Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and line 3 8” cake pans with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, oil, and sugar. Beat the ingredients together for two minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and light in color. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, or you can just use a hand mixer.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing one egg completely until incorporated before adding the next one.

You can finish by folding with a spatula, to avoid over mixing the batter.

Remove the cake from the oven. After 10 minutes, flip the cake onto a cooling rack or plate. Let the cake cool down completely. If you aren’t assembling the cake on the same day, wrap the completely cooled down cake in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer.

Combine the raspberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally as the berries begin to release their juices, then gently mash them with a spoon or potato masher. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the berries have completely broken down and the sugar has dissolved.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth and free of lumps. Slowly pour the slurry into the simmering raspberry mixture while stirring constantly. Continue cooking for a few minutes, stirring continuously, until the jam thickens and turns glossy.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the hot jam through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to remove the seeds. Use a spatula to press the jam through the strainer, and be sure to scrape the bottom of the sieve often to collect the thick jam that clings there so you don’t lose any of it. Discard the seeds, then let the strained jam cool before using; it will continue to thicken as it cools.

The sugar syrup is optional but does help the cake stay moist with the perfect consistency.

To make the sugar syrup, combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 100 grams water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves completely. Once the syrup looks clear, remove it from the heat and let it cool before using. The syrup should be completely cool when brushing onto the cakes.

Beat the room-temperature butter and cream cheese together until smooth, creamy, and completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed so there are no lumps. Add half of the powdered sugar, mix on low until combined. Add the raspberry jam and mix until evenly incorporated and the color is uniform.

Add the remaining powdered sugar, but reserve a cup to add only to adjust the consistency of the frosting. Mix on low speed until incorporated, then increase the speed briefly to make the frosting light and fluffy. Check the texture at this point; if you want a thicker or more stable frosting, add the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing well after each addition until the desired consistency is reached. Continue beating for another minute until smooth and fluffy, then use immediately or store chilled until ready to decorate.

To assemble the cake, start by leveling the cooled cake layers if needed. Place the first cake layer on a cake board or serving plate and lightly brush the surface with the cooled sugar syrup to keep the cake moist and tender.

Spread a layer of raspberry frosting on the bottom of the cake. Transfer some of the raspberry frosting to a piping bag and pipe a ring of frosting around the outer edge of the cake layer to create a border.

Spread a layer of raspberry jam inside the frosting ring.

Place the second cake layer on top and repeat the process: brush with sugar syrup, spread the frosting on top, pipe a frosting border around the edge, and fill the center with raspberry jam. Add the final cake layer, brush it lightly with syrup, and apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake to create a crumb coat. Chill the cake for about 15–20 minutes to set the frosting, then finish with a final layer of raspberry frosting, smoothing the sides and top as desired. I like to use a bench scraper to scrape the sides of the cake as I spin the turntable around.

I like to smooth the top of the cake with an offset spatula held at about a 30-degree angle, gently dragging it toward the center as you lightly graze the surface to create a smooth finish.

Pipe the remaining frosting on top of the cake. I used a tip 2D. Then decorate with fresh raspberries.