Chocolate Raspberry Cake has irresistible layers of chocolate cake, fresh raspberry cream, ganache & raspberries.
Whether you make this cake for a special event or simply as an eye-catching dessert to serve with supper, it will attract both friends and family.
This Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake is one of my favorites because of the chocolate and raspberry cream layers. My Chocolate Harvest Cake inspired this recipe.
My Favorite Kitchen Tools To Make This Recipe
From trusty pots and pans to handy gadgets, I’ve curated a list of products I use and love.
While the chocolate harvest cake, which has layers of chocolate cake and pumpkin mousse filling, is incredibly delicious, I will only make it in the fall.
So, I took the idea of that cake and made a raspberry filling instead. Delicious!
Tips to making the perfect chocolate cake
This chocolate cake with raspberries has light, fluffy layers but is decadent enough to satisfy your chocolate cravings—a perfect balance.
more delicious cake recipes we love
Pin to Pinterest.
Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice stir together and let it sit for 5 minutes
- 1 cup water
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup raspberry preserves
- 1/4 cup sugar
Ganache
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips I use Nestle Toll House
- 8 ounces fresh raspberries for topping
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Lightly spray two or three, depending on what look you are going for, 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour, tapping with a spoon to remove excess; set aside.
- In mixing bowl, add buttermilk, water, oil, 2 cups sugar, eggs, baking soda and salt; stir together until it is well combined. Add in flour and cocoa powder and whisk until smooth and there are no lumps. This batter is runny don’t stress, instead lick the bowl clean.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pan(s).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (3 pans) or 30-35 minutes (2 pans), or until you can lightly touch the center and it springs back. Cool pans on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then remove cake and allow to completely cool on the wire rack. Once cooled prepare filling.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling
- In a mixing bowl beat together cream cheese, raspberry preserves, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until well combined and thick.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate, I like to use a cake stand.
- 3 Layer Cake – Evenly spread the 1/2 of the filling on top of the bottom layer, then add the second cake on top. Add the remaining filling and add the last cake on top.
- 2 Layer Cake – Evenly spread the filling on top of the bottom layer, then add the second cake on top.
- Make the ganache.
Ganache
- In a small sauce pan add the whipping cream and bring to a boil, remove from heat and add in chocolate chips. Do not mix or stir them in, let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let it cool for about 15 minutes, then pour over cake, allowing it to slowly drip down the sides. Top with fresh raspberries, as many or as little as you would like. Set the cake in the fridge and let it chill for 30 minutes, until cake is set.
- You are now ready to serve, enjoy and indulge!
Thanks for the kind words and the beautiful cake in honor of our new little one and the retiring Gramma!
Wow that looks awesome! Perfect for any birthday I imagine 🙂 Love the raspberry cream cheese filling.
That raspberry filling! It looks divine!
This cakes looks amazing. Berrys and chocolate perfect combination
Absolutely awesome! It’s rich, moist and delicious. I am using this recipe to make my wedding cake!!!
I doubled the recipe and made a bigger cake for my best friend’s birthday. Everyone was stunned, how moist and delicious it was! It doesn’t happen too often that people ask for a second piece, but it happened. So thank you for the recipe 🙂
https://www.upload.ee/image/6229943/tort2.jpg this is a picture of my cake.
Made this one tonight to celebrate…. a new week! (that calls for a yummy cake, right?) Thanks for the right recipe at just the right time. Mine didn’t look like it had nearly the proportion of raspberry filling as yours in the picture — but everybody raved about it just the same. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow.
Can you use fresh raspberries instead of a Preserve?
Yes!!
I am planning on making this for my husbands birthday. Would the cake hold up to be made the night before? or is it best made day of? Thank you so much!
The day before works just great!!!! Enjoy.
Would it need to be kept in the fridge overnight? Or just the original 30 minutes to cool and then leave it on the counter?
I would keep in the fridge overnight because of the filling and this cake is great chilled.
Hello.
If I make two cakes instead of 3, I’m guessing the cakes will be thicker?
Also, do you have any tips for dealing with crunchy outsides of the cakes?
I’m a novice baker, trying to improve my skills. I’m having a Holiday party and would love to make this cake!
hello Sandra – in the cream cheese instructions, am I using normal caster sugar or powdered sugar?
normal caster sugar, hope this helps!
Chocolate raspberry is one of my favorite combos!
Raspberries are my fave! I can’t wait to try that raspberry cream!!
I hope you like it, thanks!
I am loving this recipe! I can’t wait to make it 🙂
Love it when fresh raspberries are incorprated into any dessert!
Well now I am having a major craving for this cake! Love the raspberry!
I will take a slice… okay I’ll take two slices 😉
in your recipe for the rasberry filling you state in the instructions to add sugar. but in the recipe ingredients it does not say how much.. and also it says to use 1/4 cup of sugar in the genosh but not shown in the instructions. I want to make this for easter but am comfused on the sugar.
Hi Sharon – sorry for the late reply I was out of town. So it is 2 cups of sugar for the cake, then the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar is for the filling mixture. Hope this helps. xo San
Chocolate and raspberries, I wonder how this combination tastes. Thank you for the recipe! Gonna try it soon!
It’s one of my favorite combos! I hope you enjoy!
made this tonight. so easy and delicious!!!!! directions are easy to follow. ingredients are easy to get. tastes amazing. the cake is moist and the flavors blend well together. thanks so much for sharing
I’m so glad you liked it!
What a wonderful looking cake! I would like to make this cake for my daughters birthday, could you tell me how much ingredients I would need for the cake, filling and ganache if I use an 11 inch cake pan. Thank you for your help in advance.
Also do you think this cake would work if I put all the cake batter into one 11 inch pan and then cut it into three layers, any advice of the length of time it would take to cook. Thank you again
Hi there! I combined your comments so I could reply to both here. I think it would be easiest to make a 2 layer cake using two 11-inch cake pans and the full recipe as is. If you do want a three layer cake that’s not too thick, I would say make 1 1/2 times the recipe and use 3 11-inch pans. If you only have one cake pan and want to slice it down to 3 layers I would cut the ingredient amounts down to 3/4, you can do this by hovering over the servings on the recipe card and moving the bar down to 12. If you need any help figuring it out just let us know! Check the cakes at 30 minutes with a toothpick to see if it’s done. If the toothpick comes out clean, take them out, but if there are crumbs add 5 minutes until it comes out clean.