There’s so much to love about this ultra-rich chocolate raspberry cake. Layers of moist dark chocolate sponge, silky chocolate buttercream, and homemade raspberry cake filling are enrobed in a luxurious chocolate raspberry ganache. This is an indulgent dessert for anyone who loves the flavor combination of raspberries paired with deep, dark chocolate.
Consider this the fruity sequel to chocolate peanut butter cake. 🙂
Here’s What You’ll Love About This Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Cake crumb is fudge-like and moist, yet a little light and spongey, with extra texture from the mini chocolate chips
- Beautiful balance of rich flavors between the tart, juicy raspberry filling, sweet chocolate buttercream, and dark chocolate ganache
- Homemade raspberry filling uses frozen raspberries (very convenient!) and takes just 15 minutes to make (plus cooling)
- Enjoy extra-luxe raspberry flavor in the chocolate ganache topping by replacing some of the cream with raspberry liqueur (optional)
Just look at this beauty:
4 Parts to This Chocolate Raspberry Cake
There’s a lot going on today, so let’s break down each component of this unapologetically indulgent cake:
- Raspberry Filling: This sweet-tart jammy raspberry cake filling comes together quickly and easily on the stove. It needs to cool completely before spreading onto the cake layers, so my instructions direct you to make this first.
- Dark Chocolate Cake: We’re using the same deeply chocolate-y cake batter as this dark chocolate peanut butter cake. You’ll love the additional texture from mini chocolate chips in the batter—have you tried it before?
- Chocolate Frosting: Slather on a layer of chocolate buttercream frosting between each cake layer, and use it to apply a crumb coat to the exterior of the cake. You’ll also need a piping bag + large round tip to pipe a border around the edge of the layers. The chocolate buttercream is here not only for taste, but serves a pretty important function: a buttercream “dam” helps hold the raspberry filling in place.
- Chocolate Raspberry Ganache: Top the whole cake with dark chocolate ganache. If desired, you can replace some of the cream with raspberry liqueur (such as Chambord) to make a chocolate raspberry ganache (or keep it just chocolate). Taste testers loved it both ways.
Make the Raspberry Filling First
The filling takes about 15 minutes to prep, then needs to cool, chill, and thicken completely. I recommend making it in advance and storing it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the chocolate raspberry cake. I have a complete separate page dedicated to this wonderful raspberry cake filling if you want more ideas for its uses.
We’re using frozen raspberries for this filling (just like raspberry sweet rolls), which I love because it means this cake can be made year round! You can also use fresh berries. You need 12 ounces (about 340–375g). Here are the other ingredients you need to make it:
- Water & Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the magic thickener for this raspberry filling. You don’t need much, but you must dissolve it in a little water before using. This is called a “slurry”; see strawberry sauce as an example.
- Sugar: The raspberry filling should be a little tart, because you’ll pair it with sweet chocolate buttercream frosting.
- Lemon Juice: The filling needs *something* to balance the berry and sugar, and lemon juice provides that hint of freshness. Do not leave it out or the filling will taste pretty flat.
- Vanilla Extract: Add a little splash of vanilla extract to the filling once it comes off the heat. It tastes and smells incredible!
Make this first, so it has plenty of time to chill and thicken:
A Very Chocolate-y Chocolate Cake
You need a handful of basic baking ingredients for the cake batter. The acidity in both sour cream and buttermilk is a must to provide proper leavening. (If desired, see baking powder vs baking soda for more information.) A touch of espresso powder and hot coffee further enhances the chocolate flavor. The cake will not taste like coffee—rather, these add depth to the cake’s dark chocolate flavor. Feel free to skip the espresso powder and replace hot coffee with hot water or use decaf.
- Why hot liquid? The hot liquid encourages the cocoa powder to bloom and dissolve.
Chocolate chips take the chocolate flavor to the next level, and, as I mentioned above, they also supply phenomenal texture. I use mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, but regular size are fine too. Toss them in a little flour before folding into the batter, to help keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Favorite Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
We’re using my favorite chocolate buttercream in this cake, so you know it’s going to be good! This creamy chocolate frosting is sweet, silky smooth, and easy to work with.
You need enough frosting to spread on the bottom 2 cake layers before topping with the raspberry filling, and to pipe a “dam” around the edges of those layers to keep the raspberry filling in place, as well as for a thin crumb coat on the exterior of the cake. The recipe below, also found on my chocolate buttercream page, makes just the amount we need for everything.
Is your chocolate buttercream lighter in color than you want? See my tried-and-true trick for darkening it above the chocolate buttercream recipe (heat some of it!).
Do you enjoy chocolate mousse instead? Swap the buttercream for the chocolate mousse filling from my dark chocolate mousse cake.
Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Topping
You can absolutely make a classic 2-ingredient chocolate ganache, or you can swap out some of the heavy cream for raspberry liqueur, which gives this sophisticated cake that *little something extra.*
Typically, for making chocolate ganache, you need 8 ounces (weight) chocolate and 8 ounces (volume) heavy cream. (Increase/decrease each for more/less.) For topping this chocolate raspberry cake, I used 2 baking bars (that’s 8 ounces/226g) of bittersweet chocolate (Ghirardelli brand 60% cacao), 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream, and 1/4 cup (60ml) Chambord raspberry liqueur.
So, I replaced some of the heavy cream with the raspberry liqueur. Again, you don’t have to do this. You can stick with 8 ounces chocolate + 8 ounces cream if desired.
Let it slightly cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to thicken up before spreading on the cake (which also needs some chill time after you apply the frosting crumb coat).
How to Assemble & Decorate This Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Admittedly, I’m not a professional cake decorator, so with all of my layer cakes, I prefer simplicity. Let me share how I stack and decorate this 3-layer chocolate raspberry cake.
Start by leveling your cakes, if needed, to create a flat surface for stacking and decorating.
Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chocolate buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip. I use Wilton 2A. (Or just use a disposable piping bag and cut about 3/4 inch (2cm) off the tip and use that without a piping tip.) Place the bottom cooled cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Using a large icing spatula or small offset spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1/4 cup of chocolate buttercream frosting (a thin layer).
Then, pipe a thick border of frosting around the edge of the cake to create a “dam” for the raspberry filling. Spread half of the raspberry filling (heaping 1/2 cup) on top of the frosted cake layer, staying within the buttercream border:
Repeat the same exact process with the second cake layer.
Place the third cake layer on top, and then spread a thin layer (whatever you have left) of the chocolate buttercream on top and around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth it out:
Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours to set the crumb coat. During this time, I usually make and chill the ganache.
Pour cooled chocolate ganache on top and spread all over the cake. Look how much this ganache thickens! It’s liquid at first, and 30 minutes in the refrigerator works magic. I use a large icing spatula to spread it all over the cake.
A cluster of fresh raspberries is the perfect finishing touch on top of this cake. A masterpiece for a special occasion like Valentine’s Day, this chocolate raspberry cake is the perfect marriage of chocolate and berry. See even more Valentine’s Day dessert recipes.
So many components! So many layers! I hope you enjoy. And if you do love these flavors together, be sure to try my raspberry chocolate chip layer cake and chocolate cupcakes with raspberry frosting next.
Are you new to layer cakes? Don’t miss these complete lists of cake success tips and cake decorating tools.
Recommended Tools
- Stand Mixer or Handheld Mixer
- 3 9-inch Cake Pans (8-inch also work, but I recommend 9-inch for this cake)
- Parchment Paper Rounds
- Large Icing Spatula (for frosting and ganache) and Small Offset Spatula (for raspberry filling)
- Cake Turntable (optional, I don’t use one for this)
- Bench Scraper for crumb coat
- Piping Bag (disposable or reusable) & Wilton 2A for buttercream dam
- Cake Carrier for storing and transporting
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12-14
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Enjoy layers of moist dark chocolate cake, sweet creamy chocolate buttercream, and homemade raspberry filling, all covered with a luxurious chocolate raspberry ganache.
Ingredients
Raspberry Filling
- 1.5 Tablespoons (22ml) water
- 1.5 Tablespoons (4.5 teaspoons or 12g) cornstarch
- 3 cups (12 ounces/about 340–375g) fresh or frozen raspberries (do not thaw)*
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cake
- 1 and 3/4 cups (219g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 cup (62g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder* (see Note)
- 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) hot water or black coffee*
- 1 cup (170g) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (tossed in 1 Tablespoon flour)
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 and 1/2 cups (420g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup (41g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream or milk
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Raspberry Ganache
- 8 ounces (226g) quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup (60ml) raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord (or replace with more heavy cream)
- optional garnish: fresh raspberries & fresh mint
Instructions
- Make the raspberry filling: Whisk the cornstarch and water together until all the cornstarch has dissolved. (I just use a fork to mix—very easy.) Combine cornstarch mixture, raspberries (no need to thaw if using frozen), granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Using a silicone spatula, stir the mixture, mashing the raspberries as they begin to thaw and soften. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 5 full minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Allow the raspberry filling to cool at room temperature for 10–15 minutes, then transfer it to a bowl or container and place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 1 week (the longer, the better). No need to cover it, but if refrigerating for longer than 4 hours, cover tightly. It will continue to thicken up as it chills. Raspberry filling must be completely chilled before using in your cake. If freezing, see Note below for instructions.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. (If it’s helpful, see this parchment paper rounds for cakes video & post.)
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use a whisk), mix the oil, eggs, and sour cream together on medium-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and beat until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot water/coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. Fold in the flour-coated chocolate chips. Batter is thin and you may see some air bubbles on the surface—that’s normal. You should have about 6–6.5 cups of batter, or around 1400g.
- Divide batter evenly between 3 pans. Bake for approximately 24–26 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the pan. The cakes may slightly sink in the middle as they cool—that’s expected.
- As the cakes cool, make the chocolate buttercream: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed and beat for 1 full minute. Taste. Beat in another pinch of salt if desired. (Do you want your buttercream darker in color? I have a trick detailed on the full chocolate buttercream page.) You’re going to use this buttercream for a thin layer under the raspberry filling, a piped “dam” around 2 of the cake layers, and for the crumb coat. Makes about 2.5 cups total.
- Begin layering with raspberry filling and buttercream: Place 1 cooled cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Using a large icing spatula or small offset spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1/4 cup of chocolate buttercream frosting (a thin layer). Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chocolate buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip. I use Wilton 2A. (Or just use a disposable piping bag and cut about 3/4 inch off the tip and use that without a piping tip.) Pipe a thick border of buttercream around the edge of the frosted cake layer, using about half of the buttercream in the piping bag. Then, using a small offset spatula, spread half of the thickened and chilled raspberry filling (about 1/2 cup) inside the buttercream border. Place second cake layer on top and then repeat the filling process: spread frosting, pipe border with remaining frosting in piping bag (if you ran out, just use more from the big bowl of buttercream), then spread on remaining raspberry filling. Top with third cake layer.
- Apply crumb coat: Using the remaining chocolate buttercream, spread a thin layer of buttercream on the top and around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth out crumb coat. Chill uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours to set the crumb coat.
- As your crumb coat sets, make and chill the chocolate ganache: Place finely chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream and raspberry liqueur, if using, in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil—that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2–3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Ganache is thin. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, do not microwave it. If needed, see Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache. Once ganache mixture is smooth, let it chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator to thicken before spreading on chilled crumb-coated cake.
- Pour/spoon thickened ganache on chilled cake, and spread all over cake with an icing spatula. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired. Serve cake immediately or chill, uncovered, for up to 4–6 hours before serving. Cake can be served at room temperature or chilled.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days. I like using a cake carrier for storing and transporting.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions for Cake: Prepare cake through step 6. Wrap the individual baked and cooled cake layers tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, then continue with step 7. You can prepare the raspberry filling and chocolate buttercream in advance. See step 2 for raspberry sauce details. For the buttercream, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using and beat in a little more room-temperature heavy cream to thin out if necessary. You can also prepare the chocolate ganache ahead of time. Refrigerate prepared ganache for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before spreading onto cake. Frosted cake freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature or serve cold.
- Freezing Instructions for Raspberry Filling: After the raspberry filling cools completely, freeze in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3–6 months. Thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator before using. It will be very thick.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Saucepan | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Glass Mixing Bowls | 9-inch Round Cake Pans | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Cooling Rack | Large Icing Spatula | Small Offset Spatula | Bench Scraper | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) and Large Round Piping Tip for buttercream “dam” | Cake Carrier (for storage)
- Cocoa Powder: This recipe requires natural cocoa powder for its acidity, so do not use dutch-process.
- Espresso Powder/Coffee: Espresso powder and coffee will not make the cake taste like coffee. Rather, they deepen the chocolate flavor. I highly recommend them both. If coffee isn’t your thing, you can leave out the espresso powder and use extra hot water instead of the hot coffee.
- Sour Cream: Instead of sour cream, you can use plain yogurt. The cake won’t taste as rich, but it’s a fine substitute.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY version of buttermilk if needed. Add 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1/2 cup (120ml). (In a pinch, lower-fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake won’t taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade “buttermilk” will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
- Why Room Temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter and frosting mix together easily and evenly. Read more about why room temperature ingredients are important.
- Chocolate Raspberry Ganache: Feel free to replace the raspberry liqueur with 1/4 cup (60ml) more heavy cream to make a plain chocolate ganache instead. When melting chocolate, I recommend using pure chocolate baking bars (chocolate chips have stabilizers). You can find them right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. I like Bakers or Ghirardelli brands, the ones labeled bittersweet (60% cacao) or semi-sweet (56% cacao), which come in 4-ounce (113g) bars.
- 6-Inch Cake: To make a scaled-down 3-layer 6-inch version of this cake, use this batter for chocolate cupcakes and follow my 6-inch cake baking instructions and details. I recommend using the same amount of raspberry filling, and having some left over. Use about 1/3 cup between the layers. You can halve the buttercream and ganache recipes.
- Cupcakes: For raspberry-filled chocolate cupcakes, make these very similar cream-filled chocolate cupcakes, but swap the cream filling for the raspberry filling.
- Helpful Tutorials: 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cakes | How to Make Parchment Paper Rounds for Cakes | Raspberry Cake Filling | Chocolate Buttercream | Chocolate Ganache | 10 Essential Cake Baking & Decorating Tools
Could I use a good quality raspberry syrup/cordial instead of liquor in the ganache?
Hi Elise, you could try that, or you could use raspberry extract. We suggest 1 cup (240ml) of heavy cream (just swap more heavy cream in for the liqueur), and then stir 1/2 or 1 teaspoon raspberry extract into the warm heavy cream once it comes off heat and before pouring over chopped chocolate
I want to make this cake tonight to serve tomorrow night for my b-day. Can I complete all steps including ganache and store in refrigerator in a carrier until tomorrow? Or should I do the ganache tomorrow afternoon and leave cake out? I don’t know if the chocolate will look weird after refrigerated. I’ve made some of your other cakes in the past (they’re wonderful!)and serve the same day, but the leftovers always seem dry. I notice your responses are quick, which I appreciate greatly. Thank you!
Hi Amy, the cake will still look good after refrigerating. Hope you have a very happy birthday!
You truly are my favorite baking blog, I make everything from here. The most knowledgeable and well written blog !!!
I came across this recipe because I want to make a chocolate Bundt cake with chocolate chips in it. I’ve made some of your other cakes and they always turn out wonderful! Can I make the cake portion of this recipe in a Bundt pan? How will it change the baking time/temp? Thanks!
Hi Jess, for a chocolate bundt cake, we recommend using our chocolate cream cheese bundt cake. You can leave out the cream cheese and add about a cup of chocolate chips to the batter. Let us know how you like it!
August 1 2023,
Hi I am about to make your chocolate raspberry cake
Can I use fresh raspberries;
I bought fresh by mistake?
Hi Nikki, yes, you can use fresh raspberries in the filling. Enjoy!
Thank you, Lexie for your prompt answer!
I am excited to do this.
My Granddaughter sent me this recipe
For her 18th Birthday Thursday.
I am making some parts ahead of Thursday.
I have back issues so this works better for me.
Do you have suggestions of what to use to wrap the layers? Plastic, foil etc.
They will be in the refrigerator 2days.
Love your site. I am adding to my others.
Hi Nikki, see recipe Notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions!
Hi
I made the ganache icing for your chocolate raspberry cake
After an hour in the refrigerator it is not thick like yours. The party is tonight
Trying not to panic!
I have a picture but not sure how to insert here
Hi Nikki, we’re happy to help troubleshoot! Are you using heavy whipping cream (with 36% fat content)? Anything less will prevent the ganache from setting properly.
Hi
Can I salvage the ganache or do i need to start over? I am sorry to be a pain but I need to know bc I need to buy more ingredients if I can’t fix
Thanks
Nikki
Hi! I see an earlier comment, but it seems to be missing, that you used half-and-half… is that correct? You’ll want to use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. Not half-and-half, not whipping cream. Make sure “heavy” is in the name.
Hi
My ganache is not shiny. Why is that?
Thank you
I made this cake for my granddaughter’s 16th birthday. I originally made the cupcakes from the cream-filled cupcakes but the foil liners fused to my pans. So this was my Plan B. I used a raspberry buttercream that I found somewhere else instead of the chocolate but I did everything else according to the recipe. There were a number of firsts for me: first time doing a crumb coat; using ganache as the frosting; making a dam with frosting; using a fruit filling between layers; having to use Plan B AND still arriving on time for the party. The first comment was from my son. “I want this cake for my birthday!” Others commented that THIS should be THE cake for everyone’s birthday from here on out!! Other comments: “Bangarang” “This cake slams” This is so delicious! Thank you Sally for making me look good after a first-bake disaster!!!
Hi! I am going to be making this for a birthday. I was wondering if it’s possible/ would work okay to freeze the whole cake for a couple of days all assembled but add the ganache on the day of serving? Would it thaw okay?
Hi Frida, since you’re covering the cake with the final layer of ganache after freezing and thawing, that should work just fine. Be sure the cake is wrapped tightly to prevent the cake from getting freezer burned. Here are all our tips on how to freeze cakes. Hope the cake is a hit!
You mentioned mousse may be used instead of the chocolate buttercream. Is this just for between the layers, or for the whole cake?
Hi Lauren, there is enough mousse in the dark chocolate mousse cake recipe for the dam and crumb coat in this chocolate raspberry cake. However, you’ll still want to add the chocolate ganache coating. Unless you want a naked-style cake with a thin mousse crumb coat. (And nothing over that.)
Thank you so much for this recipe, cannot wait to try it.
Can you put the raspberry filling through a sieve so there are no seeds or will this mess up the consistency of the filling?
Yes. You can, but the raspberry filling doesn’t stay as thick. You’ll need to add at least 1 more teaspoon cornstarch. And you’ll have less filling.
Would this work using either fresh sweet cherries or fresh blueberries?
Hi Kathy, the only other berry I’ve tested are blackberries. See recipe Note.
I really want to try this cake but just want 2 layers, how do I do that? how full do I fill the cake pans? or should I use less and make some cupcakes with the leftover.
Hi Patsy, there is too much batter for two pans. Overfilling your cake pan will lead to the cake not baking properly, it will be too heavy to rise and will likely overflow. If you only have 2 cake pans, you can bake two layers and leave the batter for the third layer covered at room temperature to bake when the first two are finished. OR you can fill 2 pans halfway, then use the rest for cupcakes. See recipe Note for cupcakes.
There are no words to describe this cake. It was heavenly. It took me a while to make but it was worth it. While my cake was a little lopsided, the taste made up for it.
This cake was a hit for my mother-in-law’s 80th birthday. I doubled the raspberry filling, didn’t make the ganache and made chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. Wish I could post a picture. They were fighting over the last piece!
I e been holding on to this recipe since February and finally had the occasion of my daughters birthday to make it. She loved it so much I was told that will be her requested birthday cake from now on. It was so delicious! We all loved everything about it.
Can’t wait to make this. Can I use 1 to 1 Gluten Free flour for this?
Hi Nancy, we haven’t tested this cake with a 1:1 gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you do give it a try!
I made this with gluten free flour and it was awesome. Especially loved the ganache!
Hi Sally, I am planning a 70th birthday celebration for my husband and looking for just the right cake. I do believe I’ve found it. I am having a lady friend make the cakes in a 7 and 0 shape to serve 50. Any suggestions I can pass along. I love the dark chocolate raspberry ganache idea especially.
Hi Penny, we haven’t made this exact cake as a number cake, but our cake pan sizes and conversions guide will be helpful if the baker is scaling this recipe for a different size pans. We hope it’s a big hit for your husband’s 70th!
Hi! How would you adjust to make this a 2 layer cake instead of 3? Thank you!
Hi Savannah, There is too much batter for two pans. Overfilling your cake pan will lead to the cake not baking properly, it will be too heavy to rise and will likely overflow. If you only have 2 cake pans, you can bake two layers and leave the batter for the third layer covered at room temperature to bake when the first two are finished.
For the Ganache, can you replace the Chambord with seedless raspberry puree (for example) as an alcohol free substitute? Will the ganache still ‘set’?
Hi Harley, puree is a bit thicker and we haven’t tested it ourselves, so we’re unsure of how it would work/set. You can use more heavy cream in place of the liqueur for an alcohol-free version.
Hi Sally, I love your recipes. Really looking forward to trying this one. Only thing is – I hate the texture of raspberry seeds. I love the flavour. But I hate the way the seeds get stuck in my teeth. I notice in a previous answer that you recommended keeping the seeds in. Could I blend the raspberry filling until it’s smooth? Would that work? Or could I just use the same weight of raspberry juice in place of the raspberries and use a bit more cornflour to thicken?
Hi Sarah, We don’t recommend using juice. You can try blending it, or if you wish to strain the seeds out see the recipe notes for details.
Hi! I’m going to make this cake, but I’m not sure if the cup measures in the recipe are US cups (237 mL) or metric cups (250 mL). Please let me know!
Hi Shari, US cups.
I made this cake as a birthday cake for a friend and it turned out great! The cake was not too sweet and the raspberry tasted so good with it. I personally don’t like American buttercream, but it worked in this recipe since it was only applied in thin layers. The only change I made was to skip the mini chocolate chips. Thank you for an incredible recipe!
Can I make this with strawberries?
Hi Zainab, Strawberries won’t cook down the same way raspberries do. For a strawberry cake filling, we use and recommend the filling from these strawberry shortcake cupcakes.
I would love to try this recipe but need it to serve a crowd. Is the batter too big for a 9×13 pan? If so, by how much does it need to be reduced?
This amount of batter will work in a 9×13-inch pan. You could skip the chocolate buttercream. Spread the raspberry filling on top, then perhaps pour the ganache on top. Takes about 35-40 minutes. Same oven temp.
I made this last week and absolutely loved this recipe, and all the different layers! Quick question: is there a way to make this with white chocolate ganache? I’ve been asked if this is possible so I can make it as a wedding cake 🙂 but I’m worried white chocolate will make it too sweet!
Hi Renee, absolutely! See our How to Make Chocolate Ganache post on how to make a white chocolate version. So glad you enjoyed this one!
Hi Sally! I love your blog, it is my go-to for baking recipes 🙂 This cake is just divine. My daughter loves it and wants it for her 3rd birthday party. She wants the outside to be red though – so I was wondering whether I could just put red food coloring in the frosting and just cover the cake with that, without the ganache – I feel like that may bring the chocolateyness down quite a bit though – would you have any suggestions on how to make this cake red on the outside?
Hi Namali! You can try adding red food coloring to the chocolate frosting, but the color may be a bit muddled. Your best bet is to color vanilla frosting (would still be wonderful on this cake!) or even try this strawberry buttercream and use freeze dried raspberries instead. Let us know what you try!
Thanks for your suggestions Lexi! I went with the strawberry buttercream with raspberries instead and the frosting was beautiful and delicious! I’m not a fan of sweet frosting and the berry powder added a lovely tartness to the frosting which was super!
And I solved the problem of the cake being less chocolatey by serving ganache on the side for people who wanted a more chocolatey cake to pour over their slice. Win-win!
We had 16 people over and this is the first time we finished a birthday cake during the party without leftovers! And everyone wiped their plate clean
Can’t wait to make it again!
It was very good. Made it exactly. Didn’t really taste the chambord though. All of Sally’s recipes are spot on!
I only made the cake, half the recipe, with a different topping.
The cake was delicious and incredibly moist.
If you only have dutch processed cocoa, go ahead and use it. It’s true that baking soda requires an acidity environment to act as a leaving agent, but the sour cream and buttermilk, combined with the baking powder already present in the recipe, are enough for a great rise.
I’m excited to make this cake this weekend but I would love a bit of advice. I have 8” x 3” cake pans and I don’t think there’s enough batter to fill each up halfway. I am debating between scaling up the recipe or filling up just two pans and then cutting each cake in half (to make four layers). Any recommendations?
Hi Mike! You can use this recipe exactly with no changes in 3, 8 inch pans. Your layers will be slightly thicker so it may take an extra minute or two of bake time but keep your eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
My mom makes a cake just like this every year for my birthday only difference we do is with the icing. We make a chocolate whipped cream and ice it with that. Just preference. Makes it much lighter and not as rich. Just what I like though. One of the best combos, raspberry and chocolate! Gimme, gimme!
This is the very first cake I have ever made from scratch. I’m no expert (obviously) but I thought it was an ambitiously complicated recipe. To show my complete insanity, I made it on easter sunday when I was making everything else! Drum roll…..it was AMAZING!!! It was moist, the raspberry filling was fabulous, the frosting and the shiny top layer…yum!
I didnt have a piping bag so I used a food saver bag with a notch cut out. That worked fine. The only error was cutting the top of the bottom layer so that it would be flat for the second layer. I ended up with uneven layers. Now that I’m a hot-shot cake baker i think I will make more. For my future escapades, what is the best way to get flat and even layers?
Hi Alison, we’re so happy to hear that this cake was a success for your Easter gathering. We usually just eyeball leveling the layers with a large, sharp knife. Some bakers swear by using a cake leveling tool for even layers – they’re widely available if you think it would be helpful!
I just made your Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream and loved it. For some reason, I was unable to leave a review for that one but noticed that I can leave a message here. That one showed reviews but did not have a place to put the star review or leave a message. I have a question about this cake. I want to make a chocolate layer cake with raspberry filling and vanilla buttercream. I’m looking for a very moist cake (like the lemon one) and wonder which of your chocolate cakes you would recommend for that combination. Thank you!
Hi Nancy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the lemon cake. Let me take a look at the post and see why the comments aren’t working properly. This chocolate cake is supremely moist. Most of my chocolate cake recipes are the exact same, or with very little variation. They are all very moist and tender, with great chocolate flavor. Some of my most popular recipes!