Raspberries and chocolate are a classic pairing. This chocolate cake batter comes together in under 10 minutes and bakes into an exceptionally soft, moist cake. A simple homemade raspberry sauce adds bright freshness, and a glossy chocolate ganache finishes everything for an elegant dessert.
I’m baking for summer even if the calendar hasn’t officially turned. I usually prefer cooler-season treats, but light, fruity cakes are hard to resist. A raspberry recipe felt overdue on the blog—so here’s a chocolate cake with a bright raspberry filling and rich ganache.
Raspberry chocolate cake ingredients:
This recipe has three components: raspberry filling, chocolate cake, and chocolate ganache. The ingredient list looks long but mostly consists of pantry staples.
- Fresh raspberries
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Fresh lemon juice
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder & baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs
- Milk
- Sour cream (or a substitute)
- Vegetable oil (or another neutral oil)
- Vanilla extract
- Semi-sweet baking chocolate
- Heavy cream
How to make raspberry chocolate cake:
Make the raspberry filling:
- Cook raspberries and sugar. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine raspberries and sugar. Stir and gently mash until the mixture comes to a boil and the berries soften, about 5–10 minutes.
- Dissolve cornstarch in water. Mix cornstarch and water until smooth, then add to the pan.
- Thicken and finish. Return to medium heat and stir until the sauce boils and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice, transfer to a bowl, and cool completely before using.
Make the chocolate cake:
- Prepare pans and preheat oven. Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 9-inch round pans and dust with cocoa powder or line with parchment rounds.
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- Combine wet ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, milk, sour cream, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Mix batter and bake. Add dry ingredients to wet and whisk until no dry streaks remain. Divide batter between pans and bake 20–25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool. Let cakes cool 10–15 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Chilling the layers briefly can make stacking and frosting easier.
Make the chocolate ganache frosting:
- Heat chocolate and cream. Place chopped chocolate and warm heavy cream in a heatproof bowl. Melt gently using short bursts in a microwave (stirring between each burst) or over a bain-marie. Heat low and slow until fully smooth and glossy.
- Cool to spreadable consistency. Cover the ganache directly with plastic wrap (touching the surface) and let cool to room temperature. Chill briefly if needed, stirring occasionally so it firms evenly but remains spreadable.
Assembly:
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a thin layer of ganache on top and pipe or spread a small ganache border to hold the filling.
- Fill the center with cooled raspberry sauce, spreading gently to the ganache border.
- Top with the second cake layer and cover the top and sides with remaining ganache. Decorate with fresh raspberries or shaved chocolate if desired.
- Slice and serve.
How to keep this chocolate cake moist
This cake stays moist thanks to vegetable oil and sour cream. Oil keeps crumb tender and sour cream adds richness and prevents drying. Avoid overmixing the batter—mix only until combined—to keep the texture light. Also watch baking time closely: start checking around 20 minutes so you don’t overbake.
Working with chocolate ganache
Ganache is simple and intensely chocolatey. Use good-quality baking or couverture chocolate for best flavor and smooth melting. Heat gently—overheating can make chocolate grainy. Cover the surface with plastic wrap while cooling to prevent condensation. If the ganache firms too much, warm it very gently to return it to a spreadable texture.
Equipment
- Two 9-inch round cake pans
- Mixing bowls
- Wire rack
- Heatproof bowl for ganache (or microwave-safe bowl)
Enjoy!