Raspberry Jam:

1. Mash the berries: Add raspberries and sugar to a small saucepan. Set on the stove over medium heat. As the berries start to cook and soften, mash them into the sugar to combine. 
2. Make a slurry: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make a slurry by whisking together cornstarch and water until smooth. 
3. Boil & thicken: Slowly pour the slurry into the raspberry mixture while whisking constantly. Allow to come to a boil and cook, whisking often, until mixture has thickened (about 1-1 ½ minutes). Once thickened, remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely cool. 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat oven and prep cake pans: Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Butter two 6” cake pans, line bottoms with parchment rounds, and dust sides with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess. 
2. Mix the dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well-combined, with no clumps.
3. Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate, liquid measuring cup, combine hot water, avocado oil, buttermilk, egg, vanilla extract, and white vinegar. Whisk together until smooth.
4. Combine & fill cake pans: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold in just until smoothly and evenly combined, with no streaks of flour or cocoa powder remaining. Divide batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. 
5. Bake the cakes: Bake cakes in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs. Cool cake in pans over a wire rack for about 30 minutes, and then remove from pans and set directly on the cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before assembling. Once cool, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes while softening the vanilla ice cream. 

Raspberry-Swirled Ice Cream:

1. Soften ice cream: Place ice cream in a bowl to soften for about 10-20 minutes. Once softened, use a whisk to smooth out any lumps.
2. Swirl in raspberry jam: Remove raspberry jam from the refrigerator and stir to loosen it up. Add to the ice cream in two parts, swirling in with a whisk or spoon. Be careful not to overwork and blend the jam in completely.

Assembling Cake:

1. Prep cake pan*: Cut two strips of parchment paper, at least 10” long and about 3” high. Wrap these around the circumference of a clean 6” cake pan to form a border that extends over the top of the pan. 
2. Assemble cake layers: Place one cake layer parchment-side down inside the cake pan, making sure to keep the parchment strips in place. Add the raspberry-swirled ice cream on top, using an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer that covers the cake layer completely. Finally, place the second cake layer on top, parchment side up. Wrap the pan and cake with foil and transfer to the freezer overnight (or for about 12 hours).
3. Remove cake from pan: Once frozen, use an offset spatula to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan, being careful not to scrape your cake pan in the process. Carefully flip cake out of pan onto a plate or cake round to decorate. Keep the cake in the freezer while prepping the ganache and whipped cream.

Chocolate Ganache:

1. Make the ganache: In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring glass, microwave cream for 20-30 seconds, or until just beginning to boil. Remove from heat and submerge chopped chocolate into the cream. Let sit for 5 minutes, and then whisk until chocolate has melted completely. If needed, microwave for another 5-10 seconds to get rid of any remaining solid pieces. If the ganache appears split or looks too thick to drizzle, add the milk and continue to whisk until smooth. Whisk in light corn syrup, if using.
2. Decorate: Use a spoon to drip ganache down the sides of the cake, and then use an offset spatula to spread the remaining ganache over the top surface of the cake in a smooth, even layer. 

Whipped Cream and Garnish:

1. Make the whipped cream: In a medium mixing bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat heavy whipping cream on medium-high speed until beginning to thicken. Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat just until stiff peaks form. 
2. Decorate: Transfer whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip**, and pipe dollops of whipped cream around the top of the cake. Garnish with fresh raspberries. Chill cake in freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving.