This unbelievably gorgeous Chocolate Raspberry Cake features a rich and moist chocolate cake and a tangy, raspberry buttercream frosting! Decadent and delicious, this amazing cake is a total showstopper and is perfect for holiday celebrations, parties and special occasions. Top with fresh raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar for a bakery-worthy finish!
Looking for more raspberry flavored desserts? Try our Raspberry Vanilla Cupcakes, Raspberry Fudge Brownie Hearts and this Lemon Raspberry Trifle!
Chocolate Raspberry Cake Recipe
This cake is beyond delicious, but gosh, I’m in love with the way it looks! I love how dramatic and beautiful it is, but it’s really quite simple to create. Just start with my incredibly moist and flavorful chocolate cake recipe and then add layers of silky raspberry buttercream. Top this cake with fresh raspberries for a fruity flavor that’ll burst in your mouth with every bite!
This cake is one of my favorites to make for special occasions because the presentation is so stunning. The “naked” look is so beautiful and really highlights the three layers of this cake.
The buttercream frosting really takes this cake to the next level! Instead of only using butter, this recipe calls for a mixture of butter and cream cheese to add a tanginess and creaminess to the frosting that is extra yummy. Not a fan of cream cheese? Feel free to replace it with an equal amount of butter.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Decadent chocolate + fruity raspberry flavor. The chocolate cake is rich with cocoa flavor and the raspberry frosting is bursting with fresh fruity goodness!
- Make it for any occasion! The color scheme means this cake is great for an anniversary or Valentine’s Day, but you can make this cake for any occasion. Chocolate and raspberry is always a welcome flavor combination.
- Easy way to make a big impact. This is one of those recipes that looks extremely elegant and like you slaved away for days to create such a masterpiece, but thankfully it’s pretty easy!
How to Make Chocolate Raspberry Cake
This stunning cake is the best way to make a big impact at your next celebration. The rich and moist chocolate cake is slathered with creamy raspberry frosting that coats each chocolatey bite with fruity flavor. Top your cake with more raspberries and just wait for everyone to ask for another slice!
This cake only has two components so it’s actually pretty simple! Below I’ll break down how to make both the cake and the frosting, but as always, scroll to the end of this post for the complete, printable recipe.
Chocolate Cake
- Grease and flour baking pans and set aside.
- Mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder(s), baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Beat in the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla on medium speed for about two minutes.
- Pour batter evenly into pans and bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
- Beat butter until smooth.
- Add cream cheese and beat until fully combined and smooth.
- Mix in one cup of powdered sugar followed by one tablespoon of raspberry jam.
- Add vanilla extract and salt.
- Mix in another cup of powdered sugar, and one tablespoon of jam and finally add remaining powdered sugar and jam.
- Slowly add one tablespoon of milk or cream and beat for another 20 seconds or so.
Assemble
- Spread the frosting onto the cake layers using an offset spatula, or pipe the frosting onto the cake layers using a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
- Top with fresh raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
Want a more vibrantly colored frosting? Add a drop of two of red or pink food coloring to the frosting and beat in until your desired color is achieved.
Storage
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The frosting is made with both butter and cream cheese so it’ll need to be refrigerated.
- The cake layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap (or similar) and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before frosting and decorating.
- Make the cake in advance and either refrigerate or freeze.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do chocolate and raspberry go together?
There’s just something about the fruit tart flavor of the raspberry and the rich decadence of chocolate that we love! They balance each other out and create a beautiful experience on our taste buds. Why do chocolate and raspberry go together?
Can I add raspberries to the chocolate cake batter?
Yes, if you’d like to add more raspberry flavor – go right ahead! I would suggest tossing them in some flour so they don’t sink to the bottom of the batter though.
Can I use a boxed cake mix?
I’m always in support of making your life easier. If you don’t have the time to make a chocolate cake from scratch, absolutely make a boxed cake. Then you can get fun and fancy with your frosting and decorating!
How far in advance can I make the cake and frosting?
The cake can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept tightly wrapped until ready to assemble. The frosting can also be made up to 3 days in advance, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The frosting will need to be left at room temperature for a bit before assembling the cake.
What other size cakes can I make with this recipe?
This recipe can be made in a 13 x 9 baking dish or two 8-inch or 9-inch pans instead of the three layered cake made with 6 inch pans if you prefer.
Variations To Try
You can enjoy this cake exactly as it is and enjoy every single bite, but you can also get creative with it! Here are some ideas to get you started making your own version of this delightful confection!
- For extra texture and flavor variation, add a layer of raspberry jam/compote between the cake and frosting layers. Or just add some on top!
- Get fancy and make some chocolate ganache to layer with the raspberry frosting. A little more chocolate never hurt anybody!
- Add some fun toppings! Decorate with sprinkles, powdered sugar, chocolate drizzle or even some candied orange peel. How delicious would it be if you make this a chocolate and blood orange cake with those peels and slices of orange on top!?
Trish’s Tips
- This is enough frosting to generously frost the cake between the layers, as shown. If you want to also frost the outside of the cake, double the amount of frosting.
- If necessary, take a serrated knife to level off the cake and make your layers more level.
- The chocolate cake calls for strong black coffee. A hint of coffee or espresso will make your cake taste even more chocolatey than you thought possible, so don’t omit this ingredient. If you can’t drink coffee, replace with milk or water.
- The frosting is full of raspberry flavor, but you can add pink food dye to make it look more vibrant if you’d like. This is completely optional.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting. If you try to frost the cake before the cake has completely cooled, it’ll be melting and slipping all over the place!
More Cake Recipes To Try
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400 grams
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour 210 grams
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 64 grams
- 2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa optional (11 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda 12 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 6 grams
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk 240 mL
- 1 cup strong black coffee 240 mL
- ½ cup vegetable oil 120 mL
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 grams
Raspberry Buttercream
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 4 ounces cream cheese ½ package
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 to 4 tablespoons raspberry jam preferably pure fruit, no additional sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon milk or cream
- pink food coloring optional
Decoration (optional)
- fresh raspberries
- powdered sugar
- mint sprigs
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 6-inch round baking pans (or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan or two 8 or 9 inch round pans). Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa(s), baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes; the batter will be thin.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pan(s).
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes for 6 inch round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for 13×9, and 25 to 30 for 8 or 9 inch round pans. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs when the cake(s) is done.
- Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
Raspberry Buttercream
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until fully combined and smooth.
- Add one cup powdered sugar and blend. Add one tablespoon of raspberry jam and blend.
- Add vanilla extract and salt (only add salt if you’ve used unsalted butter)
- Continue blending and add another cup of powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon of jam. Repeat with the last 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and remaining tablespoon of jam.
- Beat until well blended, smooth and fluffy. Slowly add 1 Tablespoon milk or cream and blend another 20 seconds or so. If desired, add a drop of concentrated pink food coloring (or red liquid food color).
- Spread the frosting onto the cake layers using an offset spatula, or pipe the frosting onto the cake layers using a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
Garnish
- Top frosted cake with fresh raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you have a strong aversion to cream cheese, feel free to replace with an additional 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- This is enough frosting to generously frost the cake as shown (between the layers only).
- Feel free to make 6″, 8″ or 9″ cakes, and divide the batter appropriately. For the 6″ cakes I baked them for 25 minutes, the baking time will vary based on your pan size and how much batter is in each pan. The cakes are done when they have a slight dome and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
Originally posted February 7, 2014.
Exquisite photography. I tried to grab just a small piece of this cake! Will try this tomorrow (Sunday) instead of preparing my Income Taxes. I have priorities, you know. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us.