oven to 350˚F.  Grease and flour four 6-inch baking pans.  (Two 9-inch round cake pans will work.)  Whisk together  flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk hot water with the cocoa powder until smooth.  With electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until incorporated.  Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk, until combined.  Reduce speed to low and slowly add cocoa mixture and vanilla until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.  (Cake layers can be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for 2 days.)

Frosting:  Sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa.  Heat 4 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup half and half in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles appear around perimeter of pan, 4 to 8 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens slightly and turns deep golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add liqurice powder.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Slice remaining butter into 4 pieces and stir it and the remaining half and half into the large bowl with the other ingredients.  Add the chopped chocolate and the vanilla and stir until smooth.  Slowly whisk in the confectioners’s sugar and cocoa until incorporated.  Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.  Refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes until the frosting reaches the desired spreading consistency.

Assemble the Cake

You wil need

3 cake layers

Frosting

400 grams of fresh raspberries

  Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter.  Spread  frosting over the surface.  Top with second cake layer. Spread  frosting over the surface and add 200 grams of raspberrys. Top with the third cake layer and Generously spread remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of cake. Garnish with rest of the raspberries  Cake can be held at room temperature or covered and refrigerated until serving.  Bring to room temperature before serving.