Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) Headshot By Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes)
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I dreamed up my chocolate raspberry cake recipe when I first started the website, and it has been a go-to for me whenever I want to make something special. It uses my #1 go-to chocolate cake recipe. It’s the one I’ve turned to time and time again when I want to impress, celebrate, or simply indulge. I pair it with a sweet and tart raspberry buttercream and a delish chocolate ganache. One bite just ain’t enough. Get at it.

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side angle of the inside of a three layer chocolate raspberry cake

How to make a Raspberry Chocolate Cake

How To Make The Chocolate Cake

  1. Add eggs and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat.
  2. Add cocoa powder, instant coffee powder, and salt to hot water. Add to eggs and sugar.
  3. Next add flour, baking soda, and baking powder then add vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract to the mixer and beat until just combined.
  4. Evenly add cake batter to all three pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4 image collage showing how to make a chocolate cake batter

Make The Chocolate Ganache

  1. Heat heavy cream in a small saute’ pan until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and add in chocolate.
  2. Next, whisk together cream and chocolate until nice and smooth. Whisk in corn syrup and vanilla extract.
two image collage showing how to make chocolate ganache

Make the Buttercream

  1. Beat butter and jam together using an electric mixer set on medium speed until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.
raspberry buttercream made with raspberry jam

Frost the Cake

  1. Spread filling between 3 cake layers.
  2. Ice the rest of the cake with the remaining buttercream and refrigerate.

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how to frost a raspberry chocolate cake

Finish Off The Cake

  • Remove the cake from the refrigerator and pour warm ganache over the middle of the top of the cake and allow it to drip down the sides. Let the ganache set for about 30 minutes before serving. And if you would like, garnish with fresh raspberries.
side angle of the inside of a three layer chocolate raspberry cake

Raspberry Chocolate Cake Recipe

This Raspberry Chocolate Cake is life changing. It is a dark chocolate cake with raspberry buttercream that you will keep making over and over.
4.82 from 11 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams
Course: Dessert
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk

For the Raspberry Buttercream:

  • 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups raspberry jam strained and seeds discarded
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

For the Chocolate Ganache:

  • 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup light corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Fresh raspberries for garnish

Instructions

For the Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 3 9 inch round pans with non-stick baking spray.
  • Add eggs and sugar to bowl of your stand mixer and beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes.
  • While mixture beats, add cocoa powder, instant coffee powder and salt to hot water. Add to eggs and sugar.
  • Next slow down mixer and add flour, baking soda, and baking powder then add vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract to the mixer and beat until just combined. Batter will be sort of thin but this is normal.
  • Evenly add cake batter to all three pans and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.

For the Buttercream:

  • Beat butter and jam together using an electric mixer set on medium speed until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth. Spread filling between 3 cake layers.
  • Ice the rest of the cake with remaining buttercream and refrigerate for 20–25 minutes.

For the Ganache:

  • Heat heavy cream in a small saute’ pan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and add in chocolate. Allow to sit for 2 minutes.
  • Next whisk together cream and chocolate until nice and smooth.
  • Whisk in in corn syrup and vanilla extract.
  • Remove cake from refrigerator and pour warm ganache over the middle of the top of the cake and allow to drip down the sides.
  • Let the ganache set for about 30 minutes before serving. And if you would like, garnish with fresh raspberries.

Notes

How to Store

Just cover it well with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out and place in the fridge. If you don’t add the fresh raspberries on top, you can store it at room temperature for 2-3 days.

How Long Will It Last?

When properly stored, the cake can last up to 5 days in the fridge. Remember to keep it well-covered.

Can I Freeze it?

Absolutely! If you’d like to make the cake in advance or save leftovers for later, this cake freezes well. Just ensure it’s cooled completely, then wrap the cake (or pieces of it) tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. When you want to serve again, thaw overnight in the fridge and then bring it to room temperature before serving. 

Nutrition

Calories: 1553kcal | Carbohydrates: 190g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 88g | Saturated Fat: 41g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 189mg | Sodium: 565mg | Potassium: 348mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 141g | Vitamin A: 1761IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 4mg
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Recipe Tips

  1. Quality of Ingredients: This cake is all about quality. I use quality chocolate and jam to make a difference in the flavor in the end.
  2. Use Room Temperature Eggs: Cold eggs can harden the fat and make the batter lumpy.
  3. Sift Dry Ingredients: Always sift your flour and cocoa powder to get rid of any lumps so the cake texture is smooth.
  4. Cool Cake Completely: If the cake is even slightly warm, it will melt the buttercream.
  5. Don’t Overmix the Batter: Once the flour is added, be sure to mix just until it’s combined so it won’t end up dense.
raspberry chocolate cake with fresh raspberries on top and a pink buttercream

Recipe Help

Can I use fresh raspberries in the buttercream?

I honestly don’t recommend. Raspberries naturally hold a lot of moisture and the excess moisture can cause the buttercream to become too thin and spoil faster. Using the jam will extend the shelf life and make it taste super fruity.

What if I don’t have buttermilk?

If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own. Add one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of regular milk and let it sit for about 10 minutes. It will slightly curdle, creating a good buttermilk substitute.

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Filed Under:  Cake, Dessert and Baking, Oven, Valentine's Day

Comments

  1. Hi there! I am anxious to try this cake this weekend for my moms birthday. I do have a quick question though. When you strain the raspberry jelly, are you essentially left with raspberry juice? And if so, we want to use 1.5 cups of the juice left over from the straining? Just want to make sure before I start. Thanks in advance!

    Reply

    1. Hi Britney! This is so exciting. You can also just make sure that you use seedless raspberry jam and you won’t have to strain to remove the seeds.

    3. Hi Cathy, thanks so much for checking this out. In the original recipe which I adapted, it called for one cup however I doubled the frosting recipe because I made a three layer cake and wanted to also add a crumb layer to get a very smooth frosting. I would suggest at least increasing the recipe by a 1/2 if not completely doubling it just to make sure you have enough frosting for all three layers and a crumb coat for a nice gorgeous finish!

  2. Hi Jocelyn, I just wanted to say your cakes look amazing. I am just getting into baking for the first time and your website has some lovely recipies. I would like to have a go at making this chocolate and rasberry cake but I just wanted to ask would the ganache still be ok without the corn syrup? I am from the UK and I don’t think I can get it here? Thanks.

    Reply

    1. Hi Willow, thank you so much for your super sweet and kind words. I think you could definitely give it a go without the corn syrup. Please let me know how it turns out for you!

    2. Hi Jocelyn, just to say I made this cake for a family party at the weekend and everybody really loved it! It is the prettiest cake I have ever made and it was lovely and moist. Thanks very much for the recipie, I will definately be saving it for the next special occasion.

    3. Hooray!!! I am so happy to hear that Willow!!! I bet your cake was simply stunning!

  3. Hi! If I wanted to make it only a 2 layer cake (seeing as I only have 2 round cake pans) how would you go about alterting the ingredients? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi there, the best way to alter the ingredients is to divide the cake recipe into 3rds. You only want to make 2/3s instead of the full recipe or 3/3 so for instance I would cut the flour to 2 cups instead of 3 and 1 cup of cocoa instead of 1 1/2.

  5. Amazing looking cake! Chocolate and raspberry are always my favorite combo. Sounds like a perfect birthday cake for myself. 😀

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much, it is definitely one of my fave combos too!! This is perfect for a birthday cake indeed.

  8. Holy Gorgeous Cake!!! This is stunning, Jocelyn!!! All of your Valentine’s posts have been amazing. Happy Valentine’s Day! xox

    Reply
4.82 from 11 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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