Chocolate Raspberry Cake

This one bowl chocolate raspberry cake is a delicious and simple dessert that takes less than 30 minutes to make. No milk, no eggs, and no butter needed! 

The Best Chocolate Raspberry Cake

You may remember that I’ve already shared some simple cake recipe here that use pantry staple ingredients, like the vanilla one and the chocolate one, but none have been as easy as this! 

I love the chocolate and raspberry combination. There’s something so special about the sweetness of the chocolate with mouthfuls of tart raspberries. 

This choco raspberry cake is a taste and texture lover’s dream. A rich, dark and moist chocolate cake, with layers of rich ganache frosting and fresh raspberries. What I LOVE about this recipe is that you don’t need to bake the raspberries into the cake- they are layered on top.

By the way, you won’t find any butter, milk, or eggs in this cake, but you’d never tell- it’s one show stopping cake that is SO easy to make. And its quick to make too, with just two minutes hands on time and 30 minutes baking time. 

Oh, and if you want more cakes without those ingredients, try the chocolate caramel cake or the lemon cake. 

Ingredients needed

You’ll love the simple and short ingredient list to make this recipe. You’ve probably got everything in your pantry right this second and if you don’t, they can all be found at any basic grocery store. Here is what you’ll need: 

For the cake

• All purpose flour. I tried this cake with both all purpose flour and gluten free baking flour. 
• Cocoa powder. Use a good quality cocoa powder, to enhance the chocolate flavor of the cake. 
• Sugar of choice. Either white or brown sugar can be used. If you’d like to make this a healthier cake, see my tips below. 
• Baking soda. Works with the vinegar to give the cake some rise and fluffiness, without the need for any eggs. 
• Salt. Brings out the sweetness of the cake. 
• Vinegar. Either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar can be used.
• Oil of choice. Use a neutral flavored oil, like canola oil or vegetable oil. 
• Vanilla extract. A must for any good cake recipe! 
• Water. to mix everything together. 

For the raspberry filling

• Chocolate frosting. You can frost this cake as thickly or as thinly as you want. Homemade or store bought frostings both work. 
• Raspberries. fresh or frozen raspberries. The raspberries will be added between the layers so if you use frozen ones, be sure that they have been thawed out beforehand. 

How to make a raspberry chocolate cake

Step 1- Make the cake batter

Start by mixing your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Next, add your vinegar, oil, and vanilla extract, before adding the water. Mix everything together, until a smooth batter remains.

Step 2- Bake the cakes

Now, transfer the cake batter into a greased, 8-inch cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean from the center. For me, it took around 27 minutes but oven makes and models differ. 

Step 3- Frost and layer the cakes

Finally, allow the cake to cool completely, before adding a thin layer of frosting, a layer of raspberries, and another layer of frosting. 

If making a layer cake, repeat the process, and top with extra frosting.

Tips to make the best recipe

• The ingredient amounts make a single layer cake. If you’d like to make this a layer cake as pictured, triple the ingredients and bake in three cake pans.
• Do not over-bake the cakes. They continue to cook as they are cooling down. 
• I recommend using a spring-form pan, for easy removal. If you don’t have spring form pans, you can coat the pans with parchment paper and leave one to two inches overhanging around the sides, so you can lift the cake out easily. 
• Fold through some raspberries into the batter, but be wary that it will make the cake super moist. It will also require you to bake it for a further 5 minutes. 

Storage instructions

• To store: Leftover cake should be stored in the refrigerator, in a sealed container. The cake will keep well for up to 2 weeks. 
• To freeze: Place slices of cake in a freezer friendly container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

More cake recipes to try

• Death by chocolate cake
• Harry Potter cake
• Almond flour cake
• Lemon blueberry cake
• Chocolate zucchini cake

Frequently Asked Questions