Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Posted Jul 27, 2026
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This chocolate raspberry cake has raspberry preserves in the batter and a fresh, homemade raspberry filling. It’s moist with a perfect crumb and a deep chocolate and raspberry flavor.
This chocolate raspberry cake recipe is the perfect cake if you love the classic raspberry & chocolate flavor combination. It’s rich, chocolatey, irresistibly moist, and has a delicious fresh homemade raspberry filling!
My secret for the best raspberry and chocolate cake is to bake raspberry preserves into the batter. So you’re not just relying a filling or frosting to make it taste like raspberries, the cake itself has a delicious raspberry flavor!
However, the raspberry filling and a layer of homemade raspberry frosting both take this cake to the next level. Then, the final layer of chocolate buttercream finishes it off beautifully for the most delicious, impressive cake ever.
Whether you’re baking for a holiday, birthday, or just want a fun baking project, this raspberry chocolate cake is sure to become a favorite. It’s a bakery-quality dessert that’s surprisingly easy to make!
Raspberry Chocolate Cake: Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-purpose flour. You can also use cake flour. Or, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Choose your favorite variety. For an extra-dark cake, use dark cocoa powder.
- Canola oil. Oil keeps this chocolate raspberry cake extra moist. You can substitute equal amounts of melted butter or another neutral oil like olive oil if desired; however, canola oil will yield the best results. Or try my olive oil chocolate cake.
- Sour cream. Full-fat, plain yogurt works well in place of sour cream.
- Whole milk. Half and half or heavy cream are the best substitutes.
- Seedless raspberry jam. If you’d prefer, you can make extra filling and use it in the cake instead of jam. But it has to be seedless, or completely smooth.
- Raspberries. Fresh or frozen berries both work well.
- For notes on the frostings, see my chocolate buttercream recipe and raspberry frosting.
How to Make Chocolate Raspberry cake
There are a few steps to making this cake, but each is fairly straightforward and easy to do! Make sure to watch the video for additional guidance.
Make the Raspberry Filling
The raspberry filling needs to chill, so I’ll often make it a full day in advance. Begin by blending the raspberries and raspberry jam together in a high-powered blender until smooth. It’s important to use a high-powered blender with a smaller container – 48-ounce maximum.
Then, mix the water and cornstarch together in a small bowl and set it aside.
Next, transfer the raspberry puree to a small saucepan and stir in the sugar and vanilla.
Remove ½ cup of the mixture from the pan and transfer to a glass jar to be used later to make the frosting.
Then, add the water and cornstarch mixture to the filling and stir until it’s fully incorporated.
Next, cook the filling over medium heat, stirring often until thickened – it will thickly coat the back of a spatula. This should take between 5 and 10 minutes.
Transfer the raspberry mixture to a glass jar with a lid or a glass container with a lid and chill overnight, or for at least 6 hours.
The raspberry filling thickens more as it cools.
Make the Cake
Now, it’s time to make the cake. Begin by lining two 6″ round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly greasing.
Then, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl and set it aside.
Next, in a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together until smooth – sour cream, eggs, preserves, vanilla, and canola oil.
Then stir in the dry ingredients until combined.
Next, divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans. Bake the chocolate rasperry cakes in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Freeze the Cakes
To prevent crumbs from getting into the frosting, freeze the cakes before assembly.
Place cake pans on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature (takes about 30 minutes).
Once the cakes are cool, lift them out of the pans and remove parchment paper. Let cool completely on the wire cooling rack.*
Make the Frosting
This chocolate raspberry cake has two layers of frosting, a base coat of raspberry frosting and a top coat of chocolate buttercream frosting You can choose to use both, or only one flavor – whatever you prefer.
See the detailed instructions on how to make the frosting on these posts: raspberry buttercream frosting and chocolate buttercream recipe.
Assemble The Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Once the cakes are cooled, spread a little bit of frosting on the bottom of a cake pan and place the first cake round on top. Press it down a bit so it “adheres” to the frosting.
Next, pipe a thin circle of chocolate frosting around the outside edge of the bottom layer. This will prevent the raspberry filling from oozing out of the sides of the cake.
Then, evenly spread the raspberry filling inside the piped circle of frosting. You may have leftovers – it’s better to have a little leftover than put too much in the center because it will ooze out.
Then, put the top layer over the filling and freeze for 1 hour – until the filling sets.
Once the raspberry chocolate cake is frozen, spread the raspberry frosting over the cake. Then, return it to the freezer for about 30 minutes, until the frosting is completely frozen.
Once the base coat of raspberry frosting is frozen, remove the cake from the freezer and spread the chocolate buttercream frosting evenly over the entire cake. It’s important the cake is frozen so the two layers of frosting don’t mix together.
Then, if you feel so inclined, pipe decorations on the top of the cake, or decorate with fresh raspberries. I use a Wilton 1M tip, large coupler and piping bags to make large roses with the leftover of both frosting to give a beautiful finish.
Serve
Chill the cake in the refrigerator until it’s set. Then serve it slightly chilled or room temperature (preferred for best texture).
This cake is very rich, so a little goes a long way. I made this cake to serve at a party of about 30 people and there was plenty to go around.
Making a smaller cake
Or, you can halve this recipe and bake it in two, 6″ round cake pans to make a cake that serves about 8 to 10 people.
Store/Freeze
Store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let it slowly come to room temperature – do not heat or microwave or the frosting will melt.
More Delicious Cake Recipes
- The very best homemade chocolate cake
- Strawberry cake
- Apple cake
- Chocolate sheet cake and vanilla sheet cake both serve a crowd!
- Moist yellow cake
- My absolute favorite cake – coconut cake!
- And the only carrot cake recipe you’ll ever need.
Chocolate Raspberry Cake Recipe FAQS
A double layer, 9″ cake like this serves 20 to 30 people (minimum). A little goes a long way – trust me, it’s very rich!
Yes, halve this recipe and bake it in two 6″ round cake pans to make a cake that serves about 10 to 12 people.
Yes, but preserves are better for the batter because they provide concentrated flavor and consistent sweetness. Fresh raspberries vary a lot in sweetness and can add extra moisture to the batter.
Yes, it’s actually best when made a day in advance and chilled in the fridge overnight.
Here are my top suggestions:
–Chocolate buttercream
-Chocolate ganache
–Raspberry buttercream
Or a combination of all three! 😉
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Chocolate and Raspberry Cake Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup canola oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup seedless raspberry jam (or preserves)
Raspberry filling:
- 4 cups raspberries (20 ounces)
- ¼ cup seedless raspberry preserves
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Raspberry Frosting
- ½ cup raspberry puree (from filling)
- 1 cup salted butter (softened)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 cups powdered sugar
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (Double Recipe)
- 2 cups salted butter (softened)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 9 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅔ cup whole milk
Instructions
Make the Raspberry Filling (Needs to Chill)
- Blend the raspberries and raspberry jam together in a high-powered blender until smooth. It’s important to use a high-powered blender with a 48 ounce blending container (or smaller).
- Transfer the raspberry puree to a medium saucepan and stir in the sugar and vanilla.
- cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until slightly thickened (about 3-5 minutes).
- Remove ½ cup of the mixture from the pan and transfer it to a glass jar to be used to make the raspberry frosting.
- Mix the water and cornstarch together in a small bowl.
- Add the cornstarch mixture and whisk to combine.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring often until thickened (thickly coats the back of a spatula) about 5 minutes to 8 minutes.
- Transfer the raspberry mixture to a glass jar with a lid or a glass container with a lid and chill overnight, or for at least 6 hours. It thickens more as it cools.
Make the Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius).
- Line two 9” (23 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper and grease well. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together canola oil, eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla and raspberry preserves until the mixture is smooth.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients whisk until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
- Place cake pans on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature (takes about 30 minutes).
- Once cool, lift cakes out of the pans and remove parchment paper. Let cool completely on the wire cooling rack.*
- I suggest putting it in the freezer overnight or at least in the refrigerator while the raspberry sauce cools. This will reduce crumbs in the frosting.
Make the Raspberry Frosting
- Beat the butter in a standing mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the reserved raspberry puree from the filling and beat until combined.
- Add the vanilla and 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until combined.
- Continue adding powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, beating well after each addition until the frosting is thick, light and fluffy.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream frosting
- Beat the butter in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth.
- Then add the cocoa powder, vanilla, salt and 1 cup of powder sugar and beat until incorporated.
- Add half of the remaining powdered sugar and half of the milk and beat until light and fluffy(1-minute).
- Add the remaining milk and powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy – 1 to 2minutes.
Assemble the Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Spread about 2 Tablespoons of frosting on a cake plate.
- Then, position the bottom layer on the frosting on the plate.
- Pipe a thin circle of chocolate frosting around the outside edge of the bottom layer.
- Then, evenly spread the raspberry filling inside the piped circle of frosting. You may have leftovers – it’s better to have a little leftover than put too much in the center because it will ooze out.
- Then, put the top layer over the filling and freeze for 1 hour – until the filling sets.
- Once the cake is frozen, spread or pipe the raspberry buttercream frosting evenly over the outside and top of the cake. Save leftovers for decorating. Return the cake to the freezer for the frosting to set and harden completely (about 30 to 60 minutes).
- Then spread the chocolate buttercream frosting over the raspberry frosting (quickly before the frosting starts to thaw).
- Pipe decorations on the outside of the cake with the leftover frostings.
- Chill in the refrigerator until set (up to overnight), then remove from the refrigerator 1 to 2 hours before serving so the cake can come to room temperature.
Notes
- All-purpose flour. you can use cake flour. Or, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Choose your favorite variety. For an extra-dark cake use dark cocoa powder.
- Canola oil. Oil keeps this chocolate raspberry cake extra moist. You can substitute equal amounts of melted butter or another neutral oil like olive oil if desired, however canola oil will yield the best results. Or try my olive oil chocolate cake.
- Sour cream. Full-fat, plain yogurt works well in place of sour cream.
- Whole milk. half and half or heavy cream are the best substitutes.
- Seedless raspberry jam. If you’d prefer, you can make extra filling and use it in the cake instead of jam. But it has to be seedless, or completely smooth.
- Raspberries. fresh or frozen berries both work well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
