🍫 Dark Chocolate Raspberry Layer Cake

This Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cake is so decadent, moist, fudgy and delicious! It’s also very striking as a table centerpiece. It’s easy to make despite how fancy it looks and it starts with two layers of moist chocolate cake with a fresh raspberry chocolate mousse filling and covered in a fudgy dark chocolate ganache frosting. This is a cake for special occasions, however when you discover how easy it is to prepare, you may be making it more often! I also think this cake would be ideal for Valentine’s Day. If you prefer a pure chocolate cake, be sure to check out my most popular Moist Chocolate Cake recipe, and also the smaller version: Ultimate Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• Easy one bowl recipe – this cake can be made in one bowl with a whisk! You don’t need a mixer, although you certainly can if you want.
• Moist fudgy chocolate cake – the cake is SO super moist! It has the softest texture and stays moist for days.
• Rich chocolate flavor – you will love the smooth and rich chocolate taste that shines through these cake layers.
• Fresh raspberry chocolate mousse – the filling is a beautiful fruity tart and sweet chocolate mousse made with fresh raspberries.
• Fresh raspberry filling – in addition to mashed raspberries incorporated into the mousse, there are also whole fresh raspberries throughout.
• Fudgy chocolate frosting – I use a rich chocolate ganache made with sour cream for the frosting. It is so easy to make and you don’t need softened butter nor icing sugar. It’s simple and so decadent and fudgy! Many people have told me this is the best frosting they’ve ever made!

INGREDIENTS

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• All purpose flour – you do not need specialty cake flour to make a wonderful chocolate cake. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour is the most common mistake and leads to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off. This batter is meant to be quite runny so refrain from adding more flour to make it thicker.
• Granulated sugar – simple white sugar will keep this cake sweet and moist.
• Pure vanilla extract – vanilla is essential to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. Do not leave it out!
• Cocoa powder – you can make due with cheap flour, sour cream, milk and oil but you should get your hands on some good quality cocoa powder! It’s the main flavor and you want it to shine so use the best you can find. I love to use this Dutch Process cocoa powder for this recipe. Make sure you use unsweetened cocoa powder and not cocoa mix.
• Chocolate chips – I fold mini dark chocolate chips into the batter and they mostly melt right in giving you these little fudgy pieces throughout the cake. It’s divine! Mini chocolate chips will suspend better and wont fall to the bottom of the cake like the larger size.

• Eggs – two whole eggs will set the structure of this cake and help emulsify the batter.
• Sour cream – one of the secrets to the best moist chocolate cake recipe is sour cream! And a lot of it. Sour cream contributes the dairy undertones, rich flavor and body (thanks to its high protein and fat content) that oil-based cakes lack. Full fat sour cream adds richness and dairy notes to this cake in the absence of butter.
• Oil – this is an oil-based cake. Although I LOVE BUTTER, oil makes cakes ultra moist since it is liquid at room temperature. Plus, with this intense chocolate flavor and the sour cream, you won’t miss the butter.
• Hot coffee – this recipe is unique in that uses hot coffee in the batter. The hot liquid dissolves the sugar and activates the leavening agents so that the cake begins to rise and set instantly. It is also the reason why this cake is so moist.
• Dark chocolate – you’ll need pure dark chocolate to make the frosting. Anything between 50 and 70% cocoa solids will work, but I highly recommend dark chocolate with 60% cocoa solids. You can blend semisweet chocolate with my favorite bittersweet chocolate callets which are very convenient.
• Cream – you will need heavy whipping cream which has 35% milkfat to make the filling and the frosting.
• Raspberries – bright, tart fresh raspberries are the star here. You will mash some of them and mix them into the filling and then layer in whole raspberries too.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

This recipe is SO EASY and you can make it all with a bowl and a whisk — no mixer required if you don’t have one!

• STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt and whisk to blend well.
• STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. Combine eggs, melted butter, oil, sour cream and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well.
• STEP 3). Mix wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk or an electric hand mixer on medium-low until blended. It will be thick and somewhat dry.
• STEP 4). Mix in hot coffee. Add the hot coffee gradually in two stages to minimize clumps forming and beat until evenly combined and the batter smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
• STEP 5). Bake. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 24-28 minutes until cakes spring back when pressed gently and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto the rack to cool completely.
• STEP 6). Assemble the cake. First prepare the frosting as per the instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the page. Once the frosting is cooled, use some of the frosting to make the cream filling. Spread the filling over one layer of cake and poke some fresh raspberries into it. Place the second layer on top and cover the cake with the rich frosting.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Use a neutral tasting oil like pure sunflower oil for the cleanest flavor to let the chocolate taste stand out.
• Do not reduce the sugar – the right amount of sugar will make cake moist because it binds water so that it stays tightly in the batter and doesn’t evaporate excessively during baking.
• Keep an eye on the baking time. Set a timer for the first time stated in the recipe and check with a skewer — it should come out clean.
• Do not use frozen raspberries – only fresh raspberries will work for this recipe because frozen berries will leach water once they thaw and it will breakdown the structure of the mousse filling.

RECIPE FAQ

If you love cake, check out these recipes!

Ultimate Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake

Lemon Pistachio Cake

Sticky Toffee Date Cake

Moist Lemon Blueberry Bread

Olive Oil Chocolate Bundt Cake

Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe with Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting

Blueberry Peach Upside Down Cake

Video

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Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Christina Marsigliese

Rich fudgy dark chocolate cake layers with a raspberry chocolate mousse filling all covered in dark chocolate ganache frosting, then topped with fresh raspberries. This is a chocolate-lover’s dream!

5 from 10 votes

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Servings12 servings

Ingredients

Cake batter:

• 2 cups (284g) all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup (56g) cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup (60ml) sunflower oil
• ⅓ cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted
• ¾ cup (180ml) full fat sour cream
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240ml) hot coffee
• ½ cup (85g) mini dark chocolate chips

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

• 1 cup (237ml) 35% whipping cream
• 3 tablespoon (45ml) honey
• 2 tablespoon (28g) unsalted butter
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 10 oz (284g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
• ½ cup (120ml) full fat sour cream
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Filling:

• • ¾ cup 180ml Chocolate Fudge Frosting

• • ½ cup 120ml 35% heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup 60g fresh raspberries

Instructions

• • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the base with rounds of parchment paper. I never need to grease the sides of my pans, but you can brush with melted butter or oil and dust some flour over it. Tap out the excess flour.
  • Make the cake batter. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add sugar and salt and whisk to blend well.
  • Combine eggs, oil, melted butter, sour cream and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well. Pour it into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium-low until blended. It will be thick and somewhat dry. Add the hot coffee gradually in two stages to minimize clumps forming and beat until evenly combined and the batter smooth. Fold in mini chocolate chips.
  • Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 24-28 minutes until cakes spring back when pressed gently and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto the rack to cool completely.

• Make the frosting. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat 1 cup of cream in a small saucepan until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour it over the chocolate in the bowl. Add honey or corn syrup, butter, vanilla and salt and whisk gently until smooth and glossy. Whisk in sour cream. Cover the bowl, place it in the freezer and stir every 5 minutes until thickened but not stiff. It will take 30-40 minutes. If you use the fridge it will take over an hour. Place the bowl in the fridge for about 20 minutes until thickened. Do not leave it in much longer or it will set up firm. If it is still really runny, then place it back in the fridge for another 5 minutes. Once thick like warm pudding, beat with a whisk until thick and lightened a bit. Stop whisking if it starts to look matte and thick – just whip a few times but it should still stay glossy. It will firm up as you spread it.
• Make the filling. Take ¾ cup of the frosting and place in another medium bowl. Whip the remaining ½ cup of cream to firm peaks and fold it in. Mash up ½ cup (60g) of raspberries with a fork and fold it in. Spread most of this filling over one cake layer. Scatter some fresh raspberries over the filling, then spread a bit more of the chocolate mousse over top to seal them in. Place the second layer on top.
• Use the frosting immediately. Spread it over cooled cake layers right away and avoid spreading around too much which will make it stiffen up.