This chocolate raspberry cake is made of deliciously soft and moist chocolate cake layers, then filled with an easy homemade raspberry jam and chocolate ganache. Topped with fresh raspberries this chocolate raspberry cake is a dream!
Chocolate cake has been and always will be a staple in my family. We love our cake. You just can't beat it. Are you an ice cream with cake kinda person? We are. Vanilla bean ice cream with this rich chocolate raspberry cake is heaven on earth. I experienced it multiple times 😉
When I was younger I was often intimated by a layer cake, they can be time-consuming but if you plan it out and make the cake in steps it can be quite easy. You could definitely make this cake the day or two before you want to serve it. Or you could break it up. I do this too when I make my Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake.
The actual cakes can be baked and made weeks in advance, just store them tightly wrapped in the freezer, see the recipe card below for exact instructions.
The raspberry jam can also be prepped ahead of time, a few days. The ganache is best prepared the day you want to frost the cake.
Let's get to the recipe.
What are the ingredients
For the chocolate cake layers you'll need:
- Granulated Sugar and Light Brown Sugar
- All-Purpose/ Plain Flour
- Dutch Process Cocoa Powder ( I use Bensdorp Dutch Cocoa Powder)
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder
- Salt
- Large Eggs, at room temperature (to get eggs at room temperature fast I put them in a bowl with warm water for 5 minutes)
- Pure Vanilla Extract- I think vanilla always pairs perfectly with chocolate
- Vegetable Oil
- Sour Cream
- Whole Milk or Buttermilk
- Hot Coffee- you do not taste a coffee flavor AT ALL. Coffee just enhances the chocolate notes.
You could definitely use store-bought raspberry jam, I just wanted to make my own raspberry jam filling. It is simple to make
- Frozen or Fresh Raspberries
- Granulated Sugar
- Zest and Juice of a lemon
- Cornstarch/ Corn Flour
To frost this cake I used a simple chocolate ganache frosting. I added a little butter for a beautiful shine.
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Finely Chopped Good Quality Chocolate ( I use Callebaut Chocolate Callets)
- Unsalted Butter
Totally optional but I love to put fresh raspberries on top of the cake, not only looks pretty but also lets people know what flavor the cake is. If you love raspberry in desserts you have to try my almond raspberry shortbread bars, lemon raspberry cheesecake and peach raspberry galette.
Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different from what someone else scoops!
How do you make a raspberry chocolate cake
First things first we need a properly heated oven so go ahead and preheat your oven to 350F/180C and grease three 9 inch round pans. These are my favorite cake pans.
It is crucial to sift the cocoa powder, it can be very lumpy.
In a large bowl sift together the sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix to combine. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer or large bowl with a whisk combine the eggs, vanilla, oil, sour cream, and milk mix until fully combined.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix until just fully incorporated. Now you'll need a cup of coffee, I just add 1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules to a cup and add 8oz of boiled water.
Add in the hot coffee, the mixture will be very thin.
Pour the chocolate cake batter evenly into prepared pans. If want to be precise you can place a cake pan on the scale, zero it out, add what you think is a third of the batter, see what that measures up to and do the same for the second and third pan and adjust accordingly.
Bake the chocolate cake layers for 19-24 minutes or until if you gently press the center of the cake it lightly bounces back or a toothpick inserted comes out clean/ only moist crumbs, no wet batter.
Set the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cakes are cooking prepare the raspberry filling, then the raspberry filling can chill and set up during the baking time and cooling times of the cake.
How do you make raspberry jam
Making this homemade raspberry jam is so easy but feel free to use store-bought as well.
To make the jam add the raspberries and granulated sugar to a medium pot. Cook over low to medium heat for 5-7 minutes, once the mixture starts to get hot and a slight boil use a potato masher to mash the berries down.
In a small bowl mix together the corn starch, lemon zest, and lemon juice to create a slurry with no lumps. You could just use water instead of lemon juice, but I find lemon always brightens the flavors.
Add the slurry to the raspberry sauce and cook over low to medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, the mixture should thicken up, keep in mind it will thicken more as it cools.
Once the raspberry jam is cooked transfer to a heatproof bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes before storing in the fridge to set up.
How do you make chocolate ganache?
In a medium saucepan heat the heavy cream, you don't want to boil it though. While the cream is heating, place the finely chopped chocolate in a large bowl. When the cream has warmed pour on top of the chopped chocolate, stir once to make sure all chocolate is covered then let it sit for 5 minutes.
Whisk the chocolate cream mixture until completely combined. When the mixture is almost completely combined add the softened butter. Whisk until fully combined. Store ganache in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before assembling the cake.
How do you assemble a chocolate raspberry cake?
You made it! Lots of steps but totally worth it, I promise!
Place one layer of the chocolate cake on a cake plate/serving dish then drizzle 3 tablespoon of the chocolate ganache and use an offset spatula/ palette knife to evenly spread. Place ½ of the raspberry jam on top and spread into an even layer, if desired spread another thin layer of ganache on top of the jam.
Repeat one more time then place the final cake layer upside down on top, this helps create a flatter, evener top. At this point I place the cake in the freezer to set up for 30 minutes, I also whisk the ganache and place it in the freezer for 15 then rewhisk and place in the fridge. This helps thicken the ganache which will make it easier to frost the outside of the cake.
When you are ready to frost the cake use a large cake spatula to place ganache on the sides in chunks then spread it all together, you end up with lots of excess frosting to pull of, but it helps prevent crumbs getting in the frosting. Then I use an offset spatula to spread the ganache on the top of the cake. Top cake with fresh raspberries. Store leftovers in the fridge. The cake is good for up to 5 days.
Another chocolate cake I adore is my flourless chocolate cake recipe.
Can you make a chocolate raspberry cake ahead of time?
Definitely, you can assemble the cake the day before you want to serve it, store the cake in the fridge, and pull it out 1-2 hours before you want to serve it. This helps the ganache soften up again
You could also prep the cake layers up to a week ahead of time and the jam up to 2 days.
Another chocolate cake I like to make when I want to make it in advance is this Better Than Sex Cake Recipe. Or my cherry chocolate lava cake recipe.
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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PrintRecipe Card
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
This chocolate raspberry cake is made of deliciously soft and moist chocolate cake layers, then filled with an easy homemade raspberry jam and chocolate ganache. Topped with fresh raspberries this chocolate raspberry cake is a dream!
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 Slices 1x
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 300 grams ( 1 ½ Cups) Granulated Sugar
- 100 grams (½ Cup) Light Brown Sugar
- 250 grams (2 Cups) All-Purpose/ Plain Flour
- 90 grams (¾ Cup) Dutch Process Cocao Powder ( I use Bensdorp Dutch Cocoa Powder)
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 3 Large Eggs, at room temperature
- 2 ½ Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 4oz (½ Cup) Vegetable Oil
- 4oz (½ Cup) Sour Cream
- 4oz (½ Cup) Whole Milk or Buttermilk
- 80z (1 Cup) Hot Coffee*
Raspberry Jam Filling
- 12oz Frozen or Fresh Raspberries
- 50 grams (¼ Cup) Granulated Sugar
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Cornstarch/ Corn Flour
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- 12oz (1 ½ Cups) Heavy Whipping Cream
- 12oz Chopped Good Quality Chocolate ( I use Callebaut Chocolate Callets)
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Assembly
- 4oz Fresh Raspberries
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease three 9 inch round pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl sift together the sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Mix to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer or large bowl with a whisk combine the eggs, vanilla, oil, sour cream, and milk mix until fully combined. Slowly add in dry ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated. Add in hot coffee, the mixture will be very thin. Pour evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake for 19-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean/ only moist crumbs, no wet batter. Set cakes on a wire rack to cool completely. While cakes are cooking prepare raspberry filling.
Raspberry Jam Filling
- In a medium pot add the raspberries and granulated sugar. Cook over low to medium heat for 5-7 minutes, once a mixture starts to get hot and a slight boil use a potato masher to mash the berries down.
- In a small bowl mix together the corn starch, lemon zest, and lemon juice to create a slurry with no lumps. Add the slurry to the raspberry sauce and cook over low to medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, the mixture should thicken up, keep in mind it will thicken more as it cools. Once cooked transfer to a heat proof bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes before stroing in the fridge to set up.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- In a medium saucepan heat the heavy cream. While cream is heating, place the finely chopped chocolate in a large bowl. When cream has warmed pour on top of chopped chocolate, stir once to make sure all chocolate is covered then let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Whisk chocolate cream mixture until completely combined. When the mixture is almost completely combined add the softened butter. Whisk until fully combined. Store ganache in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before assembling the cake.
Assembly
- Place one layer of the chocolate ake on a cake plate/serving dish then drizzle 3 tablespoon of the chocolate ganache and use an offset spatula/ palette knife to evenly spread. Place ½ of the raspberry jam on top and spread into an even layer, if desired spread another thin layer of ganache on top of jam.
- Repeat one more time then place the final cake layer upside down on top, this helps create a flatter, more even top. At this point I place the cake in the freezer to set up for 30 minutes, I also whisk the ganache and place it it in the freezer for 15 then rewhisk and place in the fridge. This helps thicken the ganache which will make it easier to frost the outside of the cake.
- When ready to frost the cake I use a large cake spatula to place ganache on the sides in chunks then spread it all together, you end up with lots of excess frosting to pull of, but it helps prevent crumbs getting in the frosting. Then I use an offset spatula to spread the ganache on the top of the cake. Top cake with fresh raspberries. Store leftovers in the fridge. Cake is good for up to 5 days.
Notes
*I put 1 Tablespoons of Instant Coffee and pour hout water on top, stir and let it sit for a minute)
- Cake layers can be made in advance, once cooled completely wrap tightly in plastic wrap twice then wrap in foil once and store in the freezer. Let thaw at room temperature for two hours when ready to assemble the cake.
- Rapsberry jam can be made up to 2 days in advance, store in the refigerator.
- Prep Time: 40
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ann says
This is truly a magical combination of chocolate and raspberries ... I still have raspberries in my garden and now I'm going to please my family with this cake. It looks so delicious! By the way, most often I cook just chocolate cakes, I usually make cakes according to the same recipe, but now I am ready to try something new, because I trust you :))) And I will also experiment with cream, because I usually do custard or cream cheese for cakes, these ones are my favorite. Several times I cooked ganache, but it did not always turn out the desired consistency. Thank you for the good idea, keep it up!
Karen says
I love fruit in chocolate cake and this one sure as hell did not disappoint.
Bea Mendoza says
The cake is very good. However, it is way too big and all my baking pans stuck so I had a hard time flipping the cakes and assembling the cake.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Bea, I am so sorry you had a hard time with the cakes coming out, I like to use Bakers Joy non-stick spray that is made with flour, it releases my cakes with no problem. I also find using a good pan is key, I like the brand Fat Daddios you can find them on Amazon. Thanks for coming back to review the recipe, I really appreciate it. Take care during these trying times.XX Liz
ANN GENEVI LOMBOS says
Hi, my daughter is turning 7 on May24; she requested for a Chocolate Raspberry Cake and so I shall attempt to create one based on your recipe.
My question is: by how much should I cut back on cake recipe if i only have 2 9in round pans?
Thanks in advance for your help. Wish me luck!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Ann, thanks for reaching out. I would try this, let me know if you have any further questions!! XX Liz
Cake
* 300 Grams (1 1/2 Cups) Granulated Sugar/ Caster Sugar
* 100 Grams (1/2 Cup) Brown Sugar
* 250 Grams (2 Cups) All-Purpose/ Plain Flour
* 90 Grams (3/4 Cup) Dutch Process Cocoa Powder ( I use Bensdorp Dutch Cocoa Powder)
* 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
* 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
* 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
* 3 Large Eggs, at room temperature
* 2 1/2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
* 4oz (1/2 Cup) Vegetable Oil
* 4oz (1/2 Cup) Sour Cream
* 4oz (1/2 Cup) Whole Milk or Buttermilk
* 8oz (1 Cup) Hot Coffee*
Raspberry Jam Filling
* 8oz Frozen or Fresh Raspberries
* 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
* Zest of 1 Lemon
* 2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
* 1 Tablespoons Cornstarch/ Corn Flour
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
* 8oz (1 1/2 Cups) Heavy Whipping Cream
* 8oz Chopped Good Quality Chocolate ( I use Callebaut Chocolate Callets)
* 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Assembly
* 4oz Fresh Raspberries
Meg says
Can we make a single cake and cut out the layers? I only have one cake pan. Do you recommend tweaking the recipe?
Renée says
This has become a traditional staple Birthday cake in our family. It is, hands down, a crowd pleasing favorite! The ganache is perfectly sweet, much more favorable than the conventional powdered sugar & cocoa frosting, in my opinion. The raspberries add a lovely balance, along with the homemade preserves. You can NOT go wrong with this cake!! Very grateful to have found this delicious recipe with thorough instructions. ♡
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for the lovely review Renee, I appreciate your feedback so much! It makes me so happy to hear your whole family loves it!! Thank you again. XX Liz
Mary says
Holy cow! This cake was perfect! The recipe was easy to follow (thank you for the extra details) and everything turned out amazing. I made this for my boyfriends birthday and he loved it. It isn’t too sweet of a chocolate cake and the raspberry jam/ganache were excellent! All my friends want me to make it for their birthdays. I looked like a true baker with this cake. I made the raspberry jam and cake layers in advanced and it turned out great. Thank you, thank you!!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Mary, you legit made my day! Thank you so much for coming back to leave this review. I spend a lot of time taking all of the process shots and writing all the tips and tricks, so hearing it helped you is so awesome!! Take care!! XX Liz
Gabriel M says
Can you make this without coffee? What could I use as a substitute?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Gabriel, thanks for reaching out! You can totally make it without coffee, I would use warm/ hot water instead. The coffee just enhances and deepens the chocolate flavor but you should still achieve a strong chocolate flavor without it. Let me know if you have any further questions or if you make the recipe, I would love to know what you think. XX Liz
Annie says
Easy recipe and tastes great! I would use grams instead of cup measurements. I shared some with my neighbor and she thought it was from a professional bakery!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Annie, thank you so much for coming back to review the recipe, I truly appreciate it more than you know!! What a lovely compliment that they thought your cake was from a bakery!! That's as good as it gets, so happy I could be apart of that! Take care. XX Liz
farah says
Hi. i’d love to try this recipe. If i want to bake in 2 5” round pan, what would u suggest for the recipe and the baking time? Thank you.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Farah, I would personally cut the recipe directly in half, you may end up with a little bit extra cake batter depending on how deep your cake tins are. In that case, I would either bake a few cupcakes or discard so that the cakes aren't overfilled and bake over the tin. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you try the recipe I would love to know what you think! xX Liz
Gina says
I am going to make this, as I love chocolate and raspberries, but if making the raspberry sauce fresh, how do you remove the seeds, and if using store bought jam, how do you get it to desired consistency? Please respond quickly!!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Gina, thanks for reaching out! I personally leave the seeds in the jam you could push it through a sieve to remove the seeds, I do a similar process for the raspberry coulis recipe that I make for desserts, check that post out for step-by-step photos. Also, you could use store-bought I would take the jam out of the jar and whisk it together for a minute or two to break it up, if it is really jelly-like and not very spreadable add 1 teaspoon of hot water at a time to thin it out. Please let me know if you have any further questions and what you think of the cake. Feel free to also DM me on Instagram as I can respond quickly and we can share photos easier to troubleshoot if necessary! Look forward to hearing how you like it! XX Liz
Asha Sanchez says
I made this cake and it was absolutely loved by all. Was curious - any suggestions for substituting the egg? I have to make it for an occasion where I have to omit the egg and wasn’t sure the best substitution for this recipe.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Asha, thank you so much for coming back! I have personally never made it without eggs, you could try using mashed banana or apple sauce! 1 egg is roughly 2oz/4 tablespoons) so use 2oz/(1/4 Cup) of apple sauce or 1/2 a medium banana mashed. Please let me know if you have any other questions and report back if you try! Also- may I ask a huge favor would you be so kind to leave a star rating with your review next time, the stars are what google picks up on and really helps my small business. I would be so grateful! Thank you XX Liz
Karen @confessionsofthebrunettefoodie says
This cake is quite the centerpiece of any celebration. I made it for my son’s 22nd birthday and it was Botha a show stopper and delectable. It made my daughter and I feel like we were in the British Baking Show. All the layers combined, the raspberry jam, the ganache, the coffee intensifies the chocolate cake. It’s a chocolate lovers cake and will be our celebration cake for years to come. Would love to have a book with all these recipes.
Karen says
This cake is quite the centerpiece of any celebration. I made it for my son’s 22nd birthday and it was Botha a show stopper and delectable. It made my daughter and I feel like we were in the British Baking Show. All the layers combined, the raspberry jam, the ganache, the coffee intensifies the chocolate cake. It’s a chocolate lovers cake and will be our celebration cake for years to come. Would love to have a book with all these recipes. @confessionsofthebrunettefoodie
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Karen, thank you for the kind words!!! So, so pleased you all enjoyed it for such a special day! One day I hope to have a book to share with you! Take care XX Liz
Georgia says
I'm planning on making this recipe but I only have one cake tin, do you think it would cause any problems making the whole batch of batter but then letting it sit as I bake each layer individually?
Considering making 3 small batches but that seems like a lot of admin!
Or perhaps just make as one large cake and cute in half/ thirds...any thoughts?
Looks amazing! Thank you 🙂
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Georgia, thanks for reaching out. While not ideal to let the cake batter sit, you should be okay to do that- your cakes might not rise as much so might be a tad denser. You might even do one cake layer then if your cake pan is tall enough you could bake two cake layers together for the second bake then slice that second larger cake in half. But if you are worried your cake pan is not deep enough then I would just bake all three seperatley. You can always message me on Instagram too for quicker help! If your kitchen is very warm then I would keep the cake batter in the fridge while the other cakes are baking. Goodluck and please do let me know how they turn out! XX Liz
shakithia says
This is one of the best recipe that I love. It is a staple recipe for most of my family birthdays. I would love to know how I can change this into a vanilla cake by excluding the coco. Could you please share how I can reduce the ingredients.
Thank you
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi there I would use my yellow cake recipe instead- here is the link https://confessionsofabakingqueen.com/yellow-cake/ Please let me know if you try it or if you have any other recipes!!
carole colsen says
is this cake sturdy enough for a 2 tier wedding cake can i use raspberry chocolate filling using buttercream frosting instead thank you
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Carole, I have used this cake as a double stack for two tier yes and a buttercream sounds great! Goodluck please report back if you try the recipe! XX Liz