Description
This Chocolate Raspberry Cake is a decadent layered cake combining rich dark cocoa flavors with a tart and sweet raspberry filling. Moist and tender chocolate cake layers are balanced with luscious raspberry filling and a creamy chocolate raspberry frosting, perfect for celebrations or indulgent dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ¾ cup (75 g) dark cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ⅔ cup (155 ml) neutral cooking oil
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter melted
- 2 large eggs room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (236 ml) buttermilk room temperature preferred
- ½ cup (118 ml) very hot/boiling water or hot coffee
Raspberry Filling
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 cups (340 g) fresh or frozen raspberries
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice
Chocolate Raspberry Frosting
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup (65 g) natural cocoa powder
- ⅛ heaping teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup (94 g) raspberry filling from above
- 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream as needed
- Ganache drip for decorating optional
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line the bottoms of three 8” round cake pans with parchment paper and grease and flour the sides. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until fully combined.
- Add Fats: Add neutral cooking oil and melted unsalted butter to the dry ingredients. Stir until fully incorporated.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add eggs and vanilla extract to the mixture and stir until the batter is uniform and smooth.
- Incorporate Buttermilk: Gradually add the buttermilk while stirring continuously until combined.
- Add Hot Liquid: Slowly and carefully pour in the very hot boiling water or hot coffee. Stir continuously, scraping the bowl sides and bottom to fully incorporate all ingredients.
- Bake the Cake: Evenly divide the batter between the three prepared cake pans. Bake in oven at 350F (175C) for 25 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool Cakes: Let cakes cool in pans for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around edges and invert onto cooling racks. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
- Make Raspberry Filling: In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch until blended. Add raspberries, water, and lemon juice and stir.
- Cook Filling: Heat on medium stovetop heat, stirring constantly until berries release juices and mixture bubbles, about 5-10 minutes. Continue stirring and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 more minutes after bubbling.
- Cool Filling: Transfer filling to heatproof container and let cool to room temperature.
- Prepare Frosting: Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat softened butter in a large bowl until creamy and smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients to Frosting: Add half the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar while mixing.
- Incorporate Raspberry Filling: Add ⅓ cup of raspberry filling in spoonfuls while mixing until fully incorporated.
- Adjust Consistency: Add 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream gradually until frosting is smooth and pipeable. Transfer frosting to a piping bag with a large open tip.
- Assemble Cake: Once cake layers are cooled and leveled if needed, place one layer on serving platter. Spread a thin frosting layer on top and pipe a dam around edges.
- Add Raspberry Filling: Spread half of remaining raspberry filling inside the frosting dam.
- Repeat Layers: Add second cake layer and repeat frosting dam and filling process.
- Finish Cake: Add the last cake layer. Use remaining frosting to cover top and sides evenly. Optionally do a crumb coat and chill 15 minutes before final frosting layer. Add ganache drip if desired.
- Chill Before Serving: Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving for best results.
Notes
- The raspberry filling yields approximately 1 ⅔ cups before using some in the frosting.
- Store cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Use boiling water or hot coffee for deeper chocolate flavor in the cake.
- Allow all refrigerated ingredients like eggs and buttermilk to come to room temperature for better batter consistency.
- Parchment paper lining ensures easy removal of cake layers from pans.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 38 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
