Barb'S Birthday Cake

• CAKE:
• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/8 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5/8 cup oil
• 2 Tbsp vinegar (raspberry is best)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup Chambord liqueur
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam or preserves
• FROSTING:
• 1 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
• Fresh raspberries (if desired)

1. Grease 2 8" round cake pans and coat with cocoa. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Blend dry ingredients well. Add all wet ingredients and whisk (or mixer on medium) until mostly lump-free. Batter will be fairly thin.
3. Pour into prepared pans and bake about 30-35 minutes; cake tester will have moist crumbs but sides of cake will be dry and pulled away from pan. Cool completely.
4. Whip together shortening, butter and salt until fluffy (high speed mixer). Slowly add sugar, whipping well between additions. Add extracts and whip until very light and fluffy.
5. Spread raspberry jam on one layer, top with second layer and frost cake top and sides. Top with fresh raspberries if desired.

cake, flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, oil, vinegar, vanilla, water, seedless raspberry, shortening, butter, salt, sugar, vanilla, almond, fresh raspberries

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/barbs-birthday-cake-1210961 (may not work)