Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Liberally grease two 8" round cake pans with vegetable shortening, and/or spray with baking spray.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pudding mix in a large mixing bowl. Add in eggs, water, and amaretto, beating just until smooth.Carefully add melted butter and vanilla to the batter, mixing on medium
• speed until smooth. Divide batter among prepared cake pans.
• Bake until golden and knife inserted into center of batter comes out clean and cake springs back - about 45-60 minutes. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before turning cakes out onto baking rack to cool fully. Ideally, allow to cool to room temperature, wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Allow cake to sit overnight

The next day:

Ganache

• Place chocolate chips into a glass mixing bowl, and put aside. In a small saucepan, combine heavy whipping cream, Chambord, butter, and sugar. Heat to a boil, remove from heat. Pour hot cream mixture into bowl of chocolate chips. Let sit for 3-5 minutes. Starting in the middle of the bowl, slowly start stirring the chocolate and cream until all of the chocolate is melted and the cream has disappeared into it – it should be smooth.
• Cover with plastic wrap, allow to cool to almost room temperature.

Frosting

• Prepare batch of Swiss meringue buttercream, flavoring with mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract, and Chambord. Once liquids are fully incorporated into the frosting, add raspberries and continue to beat until broken up and well blended.

Assembly

• Remove plastic wrap from cake layers. Carefully slice the domed top off each round, leveling the surface of the cake. Carefully cut each cake in half, horizontally, for 4 thin rounds of cake in all.
• To assemble cake layers, spread each cake layer with warm ganache*, then spread generously with raspberry mascarpone buttercream. Once final layer is placed, smooth any frosting that may have bulged from between cake layers.
• Chill for 30 minutes before frosting sides and top of cake with remaining buttercream. Serve at room temperature.