Do you ever find yourself thinking back on your childhood and daydreaming about a specific meal or dessert you used to have as a kid? One that was served for special occasions, or maybe your favorite uncle was the only one to make it, so you didn’t have it that often? No? Is that just me??? Well, this Chocolate Raspberry Cake is one of those desserts for me. My twin sister and I had a friend whose mom would always make this for our birthday, and oh my lanta was it delicious. She only made it twice a year, for our birthday and our friend’s, her daughter, and as I’ve grown up I’ve found myself thinking back and craving this cake! I finally set out to recreate it and man, I’m so happy I did because it’s just as good as I remember! Mrs. P, I hope I made you proud with this one 🙂
I don’t typically like to make such grand statements but honestly, I consider this the best chocolate cake ever. And when I say the best ever, I mean this recipe is everything you want in a chocolate cake. Moist, over the top chocolate cake layers topped with a thick, fudge frosting. What honestly could be better? Oh, let me tell you, how about pairing it with raspberries to balance that sweetness? I’m telling you you HAVE to try this recipe, whether you pair it with raspberries, vanilla frosting, Nutella, etc. I’ve tried it all, it’s all delicious 🙂
Originally I was considering sharing how to make homemade raspberry preserves to fill this cake but ended up deciding on using store-bought. Why? Because it’s a time saver and still super delicious! It’s also typically a lot cheaper than buying fresh raspberries. If you’re wanting to make your own, go for it. If not, use seedless raspberry preserves to save yourself the headache of getting the seeds stuck in your teeth.
What makes this the best chocolate cake ever?
- The sugars: Most chocolate cake recipes out there typically use all granulated sugar. When I consider what I’m baking, I think about what flavor profiles. What flavor do I want to highlight? Do I need a sturdy cake or moist and rich? Anytime I want a moist cake, I use brown sugar. For this recipe, I like to use half light brown sugar and half granulated sugar. Brown sugar adds another depth of flavor to the cake and keeps it moist, while the granulated sugar adds a simple neutral sweetness.
- The frosting: When I think of the perfect chocolate cake, I think of rich, fudgy chocolate frosting. Because the raspberries are tart, I like to use semi-sweet baking chocolate in the frosting. Feel free to substitute unsweetened if you prefer a more bitter frosting. You could also use dark chocolate as well which would be super delicious!
This cake has been a favorite since childhood. I hope you make this the next time you’re craving something chocolate 🙂
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup hot strong coffee
For the frosting:
- 4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 1 stick
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼-⅓ cup whole milk, room temperature
Other ingredients:
- ½ cup seedless raspberry preserves
- ½ cup raspberries for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients besides the hot coffee. mix by hand with a whisk until everything is incorporated, about 30 seconds. Pour in hot coffee and stir to combine. Pour into prepared baking pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Once the cake is done, remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then flip to completely cool on a cooling rack. If I'm making a layered cake, I like to wrap the layers (once completely cool) in saran wrap and put in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up before frosting.
For the frosting:
- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Melt butter and semi-sweet chocolate in a large heatproof bowl in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between until completely smooth. Once done, mix in vanilla, 4 cups of powdered sugar, and salt. Slowly add in the milk starting with ¼ cup until you reach desired consistency.
For construction:
- Use a serrated knife to make the layers even. Put the first layer down and spread on about ¾ cup frosting, making sure it is level. Next spoon the raspberry preserves directly onto the frosting, leaving about ¼ inch around the sides so it doesn't spill over. Add the second cake layer on top and do a thin layer of icing on all sides, otherwise known as a crumb coat. Return to the freezer or fridge for 15 minutes to set. After chilling, use the remaining frosting to fully cover the sides and decorate the top of the cake. Top with raspberries and serve!
Laura
It tastes even better than it looks!!! 10/10 cake recipe. Perfect cake to impress someone special!
Michelle B
This cake was a hit!!
My daughter graduated and we wanted to have a small celebration dinner. Chocolate cake is her favorite and the cake we ordered was cancelled. Someone shared this recipe with me and I thought I’d give it a try. So glad I did. I made this cake in a rectangular 9×13 pan instead of a two tier cake. Everyone wanted seconds! Highly recommend.
Abby
This cake is so delicious! I made it for a friend’s birthday potluck and it definitely went the quickest of all the desserts! Also thank you for putting “room temperature” or “hot coffee” next to ingredients as that helps us make it just how you intended us to!
Side note, if you have any great carrot cake recipes would love to see one!