Made from scratch raspberry chocolate cake! Three layers of classic chocolate cake filled and frosted with a raspberry jam buttercream.
I’m intentionally baking more layered cakes lately because I enjoy them and want to improve my technique. With Valentine’s Day flavors on my mind, chocolate was a must, so I used our reliable chocolate cake recipe for the layers.
Raspberry Buttercream
Using fruit in buttercream was new for me — I usually stick to chocolate — but the raspberry jam version turned out wonderfully. Fresh or frozen fruit can make buttercream too loose, and freeze-dried raspberries are ideal if you have them. I couldn’t find them locally, so I used seedless raspberry jam and was thrilled with the result.
The jam gave the frosting a bright, natural raspberry flavor without being overly sweet, and it remained pipeable for decorating.
This recipe is written for three 6-inch cake pans. If you have 8- or 9-inch pans, you can use those instead — divide the batter between two pans rather than three.
For the exterior decoration I used a Wilton 1M piping tip to create petal-like swirls around the cake. Fresh flowers — I used blush pink and white carnations with baby’s breath — add a pretty finishing touch; they are decorative, not edible.
How to Properly Measure Flour
- Fluff the flour with a fork.
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cup (do not pack it).
- Level the top with a butter knife.
Directly scooping with the measuring cup packs the flour and can make the cake dry, so use the spoon-and-level method for accurate results.
How to Prepare a Cake Pan
Grease pans with butter or shortening rather than non-stick spray for the best release. Use a small piece of parchment cut to fit the pan bottom for easy removal. To apply butter without getting it on your hands, put it inside a zip-top bag or wrap and rub the pan with that.
How To Bake Even, Flat Cakes
I use bake-even cake strips around the pans to help cakes bake with flat tops. They consistently work well. Alternatively, you can level the cake tops afterward with a cake leveler or a serrated knife.
More Cake Recipes
- Applesauce Cake
- Yellow Cake Recipe
- Homemade Chocolate Cake
- Oreo Cake
Raspberry chocolate cake video
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Raspberry Chocolate Cake
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Equipment
- Glass mixing bowl
- Mixer (stand or hand)
- Spatula
- Kitchen scale (optional)
- Bake-even cake strips (optional)
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CAKE (MAKES THREE 6-INCH OR TWO 8-INCH CAKES)
- 1/2 cup (42g) cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (170g) butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp (223g) sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 cup + 1/4 cup (209g) sour cream
- 3 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted with a little vegetable oil
Raspberry Buttercream
- 1 1/2 cups (339g) unsalted butter (3 sticks)
- 1/2 cup (118g) vegetable shortening (optional substitute for butter)
- 1/2 cup (170g) seedless raspberry jam
- 3 cups (339g) powdered sugar
Video
Instructions
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease three 6-inch round pans and line bottoms with parchment. Wrap bake-even strips around pans if using.
- Whisk together cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix briefly.
- Fold in sour cream and melted chocolate with a spatula.
- Add the flour mixture in two additions, folding gently until incorporated. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Divide batter evenly among pans (about 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups per 6-inch pan).
- Bake for 22 minutes, then loosely cover with foil and continue baking 7–10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely. Level the tops if necessary.
- Wrap layers well and refrigerate if assembling later; they keep up to 5 days.
RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM
- Beat butter and shortening until fluffy, 1–2 minutes.
- Add raspberry jam and mix until combined.
- Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing by hand first and then with the mixer, until the frosting reaches a pipeable consistency and tastes balanced.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Spread a small amount of buttercream on a 6-inch cake board. Place the first cake layer on top. Add 1/3–1/2 cup buttercream between layers and spread evenly.
- Repeat for remaining layers.
- Apply a thin crumb coat around the sides and top to seal in crumbs.
- Freeze the cake for 20 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Fit a piping bag with a Wilton 1M tip, pipe the decorative petals around the sides and top, then add fresh flowers if desired.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 55 g |
Protein: 4 g |
Fat: 37 g |
Saturated Fat: 20 g |
Cholesterol: 108 mg |
Sodium: 285 mg |
Sugar: 41 g
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided as a courtesy. Changing ingredients or quantities will alter the estimates.
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