Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/20/21
Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake on a platter and cake slices on plates

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 90 mins
Cook: 40 mins
Total: 2 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 1 cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
799 Calories
34g Fat
121g Carbs
7g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 799
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 43%
Saturated Fat 15g 74%
Cholesterol 91mg 30%
Sodium 498mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 121g 44%
Dietary Fiber 8g 27%
Total Sugars 91g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 21mg 106%
Calcium 98mg 8%
Iron 5mg 29%
Potassium 202mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This chocolate raspberry layer cake will be an instant hit whether you bake it for friends, family, or that special someone. The cake might look challenging at first glance, but it is pretty straightforward. Even though there are several steps to this recipe, the cake, filling, and frosting can all be prepared a day or two in advance. All you have to do on the serving day is assemble the layers, frost the cake, and add some fresh raspberries to the top.

Raspberries pair well with chocolate, making the raspberry filling the perfect combo for a stunning holiday-worthy dessert. You can always swap the homemade filling out with raspberry jam or cake filling if you're short on time.

The dark chocolate cake is moist and decadent, and the 3 layers make a beautiful and dramatic statement with the bright red raspberries and chocolate buttercream frosting.

"This cake is an easy and impressive dessert that requires little effort but delivers a big reward! The recipe is delicious because it combines the moist chocolate cake, tangy raspberry filling, and rich frosting to make a cake that is truly perfect for all occasions." —Kiana Rollins

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Ingredients

For the Raspberry Filling:

  • 1 cup (198 grams) sugar

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon water

  • 4 cups (about 500 grams) frozen raspberries, or fresh

For the Cake:

  • 2 cups (255 grams) all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups (397 grams) sugar

  • 2/3 cup (65 grams) unsweetened natural cocoa powder

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 cup buttermilk, well shaken

  • 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1 cup very hot water, or hot freshly brewed coffee

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

  • 1 1/4 cups (12 tablespoons/283 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 4 cups (454 grams) confectioners' sugar

  • 3/4 cup (75 grams) unsweetened natural cocoa powder

  • 4 to 6 tablespoons heavy cream, or half-and-half or milk, as needed

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 6 ounces fresh raspberries, optional, for garnish

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Raspberry Filling

  1. Gather the raspberry filling ingredients.

    Raspberry Filling ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Whisk to combine and then add the lemon juice, water, and frozen (or fresh) raspberries.

    Sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, water, and raspberries in a saucepan with a whisk

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

    Raspberry filling in a saucepan on a burner, with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Let the raspberry filling cool and refrigerate until it's time to assemble the cake.

    Raspberry Filling in a saucepan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Make the Chocolate Cake

  1. Gather the cake ingredients.

    Chocolate Cake ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and then line them with parchment paper. Set aside.

    Parchment paper lined cake pans

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir to blend thoroughly.

    Flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract together.

    Eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract in a bowl with a whisk

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and mix until combined. 

    Chocolate cake batter in a bowl, with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Add the hot water (or hot coffee) to the mixing bowl and mix just until the batter is combined. The batter will be thin.

    Chocolate cake batter in a bowl with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Divide the batter evenly among the baking pans. If you are weighing ingredients, it will be roughly 15 to 16 ounces per pan for a 3-layer cake or about 22 to 24 ounces per pan for a 2-layer cake.

    Cake batter in cake pans and in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Bake the cakes for 24 to 27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.

    Chocolate cake in a cake pan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Cool the cake layers in the pan on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.

    Chocolate cake in a cake pan on a cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Then, turn the layers out onto the cooling racks to cool completely.

    Chocolate cakes on a cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prepare the Chocolate Buttercream

  1. Gather the ingredients for the chocolate buttercream.

    Chocolate Buttercream ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter for 2 minutes or until creamy. 

    Butter in a bowl, next to a stand mixer

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Sift the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder together in a separate bowl.

    Confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder in a glass bowl, next to a strainer

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter along with 4 tablespoons cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat for about 1 minute, adding more cream if needed, until you reach the desired spreading consistency. If the buttercream gets too soft, refrigerate it for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up before frosting the cake.

    Chocolate Buttercream in a bowl, next to a stand mixer

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Assemble the Cake

  1. Place a cake layer on a cake plate or cake stand and spread with about a cup of raspberry filling.

    Raspberry filling spread from a bowl on to chocolate cake on a platter

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Place the second layer on top and spread with more raspberry filling. Add the 3rd layer.

    Chocolate cake slices with raspberry filling on a plate

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the chocolate buttercream frosting. If you have leftover filling, refrigerate it in a covered container or jar for other uses.

    Chocolate cake covered with Chocolate Buttercream on a plate

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. If desired, arrange fresh raspberries over the top of the frosted cake or add a decorative piped edging with any leftover buttercream and refrigerate until it's time to serve.

    Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake garnished with raspberries, on a platter

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Make-Ahead Tips

  • You may make the raspberry filling a day or two in advance. Cover and refrigerate until about an hour or two before you plan to assemble the layers. Make sure the filling is completely cooled and thick before assembling the cake so that the cake layers sit securely when filled and stacked.
  • You may make the cake layers a day in advance. Wrap each layer—slightly warm or thoroughly cooled—in plastic wrap and stack them, placing cardboard cake rounds between the layers.
  • You may make the buttercream frosting a day or two in advance. Cover the frosting and refrigerate until about 2 hours before you plan to assemble the cake. Re-beat it for a minute or two with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Recipe Variations

  • Replace the raspberry filling with about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of raspberry cake filling or jam.
  • To Make Seedless Raspberry Filling: Simmer the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice together until the raspberries break down into a sauce. Use a food mill to remove the seeds or press them through a sieve. Add the seedless juice back to the saucepan and bring it back to a simmer. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to form a paste. Add this to the raspberry sauce and continue cooking until thickened.
  • Add even more drama to the chocolate raspberry cake with a ganache drip around the edge.
  • If you don't have buttermilk, it's easy to make a substitute. For 1 cup of buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a fluid measuring cup. Add milk to the 1 cup level and let stand for about 10 minutes.

How to Store

  • Store the cake, covered, in the refrigerator—it will last for up to 1 week. Serve the cake at room temperature; remove it from the fridge about 1 to 2 hours before serving.
  • To freeze leftover cake slices, arrange them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Wrap the portions tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a resealable freezer bag.