Chocolate and Raspberry Cream Layer Cake

This makes a beautiful birthday cake or dessert.  Light moist chocolate cake layered with raspberry cream and enveloped in a dark chocolate ganache icing.  Go on, you know you want to...

Serves 8 generously

Ingredients

250g Caster Sugar

150g Soft Butter (spreadable is fine)

1 tspn Vanilla Extract

3 Large Eggs

200g Plain Flour

2 tspn Baking Powder

1 tspn Bicarbonate of Soda

30g Cocoa

125ml Natural Yoghurt

Pinch of Salt
For the Raspberry Cream 
200g Fresh Raspberries
250ml Double Cream
50g Icing sugar

For the Chocolate Icing
100g Dark Chocolate, chopped finely (at least 70% cocoa solids)
25g Butter
1 tbsp Golden Syrup
75ml Double Cream
100g Icing Sugar
100g Raspberries for the top

• Preheat the oven to 175C (fan), butter and line a deep 20cm cake tin.
• Whisk together the sugar, butter and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time then the flour and whisk until combined.  Whisk in the baking powder, bicarb and cocoa then add the yoghurt and salt and whisk until smooth.
• Tip the mixture into the lined cake tin and smooth the top then bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.
• Leave to cool slightly then transfer the cake to a plate or rack to cool completely.
• To make the raspberry cream take the raspberries (200g) and mash them in a bowl.  Tip the mashed raspberries into a sieve over another bowl and squash it through, getting as much puree as possible.  If lots of seeds have got through sieve it for a second time.
• Whisk the cream until softly whipped then add the icing sugar and the raspberry puree, whisk again until it's the texture of a soft mousse and beautifully pink.
• Put the now cool cake upside down onto a board (if it's wonky cut a thin slice off the top to make it level) and, using a sharp knife, cut the cake into 4 layers, each about 2cm thick.  Put the bottom layer onto the plate that you want to serve the cake on and spoon on a third of the raspberry cream, spread it out with a knife.  Put on the second layer and do the same, repeat until done.  Once the top layer is on take a knife and run it around the outside of the cake smoothing any cream that may be billowing out.
• To make the ganache icing, tip the chocolate pieces with the butter and the syrup into a bowl.  Bring the cream almost to boiling point and pour it over the chocolate, stirring to melt.  If it's not totally melted you may need to pop the bowl into the microwave for 20 seconds or put it over a bowl of hot water.  When melted sieve in the icing sugar and whisk until smooth and shiny.
• To ice the cake, spoon the chocolate slowly into the middle of the cake and let it gradually run down the sides.  When all the icing is on the cake take a knife and smooth it around the top and the sides.  When you are happy with the icing decorate the top with the remaining raspberries.