Chocolate Raspberry Cake
This beautiful 3-layer Chocolate Raspberry Cake is made with raspberry filling, creamy chocolate buttercream frosting, and is decorated with fresh raspberries on top. It's perfect for any occasion!
Servings 14 slices
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1½ cups milk room temperature
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cup boiling water
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1½ cups butter room temperature
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 8 cups confectioner's sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
To Assemble
- 1¼ cups raspberry preserves
- fresh raspberries to garnish
Instructions
Cake
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease three 8-inch cake pans witheither shortening or bakers release and add a parchment circle to the bottoms. *see notes.
- Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of your mixer.
- Add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla to the mixing bowl. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed for two minutes.
- Stir in the boiling water.
- Divide the batter equally between the three prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched gently in the center.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans on a cooling rack until they have reached room temperature.
- Remove from the pan by gently inverting onto a flat plate.
- Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until ready to assemble the cake.
Chocolate Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer- cream, the butter, shortening, and cocoa powder together.
- Place the mixer on a low speed and slowly incorporate the sugar until all of it is incorporated.
- Pour the milk and vanilla slowly into the buttercream and allow it to mix until light and fluffy, about two minutes.
Cake Assembly
- Trim off the domed top of your cakes so they are level.
- Place one layer of cake onto the plate or your cardboard circle.
- Spread a layer of chocolate buttercream on top- about a quarter-inch thick.
- Spread half of the raspberry preserves on top of the buttercream.
- Repeat this after adding the next layer of cake finishing up with a cake layer at the top.
- Spread a thin layer of buttercream around the whole cake and place it in the fridge to set the frosting for 15 minutes. This is your crumb coat.
- Add a thicker layer of buttercream around the cake and smooth out the edges. Place the cake back in the fridge for an additional 15 minutes.
- Pipe swirls of the buttercream onto your cake using a pastry bag fitted with a star piping tip.
- Add some raspberries on top - if desired.
Notes
Bakers Release -
Bakers release is a combination of oil, flour, and shortening that makes releasing cakes and other baked goods almost effortless. To make Bakers Release – it is as simple as 1,1 & 1. equal parts of all-purpose flour, shortening, and cooking oil – I like to do 1 cup of each.
Mix the ingredients together – whisking well. Store in an airtight container in the pantry or refrigerator. When ready to use, dip a pastry brush into the mixture and spread it over the cake pan. **Once greased, I like to also dust the cake pan with flour for white cakes or cocoa powder for chocolate cakes. It helps with releasing the cake from the pan once it has baked and cooled. You can do this by adding about a tablespoon of either of those and then shake it around over the sink until all of the greased area is coated. Shake out the remaining flour or cocoa before adding the cake batter.
Bakers release is a combination of oil, flour, and shortening that makes releasing cakes and other baked goods almost effortless. To make Bakers Release – it is as simple as 1,1 & 1. equal parts of all-purpose flour, shortening, and cooking oil – I like to do 1 cup of each.
Mix the ingredients together – whisking well. Store in an airtight container in the pantry or refrigerator. When ready to use, dip a pastry brush into the mixture and spread it over the cake pan. **Once greased, I like to also dust the cake pan with flour for white cakes or cocoa powder for chocolate cakes. It helps with releasing the cake from the pan once it has baked and cooled. You can do this by adding about a tablespoon of either of those and then shake it around over the sink until all of the greased area is coated. Shake out the remaining flour or cocoa before adding the cake batter.