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The Best Chocolate Raspberry Cake

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Soft chocolate raspberry cake layers with the most luscious raspberry buttercream and chocolate ganache!
Servings 12 slices
Author Mandy Merriman - Baking with Blondie

Ingredients

Chocolate Raspberry Cake Layers

  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 3 whole large eggs room temperature
  • 1 egg white room temperature
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon raspberry extract/emulsion
  • 1/4 cup freeze dried raspberries 1.25oz bag pulsed into a powder and THEN measure out 1/4 cup for this recipe

    (save the rest of the powder for the buttercream :)

  • 15.25oz box Dark Chocolate or Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix I used Duncan Hines

Raspberry Buttercream

  • 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter (3 sticks) left out at room temperature for 10 minutes
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon raspberry emulsion/extract
  • 1/4 cup freeze dried raspberries pulsed into a powder
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 7-8 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Ganache Drip

  • 2 cups Ghirardelli Melting Chocolate
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Garnishes

  • 1-2 cups fresh raspberries

Instructions

For the Chocolate Raspberry Cake Layers

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, prep 2 8" cake rounds with baking spray and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the cake mix. Gently fold in the cake mix until everything is incorporated, then split the batter between the prepared cake rounds. Bake for 25-27 minutes, then let cool completely. Freeze until you're ready to assemble.

For the raspberry buttercream

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's light and fluffy, then add in the salt, vanilla, extract, raspberry powder, and heavy cream. Mix until incorporated, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Whip up on high speed for 2 minutes, then stack and frost the cake using a cake scraper. Freeze for 5 minutes before adding on the ganache - make sure to save enough in a piping bag fitted with your preferred piping tip for the decorations on top!

For the Ganache Drip

  • In a microwave safe bowl, pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Add in another 20 seconds and stir again until smooth. Add more chocolate if it's too thin, and add a touch more cream if it's too thick. Add to a drip bottle, and then add the drip to the cake. Place into the freezer for 5 minutes before piping on the dollops on top, and then the fresh raspberry. Enjoy!