Chocolate Raspberry Cake – Sugar Spun Run

Decadent, but refreshing, my chocolate raspberry cake ticks all of the bins for an indulgent dessert. Moist darkish chocolate cake layers, contemporary raspberry filling, and a raspberry-infused chocolate buttercream come collectively on this profitable cake recipe. Recipe features a how-to video tutorial.

Chocolate Raspberry Perfection

At this time’s chocolate raspberry cake was an experiment in stability. I needed near-even measures of indulgent chocolate and vivid raspberry with out skewing too far on both facet of the spectrum.

After plenty of tweaking and testing, I believe you’re going to like the tip end result simply as a lot as I do. It’s each decadent and refreshing with clear notes of each flavors. Between the wealthy, moist, fudgy chocolate cake layers, the raspberry-infused chocolate frosting, and the sweet-tart raspberry filling, it’s the proper mix of the very best flavors and textures of each worlds.

Why This Recipe Works:

• By no means dry or dense: my approach prevents over-mixing (identical to when making my triple chocolate cake), and we’ll use rigorously chosen substances so this chocolate raspberry cake stays moist for days (regardless of needing to be refrigerated!).
• Spectacular look: three cake layers means this can be a massive cake, and including the ganache drip and contemporary berries on high simply makes it look so fancy.
• Just one bowl and NO mixer wanted for the cake itself. My purpose was to make the cake as uncomplicated as potential since we’re making three parts right here (cake, filling, frosting).
• Celebration-worthy. This cake isn’t only for birthdays! It could make a beautiful anniversary or Valentine’s Day dessert too ❤️

What You Want (& Substitutions)

For the Cake Layers

You’ll discover these substances are fairly comparable to a couple different chocolate truffles I’ve shared round right here (specifically my peanut butter chocolate cake). When you have got a superb factor, you keep it up!

• Darkish cocoa powder. Darkish chocolate & raspberry was a no brainer, the darker cocoa pairs superbly with the brightness of the contemporary raspberries. When you don’t have darkish cocoa, some other Dutch course of cocoa will work. Be aware that I do suggest pure cocoa for the frosting.
• Butter & oil. A mix of unsalted butter and a impartial oil (I like avocado!) makes this cake each flavorful and moist. It’s particularly useful to make use of oil when you find yourself making a cake that wants refrigerating like this chocolate raspberry cake.
• Buttermilk. Not solely does buttermilk add taste and moisture, nevertheless it additionally helps to activate our baking soda, since we’re utilizing an alkaline cocoa powder.
• Sugar. A mix of normal granulated and lightweight brown work nicely right here, with the brown sugar including a bit of additional taste and moisture. Darkish brown sugar may very well be a bit too wealthy and robust, so keep on with mild brown.
• Scorching water/espresso. I discuss extra about this within the FAQ part beneath. Both will work, however espresso will give your cake a stronger chocolate (not espresso) taste, identical to in my mint chocolate cake. Whichever you go for, make certain it’s sizzling!

SAM’S TIP: This recipe works greatest when your entire substances are at room temperature. Attempt to keep in mind to set out your eggs, buttermilk, and so forth. in order that they have time to heat up earlier than you get began!

For the Chocolate Raspberry Buttercream

• Raspberries. Both contemporary or frozen berries will work right here. I like to recommend utilizing contemporary raspberries if they’re in season although.
• Lemon juice. A squeeze of lemon juice brightens the flavour of our filling. Bottled is okay, however contemporary is greatest, identical to when making raspberry lemonade!
• Cornstarch. This helps thicken our raspberry cake filling and retains it from spilling out of the cake!
• Cocoa powder. I went backwards and forwards with this ingredient. For ease, I needed to make use of the identical kind of cocoa within the frosting that I used within the cake layers (darkish or Dutch). Nevertheless, these merely didn’t work nicely within the frosting; they overpowered the stability of chocolate raspberry and pure cocoa powder was simply truthfully the only option for a superior tasting cake.
• Heavy cream. You could not want this, but when your frosting isn’t fairly as clean and silky and spreadable as you want it to be, be happy so as to add a splash or two of cream.

Non-obligatory: Add a chocolate drip! This provides a pleasant contact by way of look, style, and texture. Within the recipe card beneath I linked to my detailed directions on how you can do a ganache drip on a cake and I additionally briefly exhibit it in in the present day’s video, it’s simpler than you would possibly suppose!

The right way to Make Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Make the Cake Layers

We skip the normal creaming course of right here (beating collectively butter and sugar) and as an alternative add melted butter and oil to our dry substances and sugar. This cake could be made with or with no mixer, nevertheless it’s essential to scrape the edges and backside of the bowl periodically and goal for a batter that’s clean and uniform. Utilizing substances which can be all room temperature will assist with this.

SAM’S TIP: Buttermilk expands because it warms to room temperature. Measure it chilly and let it sit at room temperature earlier than utilizing (fairly than making an attempt to measure it heat).

Put together the Raspberry Filling

Some useful hints: Just remember to don’t crank up the warmth too excessive otherwise you’ll evaporate an excessive amount of of the water and find yourself burning the combination (and even in case you don’t, you might lose an excessive amount of taste this fashion). Stir regularly, which can even hold issues from burning. When you’ve made my raspberry cake filling, you’ve completed this all earlier than.

You’ll know the combination is finished when your spatula leaves distinct trails via the combination. Take away it from the warmth and pour right into a heatproof bowl to cease the cooking course of (and be aware the

SAM’S NOTE: Raspberries have seeds, and, nicely, so does this chocolate raspberry cake! Whereas in some recipes I’ll pressure out the seeds (like my raspberry cheesecake) I opted to maintain them right here for the very best raspberry texture and taste. You really can’t go away the seeds out of this recipe otherwise you gained’t be left with a lot to work with!

Make the Frosting

The frosting comes collectively merely and begins identical to a traditional chocolate buttercream, till we get to the raspberry infusion. You’ll want ⅓ cup of raspberry filling (from above) however don’t add it unexpectedly!

Add the (cooled!) raspberry filling only a spoonful at a time. It’s essential to do that steadily, as a result of including it too rapidly can break or curdle the frosting.

Meeting

A piping bag can be your pal right here for creating the dam that holds within the raspberry filling; that is important so the filling doesn’t squeeze out of the cake! In case your frosting appears too stiff and isn’t spreading easily on the cake or is tearing up the fragile fudgy crumbs as you attempt to unfold it, don’t hesitate to stir in a splash of cream or milk to skinny issues a bit (however, additionally think about doing a crumb coating, talked about beneath).

A ganache drip is optionally available, however so fairly and decadent, and don’t miss my tips about how you can enhance a cake for learners.

SAM’S TIP: Whereas optionally available, a crumb coat will make adorning your chocolate raspberry cake a lot simpler. To do that, unfold a really skinny, even layer of frosting across the cake, catching any crumbs (it doesn’t should be fairly!). Place the cake within the freezer for Quarter-hour, then take away and add your ultimate layer of frosting. Needs to be clean and crumb-free!

Ceaselessly Requested Questions

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