Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Buttercream
This Chocolate Cake is perfect for a party! Moist chocolate cake layers, filled and frosted with a sweet and delicate raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream, for a pretty pink dessert that’s sure to delight!
Isn’t this a pretty pink cake?
Is it bad that I made it for my husband’s birthday? Be honest.
It’s ok. I know it is. This cake has no business being at a grown man’s birthday celebration. I feel terrible about it. But what can I say? After the dude food bonanza known as Superbowl, I just really needed something frilly and flowery for Valentine’s Day.
When it comes to desserts, I’ve got two top favorite categories: one is sweet/salty and the other is chocolate/fruit. Chocolate and raspberry is a gorgeous combination and it works beautifully in this towering triple-layer beauty. Besides being lovely for your Valentine, I think it would be equally fitting for a bridal or baby shower, a little girl’s birthday party, or even for Mother’s Day.
The cake itself is rich and deeply chocolate-y. It’s actually just this cupcake recipe, baked in three 8-inch round cake pans. The recipe is tried and true. It is, hands-down, the most popular recipe on my site. Everyone loves it because it’s easy to make, moist, and the flavor is off the charts. When combined with a subtly sweet, light and fruity raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream, it’s just dreamy.
I know the decoration looks fancy but honestly, you won’t believe how simple it really is. I will be demo-ing it this Wednesday on Fox Good Day, so if you’re in the Philly area keep an eye on the tv around 9:30 am EST. If not, I’ll be putting the clip up later that afternoon, so I’ll add a link back to this post then.
*UPDATE: Watch the clip here.*
Just FYI, I love this kind of piping bag for decorating with buttercream. And the tip I used here is a 1M. One tip makes both kinds of rosettes that you see here. I also added a sprinkling of these and these, to make it extra pretty. Maximum impact; minimal effort.
PS- I don’t think my husband really minded all that much!
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Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Buttercream
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (62.5 g) cake flour
- 1 cup (86 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, (2 sticks), softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (200 g) plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the frosting*
- 2 cups (240 g) frozen raspberries,, thawed
- 6 egg whites
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, (4 sticks), softened
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously mist three 8-inch diameter cake pans with non-stick spray, and line with circles cut from parchment paper.
- Place the sugar, flours, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and whisk to combine.
- Cut the butter into smaller pieces and add it to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until the mixture resembles damp sand (30 seconds to a minute).
- Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
- When all of the eggs are fully incorporated, add the Greek yogurt and vanilla, and beat on medium speed for about 60 to 90 seconds, to aerate the batter and strengthen the cake's structure.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans, and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with one or two moist crumbs. Cool completely, then fill and frost with raspberry buttercream.
Make the frosting:
- Puree the thawed berries in a food processor, then strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the seeds.
- Place the puree in a small pot and cook on medium-low heat until thickened and reduced by about half. You should have about 1/4 cup of cooked puree. Set aside to cool.
- Place the egg whites and sugar in a large mixing bowl set over a pot of simmering water.
- Cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is smooth, thin, and translucent, and it no longer feels gritty when rubbed between the thumb and forefinger.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk on medium-high speed until fluffy and stiff, and no hint of warmth remains when you place your hand on the side of the bowl.
- Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, whipping after each addition. If the mixture seems runny, place it in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes, then re-whip. When all the butter has been added and the mixture is fluffy and spreadable, stir in the cooled raspberry puree until fully incorporated.
Hi there! Could you use a store bought raspberry jam or preserve instead of the puree for the buttercream?
Hey Jen! I absolutely think that would work and I bet it’s a great shortcut. Good luck and thanks for the great question!
Hi Allie, I fell in love with this cake, I’ve just made a test run today ready for the real thing at the weekend. It went ok but my icing was definitely not as smooth as your finished look, it seemed quite runny, I kept putting it in the fridge but it didn’t get much firmer??
Also I have realised I will have to make 3 cakes in total to cater for everyone, how far in advance can I make the cakes? How is best to store them? & once I’ve iced them are they best kept fridges until serving??
Sorry for all the questions, I’m a bit new to all this!!! X
No worries at all Fleur! You can definitely make and frost the cakes in advance. And yes, they’re best kept in the fridge. I’m not really sure why your frosting came out runny though..? Was the meringue fluffy and stiff before the butter went in? Had it cooled completely? How long did you refrigerate it? Was the raspberry puree thick and jammy before you folded it in?
Thank you so much, it will definitely help if I can get them prepared a bit earlier.
I think probably it was a combination of all those things, I think the meringue wasn’t cool enough & the butter too warm? I did fridge it for over an hour but maybe I was fighting a losing battle by then?! My coulis probably could have been thicker….that’s why I did a test run!! I will try to remember to take my time next time!!
Some recipes recommend using half butter/half shortening to make a firmer, more temperature stable frosting, would you recommend this?
It’s all a learning process, right? I bet the next time it will come out perfect. I have never really tried adding shortening to Swiss buttercream but I imagine it would probably work (?) Personally I prefer the taste of butter but I can totally understand why you’d want that extra little bit of insurance, especially with the weather as hot as it’s been. Good luck!
Thank you thank you for taking the fear out of Swiss Buttercream for me! I used cherries in the frosting and it was delish! I had a learning curve making it on an extremely hot day but I’ll take note for next time. The cake was a hit as well! I will definitely make this again! But I do have a question, if I don’t use any fruit reduction do I just add some vanilla to the frosting?
Hey Kim! Oh my goodness it’s my pleasure! I love Swiss buttercream and I think it’s so worth that little bit of extra effort. I’m so glad you liked the cake and yes! Just leave out the fruit and add a little vanilla, or chocolate, or espresso… The options are limitless!
I saw this on Pinterest and I had to come tell you this is one of the prettiest cakes I have seen. I just love it!!! Now if only my husband could make this for me on my birthday, lol!
Aw, thank you so much Malinda!
When you say set the mixing bowl over a pot of water, you are just using a glass mixing bowl and setting it on the pot with a gap between the bottom of the bowl and the water? I have never tried that before and want to make sure I do it correctly. My daughter is turning 5 and requested this cake based on the picture she saw on Pinterest. I love making different and unique cakes each year for my kids, so I am excited to try this for her.
I love doing that too Jessica! And yes you have exactly the right idea. I just use my mixing bowl from my stand mixer and place it above the simmering water just as you said. My mixing bowl is actually metal, but it should work with glass too. Just be aware- because the glass is so much thicker it may take a little longer to heat and a little longer as well to cool. Cooling is really important so please don’t rush that step! If you do the butter will get too melty and you’ll have runny frosting. You can bring it back by placing it in the fridge and re-whipping, but I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly for you and your daughter. Please tell her I said happy birthday! And I hope she enjoys the cake!
Thank you! I think she will. I love a new cake recipe. I am more worried about the decoration on the top. I am great at making things that taste delicious, but usually don’t care much about making them “pretty.” However, I know half the reason she picked this one was for the beautiful flowers on top! Wish me luck. Her birthday is in 2 weeks, so I will let you know how it turned out.
I’m sure you’ll have no problem with it whatsoever! Those pretty flowers are so much easier to make than they look. And the sprinkles help a lot too! Good luck 🙂
Did your raspberries have added sugar? Thanks. Trying the recipe tomorrow.
No, they didn’t. They were just straight up frozen raspberries, but there is sugar in the buttercream to make it sweet. Hope you enjoy, Alana! Thanks so much for reading 🙂
Could carob powder be used in this recipe instead of cocoa powder?
Hey Teresa! I have to be honest, I’m not real familiar with carob powder and how to use it. That said, if it’s something that can be substituted for cocoa cup for cup, I’d definitely give it a try! Good luck and let us know how you make out! 🙂
Can I make this with fresh raspberries?
Hey Ina! You sure can- you’ll just want to be sure and cook them down so they’re pretty thick. If you have about 1/4 cup of cooked puree, you should be good. Thanks for reading; hope you enjoy!
I had same problem as Amanda with frosting becoming granulated and moisture not blending in with egg whites and butter. Butter is oily and raspberries are wet – it does not collide well. Cake was tasty but frosting looked terrible. Will try turning this recepie into chocolate mousse cake instead next time. Btw what would you recommend to add to make frosting chololate taste? Thank you
Hey Marianna! I’m so sorry you had difficulty with the frosting. It’s really important to cook those raspberries down quite a bit before adding them in. Because, like you said, raspberries are wet. Fat and water don’t want to mix but if you cook as much moisture out of the berries as possible, you’re less likely to have that problem. The thicker the puree is, the less water content, and the more it intensifies the flavors. If you want to make a chocolate buttercream, definitely check out this post. It’s my favorite recipe! https://bakingamoment.com/simply-perfect-chocolate-swiss-meringue-buttercream/
Thank you Allie for your response. Chocolate cream sounds amazing! You have a very good website.
Thank you! That is such a sweet compliment, you really made my day! xo
I baked this in a 9×13″ pan at 350°F for 35 minutes, and it turned out perfect!!! If anyone is wondering, the recipe yields a little more than 7 cups of batter. I love the flavor, I love how fluffy it is (not dense – the way cake should be!), and I love how tall it baked. Will definitely keep this recipe! Thank you so much
Awesome! I’m so happy you liked it Carley! I love a good fluffy cake too. Thanks so much for all the great info 🙂
If I made this as cupcakes, do you have any idea how many it would make?
Hey Star! I actually included a link to the cupcakes recipe within the post. Here it is again, in case you missed it: https://bakingamoment.com/simply-perfect-chocolate-cupcakes/. All the info is on that page, but to answer your question it makes 32.
Made this cake today for a birthday and although very pretty and the frosting was good, I did not like the cake at all. The batter was difficult to work with because it was so thick. Really almost no liquid. It looked like brownie batter and the cake was heavy and dense. Like a brownie. Will not remake this again.
I’m sorry to hear you weren’t happy with it, Cheryl. I actually love the thicker batter, it makes portioning it out into cake or cupcake pans really easy and drip-free. However when I make it it’s usually really light and fluffy in texture. It should not be like a brownie at all. Just for the benefit of others who may be reading your comment: be sure not to overmix this batter. Beat in the eggs just until incorporated, and once the yogurt and vanilla goes in, it should only be mixed for a minute or so on medium-low speed. If you want to see how the batter looks before baking, check out this post: https://bakingamoment.com/simply-perfect-chocolate-cupcakes/.
Just baked the cake for a school potluck, can’t wait! I didn’t think to ask beforehand, how long do you let it cool in the pan before turning it out? It’s on my counter now so I guess I’ll play it by ear this time, but in case I miss it . . . 😉
so, to answer my own question . . . I went back to check the cakes after asking and they were loose in the pan so i dumped them out 🙂
I’m working with a time budget, can I go ahead and make the raspberry puree in advance of making the rest of the icing? Would it need to be in the fridge, then come to room temp before adding to the icing?
Sorry I didn’t get to your other question sooner Ruth! But it sounds like you figured out out on your own. Definitely make the raspberry puree ahead if you can! If it’s too hot when you add it to the buttercream, it will melt it. I hope that helps!
Hello, I was wondering what nozzle you used for the flowers???
Hey Lianne! All the products are listed and linked in the second to last paragraph of the post. Hope that helps!
I plan to make this cake this weekend for my daughter’s 4th birthday. However, I need to know what adjustments need to be made for 9″ rounds instead of 8″ rounds. Do I just make it the same exact way?! I’m not a great cook so any advice is helpful 🙂
Hi Ursula!
I have not tested the recipe as a 9-inch cake, so I can’t say for certain, but I do think it should work as is. Just divide the batter equally between the two pans and keep an eye on it as it bakes. When it springs back after you press it in the middle, stick a toothpick in it. If the toothpick comes out clean or with one or two moist crumbs clinging to it, you can take it out of the oven.
I hope that helps! Good luck and enjoy 🙂
I made this cake today, and other then the fact that I didn’t let the sugar completely dissolve for the frosting the cake was absolutely INCREDIBLE. I plan on using this recipe for one of the cakes at my wedding. Thanks so much for sharing.
I’m so thrilled that you love it, Maleia! It’s definitely a favorite of mine too. Thanks so much for the awesome feedback. Congratulations and all the best to you and your beau!