This Chocolate Raspberry Cake is one of those desserts that feels a extra special, in the very best way! You have rich, moist chocolate cake layers that are stuffed with a bright, fresh raspberry filling, then frosted with a smooth chocolate buttercream. It has the perfect balance of deep chocolate and sweet, tart berries.
This cake gets everything right. One year my dad made a chocolate raspberry cake for my birthday, with a cake mix, but I had to dress up the cake a little to make it all from scratch for you guys, but keep the same great flavors.
It’s a cake that really impresses, because it looks like it came from a bakery, but is totally doable for any average home baker, with our simple steps and ingredients.
The chocolate cake layers are soft, rich, and stay moist. The raspberry filling is made with real raspberries, and adds a fresh, contrast that keeps the cake from feeling too heavy. All paired with the smooth chocolate buttercream, and rich chocolate ganache on top that really takes the cake over the top! I adapted this cake recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Why you should make this cake
- Perfect Flavor Combo: If you love chocolate and raspberries together, you will love this cake. The flavors balance each other so perfectly!
- So Impressive: This triple layer cake looks like it came from the bakery, but I promise its easy enough for you to make at home.
- Great for Special Occasions: Perfect for birthdays, holidays, or even a summer bbq with friends!
- The Best Crumb Texture: The cake crumb is fudgy, moist, and so soft!
Ingredients Needed
This is a quick overview of some of the ingredients you’ll need for this Chocolate Raspberry Cake Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- All Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the cake
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Gives the cake and buttercream frosting the best chocolate flavor
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake, and helps keep it moist
- Buttermilk: Keeps the cake extra moist, make a substitute by using 1 cup whole milk with 1 TBS white vinegar added.
- Hot Water: Deepens the chocolate flavor
- Unsalted Butter: always recommend using unsalted butter because different brands add different amounts of salt to their butter, so you can get the exact amount of salt you want. If you use salted butter I recommend leaving out the added salt called for in the frosting.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla extract makes every dessert better, you’ll use this in your cake, frosting, and raspberry sauce.
- Powdered Sugar: Also known as confectioners, it sweetens the buttercream frosting base
- Raspberries: You can use fresh or frozen raspberries
- Cornstarch: Mixed with a little water to make the perfect thickener for the raspberry sauce.
- Chocolate: Use high quality chocolate for the best flavor. Chopping up a chocolate bar will melt the smoothest and give you the best results.
How to make Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Step 1: Make the Raspberry Filling. Add the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a small sauce pan. In a small separate bowl whisk together the water and cornstarch, add it to the raspberry mixture. Simmer over medium for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens a bit. Stir in the vanilla extract, and set the filling aside to cool for a few hours.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. Set it aside.
Step 3: Make the Cake Batter. Whisk the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk them together. Add the hot water into the batter and mix on low until everything is combined.
Step 4: Bake the Cake Layers. Pour the cake batter into greased round cake pans, and bake until a toothpick can be inserted in the middle of the cake and comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake layers cool completely in the pan.
Step 5: Make the Chocolate Buttercream. Add the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt to a stand mixer and mix until smooth. Increase to high speed and mix for 1 minute.
Step 6: Frost the Cake. Place one round cake on a cake stand. Lightly cover the top with chocolate buttercream. Spoon additional buttercream into a bag and pipe and edge around the top of the cake. Spread the raspberry sauce onto the cake, inside the border. Repeat with second layer, then add the top layer. Frost the cake with remaining chocolate buttercream.
Step 7: Add Chocolate Ganache. If desired, chop up a chocolate bar and add it to a small bowl. Heat up heavy cream in another bowl and then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit a couple minutes to melt, then stir until it is smooth. Let it sit to cool for about 20 minutes, then spoon the ganache over the cake. Let the ganache set.
Step 8: Decorate. Add additional dollops of chocolate buttercream on top of cakes edges over the ganache. Top each with a fresh raspberry. Slice and enjoy, or chill to make cake easier to slice.
Tips and Tricks:
- Add Coffee: Use hot coffee instead of water in the chocolate cake to deepen the chocolate flavor. It won’t taste like coffee, I promise.
- DIY Buttermilk: Make a homemade buttermilk substitute by adding 1 Tablespoon of White Vinegar to a measuring cup, then fill it the rest of the way to the 1 cup measurement line.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Let the eggs, milk, butter and xx sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before adding them to the cake or frosting to make sure everything mixes easily and smoothly.
- For High Altitude: If you’re above 4,000 feet above sea level, you’ll add 2 extra TBS flour, take away 2 TBS of granulated sugar, lower the baking soda to 1 tsp and the baking powder to 3/4 tsp.
Storage Instructions
Cover the leftover cake and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cake can be served chilled, or you can let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before enjoying.
If you want to make the cake in advance you can make the separate components a day early and store the buttercream, and raspberry sauce in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
This Chocolate Raspberry Cake is the perfect combination of rich chocolate and a bright berry flavor. The cake is soft, and has the best fresh raspberry filling, creamy frosting, and even though it looks intimidating, I promise its a cake even you can make at home! It’s a great cake for celebrating something special!
More Cake Recipes
If you make this Chocolate Raspberry Cake Recipe please leave a comment and 🌟 rating letting me know what you think! If you post the photo on Instagram, please tag me – I’d love to see what you’re making!
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
For the Raspberry Sauce:
- 3 cup Fresh Raspberries
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 TBS Cornstarch
- 1 TBS Cold Water
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
For the Chocolate Cake:
- 1 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 Large Eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Hot Water
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
- 2 cups Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- 6 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp Salt
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 4 oz High Quality Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 8 Fresh Raspberries
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
For the Raspberry Sauce:
- Add the Raspberries, Sugar and Lemon Juice to a small sauce pan and heat over medium, stir the mixture, mashing the raspberries as they start to soften. 3 cup Fresh Raspberries, 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar, 1 TBS Fresh Lemon Juice
- Whisk the Cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl to make a slurry. 2 TBS Cornstarch, 1 TBS Cold Water
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the berries and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for about 6-7 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Stir in the Vanilla Extract 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Let the mixture cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to another bowl to cool completely.
For the Chocolate Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of three 8inch cake pans with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick spray. Set them aside.
- Add the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a large mixing bowl and combine. 1 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour , 2 cups Granulated Sugar, 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp Salt
- In another bowl add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract and whisk them together. 2 Large Eggs, 1 cup Buttermilk , 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together until well combined. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Slowly pour the hot water into the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Continue to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is mixed well. The batter will be very thin. 1 cup Hot Water
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out with a few moist crumbs. (Don't check the cake until at least 25 minutes, opening the oven will cause it to fall)
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- In a large bowl cream your butter until smooth. 2 cups Unsalted Butter
- Turn the mixer on low and add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, vanilla and salt . Beat until they're mixed. 6 cups Powdered Sugar, 1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 1/2 cup Heavy Cream, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract, 1/4 tsp Salt
- Raise the mixer to high speed, and beat until the frosting is nice and fluffy, for 1 to 2 minutes.
For Layering the Cake:
- Take one chocolate cake layer and place it on a cake stand, or other serving plate. Spread about 1/3 cup of chocolate buttercream frosting on top of the cake.
- Spoon 1/2 cup of the frosting into a ziplock bag and snip off the corner. Pipe a thick border of buttercream around the edge of the top of the frosted cake layer.
- Spread about half, or about 1/2 cup of the raspberry filing into the center of the chocolate buttercream border.
- Carefully place another cake layer on top, and repeat with more frosting, and more raspberry filling. Top with the last cake layer. Spread a crumb coat around the sides and top of the cake. Then cover again with enough frosting to cover the cake. Save 1.5 cups frosting for later. Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes.
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- Chop chocolate finely, the smaller the pieces the quicker the chocolate will melt. Add it into a medium sized, heat proof bowl, and set it aside. 4 oz High Quality Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar
- Add the heavy cream to a small sauce pan and heat it over medium until it begins to simmer. Do not let it boil. 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for about 3 minutes to warm and soften the chocolate. Use a silicone spatula to gently and slowly stir the chocolate until it is melted and totally smooth.
- Let the ganache sit for 20 minutes to cool, then spoon it over the top of the cake.
- Let the ganache sit for another 10-20 minutes. Then take additional buttercream and place it in a piping bag with a 1M Tip. Pipe small rosettes around the top of the cake for decoration.
- Place a fresh raspberry on each rosette, if desired.8 Fresh Raspberries
- Let the cake chill for at least 30 minutes, up to a few hours before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Add Coffee: Use hot coffee instead of water in the chocolate cake to deepen the chocolate flavor. It won’t taste like coffee, I promise.
- DIY Buttermilk: Make a homemade buttermilk substitute by adding 1 Tablespoon of White Vinegar to a measuring cup, then fill it the rest of the way to the 1 cup measurement line.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Let the eggs, milk, butter and xx sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before adding them to the cake or frosting to make sure everything mixes easily and smoothly.
- For High Altitude: If you’re above 4,000 feet above sea level, you’ll add 2 extra TBS flour, take away 2 TBS of granulated sugar, lower the baking soda to 1 tsp and the baking powder to 3/4 tsp.
- Storage Instructions: Cover the leftover cake and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cake can be served chilled, or you can let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before enjoying.
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