White Chocolate Raspberry Pecan Cake

Ingredients

4 ounces white baking chocolate, roughly chopped
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans
White Chocolate Frosting
4 ounces white baking chocolate, roughly chopped
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups Imperial Sugar Confectioners Powdered Sugar
2-4 tablespoons raspberry preserves
Pecans and fresh raspberries to decorate

*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, add milk and white chocolate and heat over medium flame until chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
In bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and sugar and beat with paddle attachment beat on low speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping sides of bowl with a spatula, if needed.
Beat in oil and cooled melted chocolate mixture.
Alternately add buttermilk with all-purpose flour and baking soda. Beat until just combined.
With a spatula, stir in pecans. Expect batter to be thin. Do not add any more flour!!!
Divide cake batter between two cake pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool completely in cake pans before inverting on wire racks.
To prepare frosting: Add white chocolate to a heatproof bowl placed on top of a saucepan with simmering water (make sure bowl does not touch water). Stir until chocolate is melted. Remove and let cool completely.
In bowl of a stand mixer, add cream cheese and butter and beat with paddle attachment on low speed until light and fluffy.
Stir in melted and cooled while chocolate followed by powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
Once all sugar is added, increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
Remove 1/3 of frosting and mix with raspberry preserves.
Spoon and spread raspberry white chocolate frosting over top of first layer.
Top with second cake layer.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
With a small spatula or back of a spoon, frost top and sides of entire cake with remaining white chocolate frosting.
Decorate cake with pecans and raspberries.