Chocolate Raspberry Cake is a soft, moist, and delicious layered chocolate cake from scratch. In between each layer is a smooth and creamy chocolate buttercream frosting along with a thin layer of raspberry jam that ties it all together.
Layered Chocolate Raspberry Cake
This incredible layered raspberry cake is so good and simple to make. The texture is so delectable and will just melt in your mouth with a chocolatey flavor. The rich chocolate blends so well with the sweet flavor of the raspberry jam. The chocolate buttercream puts this cake over the top!
If you are a chocolate lover, you will want to also try these other homemade chocolate cakes including Chocolate Bundt Cake, Best Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Depression Cake and Hershey’s Chocolate Cake.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is best to use. However, if you are using self-rising flour, you would eliminate the baking powder.
Granulated Sugar: In addition to adding a sweeter flavor to a cookie recipe. Granulated sugar caramelizes and absorbs moisture which overall improves the texture and flavor of the cookie.
Cocoa Powder: To get that chocolatey flavor you will be using cocoa powder because it blends easily into the batter and has a strong flavor.
Eggs: When making cake, you always want to use room-temperature eggs. It gives the best texture to the cake.
Milk: Use whole or 2% milk to add moisture to the recipe and add additional flavor.
Oil: Using Canola or Vegetable Oil will give the recipe a more tender and moist texture. When combined together with eggs it will add an airy and fluffy consistency overall.
Butter: It is best to use unsalted butter for this recipe. Using unsalted butter will give you control of the flavoring in the recipe. This will allow the rawest and most natural flavor to come out in the recipe.
Shortening: Shortening offers a very delicate and crumbly texture to baked desserts.
Powdered Sugar: This is the best sugar to use when needing a frosting with a smooth consistency.
Raspberry Preserves: This chocolate cake uses raspberry preserves. Raspberry preserves are similar to jam, but you get more chunks of raspberry when you use preserves.
How To Make Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Step 1. Set the oven to 350 degrees and use nonstick baking spray to grease three 8-inch cake pans. Place a circular cut out of parchment paper on the bottom of each pan. In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder, and combine.
Step 2. In a mixing bowl, add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and combine for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Pour in the boiling water and combine again. Separate the batter into the 3 prepared cake pans. Place into the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the cake bounces back when touched. Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes, then place onto a wire rack to cool.
Favorite Chocolate Buttercream
Step 1. Add the butter, shortening, and cocoa powder into the bowl of a standing mixer and combine on low speed while gradually combining in the sugar. Add in the milk and vanilla until light and fluffy for about 2 minutes.
How to Assemble This Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Step 1. Use a cake leveler to cut the domes off the tops of each cake. Using a cardboard circle, place one of the cakes on top and add a thin layer of the buttercream about 1/4-inch thick. Top with the raspberry preserves and continue with the next layer following the same steps. Coat the cake in a thin layer of buttercream and chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.
Step 2. Put a thicker layer of buttercream onto the cake and smooth out with a spatula, then chill for an additional 15 minutes. Using a pastry bag fitted with a star piping tip, add swirls of the buttercream on top of the cake and sprinkle with raspberries.
Step 3. Slice into serving pieces and enjoy!
Storing:
Yes, this chocolate cake can be left at room temperature. You will still want to keep the recipe stored in an air-tight container. To make the recipe last even longer, it can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes:
- Triple Chocolate Cake
- Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (Rich and Moist)
- Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
- Instant Pot Guinness Chocolate Cake
Recommended Tools
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer – either one will work fine.
- 3 9-inch Cake Pans
- Parchment Paper Rounds – this saves time from having to cut the paper.
- Large Frosting Spatula
- Cake Turntable – this is so nice to have when frosting a cake.
- Piping Bag
- Cake Carrier – for storing and transporting.
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate cake:
- 3 cups flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups milk room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup boiling water
Chocolate Buttercream:
- 1 1/2 cups butter room temperature
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 8 cups powder sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
To Assemble:
- 1 1/4 cups raspberry preserves
- raspberries fresh to garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray and add a parchment circle to the bottoms.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of your mixer.
- Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla to the mixing bowl. Beat the mixture at medium-high speed for two minutes. Stir in the boiling water.
- Pour your batter equally between the three cake pans.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until the cake springs back when touched gently.
- Let a cake cool in the pan for five minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and allow it to cool.
Chocolate Buttercream:
- In the bowl of your mixer cream, the butter, shortening, and cocoa powder are together.
- Place the mixer on low speed and slowly incorporate the sugar until all of it is incorporated.
- Pour the milk and vanilla slowly into the buttercream and allow it to mix until light and fluffy, about two minutes.
Cake 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.
- 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.
Last Step:
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