This chocolate raspberry cake has three moist layers of chocolate cake, filled with fresh raspberry jam. Chocolate buttercream frosting and fresh raspberries top it off for a beautiful finish!
Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling
If you’ve never had a raspberry filled chocolate cake, you’re in for a treat. This is a great recipe for chocolate lovers because it’s double the chocolate (which means double the fun)! Complementing the rich chocolate flavor is the sweet raspberry jam and buttercream frosting.
Why You’ll Love this Chocolate Raspberry Cake Recipe:
- Easy: Don’t let three layers of cake intimidate you. This chocolate raspberry cake recipe requires simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions!
- Rich Chocolate Flavor: There’s so much chocolate, it really is a decadent dessert!
How to Make Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
- Preheat the oven as instructed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Then prepare the 8-inch cake pans.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Next, add the wet ingredients and mix. Then stir in the boiling water.
- Pour batter into the prepared pans and then bake.
- Once done, allow it to cool and start the chocolate buttercream.
- Mix together instructed ingredients for the buttercream until fluffy.
- To assemble the cake, trim the dome so it’s level and place one cake onto the serving planner.
- Spread on the chocolate buttercream in an even layer and top with raspberry preserves and repeat.
- Cover the entire cake with buttercream and chill for 15 minutes.
- Decorate with more buttercream and add more raspberries on top.
- Serve and enjoy raspberry chocolate cake
While you can use any unsweetened cocoa powder you prefer, I like to use natural cocoa powder here because the baking soda helps to neutralize the acidity of natural cocoa powder, letting its rich flavor shine. You can also use dark cocoa powder, if you prefer.
Stirring boiling water into this cake helps to “bloom” the cocoa, releasing its intense flavor and thickening the liquid.
Unfortunately, this recipe doesn’t work well with a gluten-free flour blend!
A dry cake can be caused by 2 things. You may have measured the ingredients incorrectly, or you might have overmixed the batter. It’s important to spoon and level your ingredients if you’re not using a scale, and it’s important to have a light hand when mixing the batter.
You can break the raspberries in half and sprinkle them right on top of the raspberry jam.
You will want to make sure you are not skipping the crumb coating of buttercream and the 2 chill times. The buttercream will set up in the fridge, creating a barrier so the jam doesn’t leak out
Yes, you can add more jam to the cake, but you will need to keep the jam in place with a pipped ring of buttercream around the edge of each layer of cake. If you don’t add that ring off buttercream, the cake will be unstable and wobble around when you try to frost it.
Yes, this cake absolutely needs to be refrigerated due to the milk in the buttercream. If you’d like to leave the cake out, you can swap the milk in the buttercream for warm water. Otherwise, you can leave this cake at room temperature for up to 1 hour.
Store-bought vs. Homemade Raspberry Jam
While homemade raspberry filling will give a fresh and unique element to your chocolate and raspberry cake, this easy recipe is all about what’s easiest for you. So feel free to use a pre-made jam!
Make Ahead Instructions
You can make this chocolate raspberry cake up to 5 days in advance of when you plan to serve it. Store it in an airtight container or cake dome in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover chocolate raspberry cake in an airtight container or cake dome in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freezing Instructions
Freeze chocolate raspberry cake whole or in individual slices tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
Substitutions
- For a lighter, fluffier cake, swap the all-purpose flour for cake flour.
- You can use any cocoa powder you like, including dark cocoa powder.
- You can use any milk in this recipe, including non-dairy milk.
- You can use a different neutral oil, such as canola or coconut oil, but I do not recommend using butter.
- Feel free to swap the raspberry preserves for your favorite flavor, such as cherry or orange!
Tips for the Best Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Use room temperature ingredients for the best results.
- Measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method to avoid a dry cake.
- For high-altitude baking, add an extra 2 tablespoons of flour to the cake.
- Don’t skip the boiling water in the cake; it helps develop the chocolate flavor.
- Take care not to overmix the cake batter; otherwise, you will end up with a dry, dense cake.
- Let the cakes cool completely before cutting and frosting.
- If your preserves are too firm, microwave them for a few seconds to soften.
- To create a solid base for decorating, place a bit of frosting onto the cake board/stand to secure the bottom layer of cake.
- Be sure to level the cakes by cutting off any domed parts to ensure that the cakes will stack evenly.
- Crumb-coat the cake before frosting to catch any crumbs for a smoother appearance.
I hope you love this chocolate raspberry cake recipe! It’s perfect for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, or any special occasion.
If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!
Chocolate Raspberry Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 360 grams
- 3 cups granulated sugar 600 grams
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 84 grams
- 1 tablespoon baking soda 18 grams
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 grams
- 3 large eggs 150 grams, room temperature
- 1½ cups milk 341 grams, room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil 200 grams
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 8 grams
- 1½ cups water 341 grams, boiling (212°F)
For the Chocolate Buttercream
- 1½ cups unsalted butter 339 grams, room temperature (3 sticks)
- 1 cup vegetable shortening 184 grams (1 stick)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 84 grams
- 8 cups powdered sugar 904 grams
- ¼ cup milk 57 grams, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 8 grams
For Assembly
- 1¼ cups raspberry preserves 425 grams, store-bought or homemade
- Fresh raspberries for garnish
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and add a parchment circle to the bottoms. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer.3 cups all-purpose flour, 3 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla to the mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment, beat the mixture on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, then stir in the boiling water.3 large eggs, 1½ cups milk, 1 cup vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1½ cups water
- Divide the batter equally between the 3 cake pans (about 703 grams per pan).
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched gently.
- Let a cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.
For the Chocolate Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream the butter, shortening, and cocoa powder together.1½ cups unsalted butter, 1 cup vegetable shortening, 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Place the mixer on low speed and slowly incorporate the sugar until all of it is incorporated.8 cups powdered sugar
- Pour the milk and vanilla slowly into the buttercream and allow it to mix until light and fluffy, about two minutes.¼ cup milk, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For Assembly
- Trim off the domed top of your cakes so they are level.
- Place a cake onto the plate or your cardboard circle. Spread a layer of chocolate buttercream about a quarter-inch thick. Spread half of the raspberry preserves on the buttercream. Repeat this with the next layer finishing up with a cake layer at the top.1¼ cups raspberry preserves
- Spread a thin layer of buttercream around the whole cake and place them in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Add a thicker layer of buttercream around the cake and smooth out the edges. Place the cake back in the fridge for an additional 15 minutes.
- Pipe swirls of the buttercream onto your cake using a pastry bag fitted with a star piping tip.
- Sprinkle some raspberries on top.Fresh raspberries
Notes
- For a lighter, fluffier cake, swap the all-purpose flour for cake flour.
- You can use any cocoa powder you like, including dark cocoa powder.
- You can use any milk in this recipe, including non-dairy milk.
- You can use a different neutral oil, such as canola or coconut oil, but I do not recommend using butter.
- Feel free to swap the raspberry preserves for your favorite flavor, such as cherry or orange!
- Use room temperature ingredients for the best results.
- Measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method to avoid a dry cake.
- For high-altitude baking, add an extra 2 tablespoons of flour to the cake.
- Don’t skip the boiling water in the cake; it helps develop the chocolate flavor.
- Take care not to overmix the cake batter; otherwise, you will end up with a dry, dense cake.
- Let the cakes cool completely before cutting and frosting.
- If your preserves are too firm, microwave them for a few seconds to soften.
- To create a solid base for decorating, place a bit of frosting onto the cake board/stand to secure the bottom layer of cake.
- Be sure to level the cakes by cutting off any domed parts to ensure that the cakes will stack evenly.
- Crumb-coat the cake before frosting to catch any crumbs for a smoother appearance.
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