Chocolate raspberry cake is a moist chocolate cake studded with raspberries and topped with chocolate sour cream frosting. Use fresh or frozen raspberries. This one-layer cake is perfect for weeknights and special occasions!
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Chocolate and strawberry gets all the attention, but chocolate and raspberry is an underrated combo! Raspberries are less sweet than strawberries. The tartness balances the chocolate perfectly.
This chocolate and raspberry cake turns out naturally pretty without much effort. The raspberries create little pockets of fruit throughout. A simple swirl of frosting and a handful of fresh raspberries on top is all you need!
Great for Valentine’s Day or summer when raspberries are in season. You can also use frozen berries year-round.
I adapted this recipe from my chocolate blueberry cake. If you love this combination of raspberries and chocolate, try my raspberry and white chocolate cupcakes and chocolate and raspberry muffins!
Jump to:
Why We Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: Simple ingredients, straightforward instructions. It’s hard to mess up and decorating takes minutes. For another flavorful homemade cake, try my neapolitan pound cake.
- Works for any occasion: Nice enough for birthdays, easy enough for Tuesday night dessert.
- Oil-based cake: Stays moist for days without drying out.
- Best flavors: Chocolate and raspberry are an incredible flavor pairing! For more yummy chocolate cakes, try this delicious persimmon cake recipe and chocolate chip pound cake loaf.
- Best chocolate frosting: Sour cream makes this frosting incredibly smooth and tangy.
Ingredients
Below are useful notes about some of the ingredients for this recipe.
- Sour cream– Sour cream adds a slightly tangy flavor and creamy texture to the cake. Use full fat, room temperature sour cream. If you have leftover sour cream, try my sour cream rhubarb cake and banana muffins with sour cream.
- Cocoa powder-Use unsweetened cocoa powder. Natural cocoa (like Hershey’s) works great. For more chocolatey treats, try my brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars and chocolate chip focaccia bread.
- Hot water- Hot water brings out the flavor of the cocoa powder.
- Oil-Use a neutral oil such as canola or vegetable oil. Oil makes this cake extra moist!
- Eggs- We need 2 large room temperature eggs. Place eggs in a bowl with hot water for a few minutes if the eggs are cold.
- Raspberries– Fresh are best for appearance and texture, but frozen work well too. Don’t thaw frozen berries before using. Fresh raspberries hold their shape better. For more raspberry recipes, try my white chocolate raspberry scones recipe and ricotta cake with raspberries.
Please see recipe card below for full list of ingredients.
Substitutions & Variations
- Spread raspberry preserves over the frosting layer for extra raspberry flavor.
- Bake as a two-layer 8-inch cake by splitting the batter between two pans.
- Swap Greek yogurt for sour cream if that’s what you have.
- Use hot coffee or espresso instead of water – coffee intensifies chocolate flavor.
- Try blueberries or blackberries instead of raspberries.
- I prefer a neutral oil such as canola or vegetable, but olive oil would also work.
How to Make Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Quick Video Recap
Step by Step Instructions
Step One: (Picture 1 above) Beat sugar and eggs until light in color. Add oil, sour cream, and vanilla.
Step Two: (Picture 2 above) Mix in cocoa powder, then add remaining dry ingredients. Stir in hot water.
Step 3: (Picture 3 above) Gently fold in raspberries with a spatula until just combined.
Step 4: (Picture 4 above) Pour cake batter into an 8 inch square pan, 9 inch springform pan or two 8 inch round baking pans. Bake 31-34 minutes for a single layer cake or about 18-20 minutes for two layers.
Step 5: (Picture 5 above) Mix all frosting ingredients together until smooth, 1-2 minutes.
Step 6: (Picture 6 above) Let cake cool completely, then frost and top with fresh raspberries.
Expert Baking Tips
- Sift the powdered sugar and cocoa powder for the frosting to prevent lumps.
- Leave an overhang of parchment paper to make it easier to remove cake from pan if using a square pan.
- Don’t overbake – a toothpick should come out clean but the cake should still look moist.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can use frozen raspberries in the batter. Do not thaw raspberries before adding them to the batter.
You can bake this cake in an 8-inch square, 9-inch springform, or 9-inch square. I don’t recommend an 8-inch round pan since it’s too small.
Store this raspberry chocolate cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Serve at room temperature. Freeze the unfrosted cake in an airtight for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
More Recipes You Will Love
Did you try this recipe or any other recipe on my website? Please leave a 🌟 star rating and 📝 comment below.
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (78 ml) vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream full fat, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (43 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1¼ cup (156 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon ( ) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (120 g) raspberries fresh or frozen (do not thaw if frozen)
- ¼ cup (59 ml) hot water or hot coffee or espresso
Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup (21 g) cocoa powder sifted
- 1¾ cups (210 g) powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup (76 g) sour cream
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Raspberry Chocolate Cake
- Spray an 8 in square, or two 8 inch round or one 9 inch springform pan cake pan with baking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper. If using a square pan, leave an overhang on both sides to make the cake easier to remove from the pan once baked.
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Place the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk or an electric mixer on medium speed to beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat 1-2 minutes, until mixture lightens in color.
- Mix in the oil. Beat until oil is incorporated. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
- Use a spatula to stir in the cocoa powder. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and stir til there are no streaks of flour in the batter.
- Mix in the hot water (or hot coffee or espresso) til combined. Use a spatula to gently fold in the raspberries.
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake 31-34 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake. (If baking cake in two 8-inch round pans, reduce baking time to around 18-20 minutes).
- Remove cake from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
- Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Turn mixer on low and slowly turn it up to medium high. Beat 1-2 minutes until frosting is completely combined and smooth.
- If making a two layer 8 inch cake, divide frosting in half. Frost one half then top with other half and remaining frosting on top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Nicki
So good! The cake was so fluffy and soft, and the sour cream frosting was delicious and so silky.
Natalie Ward
This makes me so happy, Nicki! Thanks so much for making this cake and for taking the time to comment 🙂
Laura
How much cinnamon?
Natalie
Hi Laura, It should be 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. So sorry about that. I just updated the recipe card. Please let me know if you have any other questions. -Natalie
Natasha Aviles
Followed all the instructions. The cake was delicious.
Natalie
Hi Natasha, Thank you so much for making this chocolate raspberry cake. So glad to hear you enjoyed it 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend! -Natalie
Libby
Looks delicious! Could you use frozen raspberries?
Natalie
Hi Libby! I prefer fresh raspberries because fresh berries hold their shape, but you can use frozen raspberries in the batter. No need to thaw frozen raspberries before adding them to the batter. Hope you love this cake and please let me know if you have any other questions! 🙂 Natalie