I’m sharing this last minute recipe for chocolate raspberry cake today in case anyone is still deciding on a dessert idea for their holiday feast. Yesterday, I shared a recipe for orange chiffon cake, which is basically an orange-flavored angel food cake (very light and fluffy).
Today’s recipe will produce a very moist and decadent chocolate cake that’s been layered with raspberry sauce and frosted with a mascarpone frosting. Either cake will satisfy a sweet tooth, so it just depends if you’re a chocolate person or not (but really, who isn’t?).
I obtained the recipe from the chocolate and carrots blog, so if you want to see what the cake layers will look like on the inside of the cake, please refer to the original posting. Those raspberry filled layers are absolutely dreamy in this chocolate raspberry cake!
I’m actually writing this blog post after I’ve just finished frosting and decorating my cake for tonight’s Christmas Eve dinner.
This chocolate raspberry cake is really simple to put together, and the design on top is even easier. I whisked my mascarpone frosting for longer than usual until it started getting slightly clumpy and curdled.
I did this in an effort to achieve the look of powdered snow, and the result, I would say, was very successful. I also made sure to go easy on frosting the sides of this chocolate raspberry cake to appeal to the rustic, natural look of the cake.
I then laid a pine sprig (thoroughly washed) on top of the cake with a couple cinnamon sticks. This brought instant festivity to my chocolate raspberry cake.
All that was missing was some fresh raspberries, so I dropped a handful of those on it before finishing it off with a dusting of powdered sugar. It’s rustic, simple, and très sophistiqué.
Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Mascarpone Frosting
Ingredients
for the cake
- 1/3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 c hot brewed coffee
- 3 c sugar
- 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 c cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 c vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 c low fat buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
for the raspberry sauce
- 1 c raspberry preserves
- 1/2 c frozen raspberries finely chopped
- 3 tbsp corn starch
for the frosting
- 1.5 c mascarpone
- 1/2 c unsalted butter
- 1 c to 1 1/4 powdered sugar adjust to taste
- 2-4 tbsp heavy cream
for the design on top
- pine branch/sprig
- cinnamon sticks
- handful of fresh raspberries
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 300°F. Grease three 9” cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
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Begin by creating the cake batter. In a medium size bowl, pour the hot coffee over the chocolate chips. Let it stand for a couple of minutes and then stir until the chocolate has melted.
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In another bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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In a stand mixer, beat eggs until thickened and a pale yellow color. Slowly add the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to the eggs, beating until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined.
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Divide the batter between the three cake pans. Bake on the middle racks of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approx. 1 hour. Let the cakes rest in their pans until completely cool. Then, invert the layers onto individual pieces of plastic wrap so that you can wrap each tightly until ready to use.
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For the raspberry sauce, add the corn starch to a small saucepan and whisk to get rid of any clumps. Then add the raspberries and preserves to the pan. Cook over medium heat until everything is warm and heated through. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate.
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For the frosting, beat the mascarpone and butter until very fluffy and light. Add in the powdered sugar and beat while streaming in 2 tablespoons of cream. If the frosting is too thick, add 2 more tablespoons of cream, or as needed. Whisk until slightly clumpy if you want to achieve the same effect as I did.
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To assemble, place your first cake layer on a cake board or your cake stand. Smear (or pipe) a tiny bit of frosting along the rim of the cake layer. Then spoon raspberry sauce onto the center of the cake layer, spreading a thin layer with the back of the spoon, just until it reaches the frosting along the rim. The frosting acts as a barrier to keep the raspberry sauce from spilling over the edges. Repeat this step for the next cake layer.
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Once the top layer has been put in place, use a frosting spatula to generously cover the top of the cake and lightly smear the sides of the cake with your frosting. Place your pine sprig onto the center of the cake, along with a couple of cinnamon sticks, fresh raspberries, and a finishing sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Bravo Beetajoon
Thank you Rohaneh !!
I know this may be a dumb question but do you use real pine for the topping? I have some on my porch but I wasn’t sure the proper technique.
Hi Lauren! Yes you can definitely use real pine. I would just rinse it first and remove it from the individual cake slices when serving. Happy Holidays! <3
I used fresh rosemary instead and it looked super cute. ♥️🌲✨
EVERYONE loved this Christmas dessert! Amazing. I didn’t like the raspberry sauce, so I used fresh raspberries instead. Small modification.
Fabulous!
Can I make this today and keep it for tomorrow? Should I put it in the fridge? Thank you!!!
Hi Amy! You can definitely make this today, but I would keep the cake in the fridge because of the mascarpone cheese in the frosting. 🙂 Hope you have a lovely Christmas! <3
I’m just wondering if you think cake flour would produce a lighter crumb? I usually use that when I make cakes, I wasn’t sure if there was a reason you used all-purpose flour. Would this substitution effect the final product in your opinion? I’m looking forward to making this cake for Christmas!!
Hi Tara! I have never made this cake with cake flour so I cannot definitively tell you what the final result would be, but I can’t see it being a problem. I tend to use all-purpose flour in most recipes because it’s the most accessible, and I find that in a cake recipe like this, it doesn’t detract from the tenderness or moistness of the cake. In general, however, I have found that cake flours tend to produce a finer crumb and cake layers that are a bit taller. Since we’re discussing flours, I would also consider the idea of using self-rising flour as a compromise between cake flour and all-purpose flour. A lot of bakeries use self-rising flour in their cake recipes because they’re not quite as delicate as cake flour but they still produce that finer crumb. If you do use self-rising flour, I would omit the salt and leavening from the recipe as SR flour already has it. Please share a photo of your cake if you do end up making it – I’d love to see! 🙂
This cake is AMAZING, as are all of Beeta’s recipes. It took more time and attention to make than I expected but it was well worth it. Also, a few tips: 1) if you’re using frozen raspberries, defrost before you put them on the cake or else they’ll bleed on the cake and you’ll get a very different look than Beeta’s pristine snowy look; 2) I used mint sprigs, pine needles on cake just seemed risky to me, even though it’s beautiful. Sophisticated, tough to please crowd – they all raved about the cake. Thank you, once again Beeta!
Thank you so much, Marilyn! I’m so glad that you and your guests enjoyed this cake. And yes you’re 100% right about frozen raspberries…I recommend using them in the filling, but not the garnish that goes on top of the cake (unless you do an excellent job of thawing and patting them dry!). I love your creativity, Marilyn, and appreciate your kind feedback! <3
Hi Beeta, I’m planning to make this later this week for a Christmas gathering and wanted your advice – I have a 5 hour drive to get there, and then we won’t be eating it until the next day. I’m planning to make the cakes ahead of time for sure, but should I plan to make the sauce and frosting once I arrive and assemble it there? If so, should I refrigerate the cakes to help preserve them? Or do you think if I made it all ahead of time that it will hold up for a long car journey and a day wait? Thanks in advance!
Hi Katherine! Okay, so here’s what I would advise:
1. Bake the cakes ahead of time, but no sooner than 3 days before serving. Instead of letting the cakes completely cool in their pans, just give them 20 minutes to cool in the pan. Then, flip them out and immediately wrap them very well in plastic wrap. Wrapping the cakes while they’re still warm will help trap the moisture in the cakes to keep them nice and tender. Refrigerate the cakes when they’re not in the car.
2. You can also make the raspberry filling ahead of time, again no sooner than 3 days before serving. Keep the filling refrigerated at home, and you can just stick the filling in the fridge again once you arrive at your destination. The sugar content in the filling (from the raspberry preserves) helps preserve the filling.
3. As for the frosting ingredients and the fresh raspberries, I would pack those into a small cooler with ice to keep safe until you get to your destination. The cooler will help the fresh berries keep from becoming limp. Once you’re at your destination, stick the filling, fresh berries, and frosting ingredients in the fridge to chill.
4. I recommend making the frosting and assembling the cake the day that you’re going to serve the cake. Technically, you can make frosting the night before, but I sometimes find that when there’s fresh cream in frosting, it can separate and cause a watery residue. Ultimately, however, the reason I recommend preparing the frosting and assembling the cake the day of is because the frosting needs to be kept refrigerated, so once the cake is frosted, it will be unwrapped from the plastic wrapping and in need of refrigeration too, which might dry out the cakes if kept in the fridge overnight.
5. Before serving your frosted and refrigerated cake, leave it out on the counter for 20 minutes so that it’s not super cold when eating. 🙂
Hope this helps, and I hope you have a Merry Christmas! 🙂
Is there something to use other than the hot coffee?
Hi Tina! The coffee helps enhance the chocolate flavor in the cake, so the coffee doesn’t really contribute in the chemical make-up of the cake; it’s there for moisture and flavor. The easiest substitute would be hot water, but a better one would be hot water with baking cocoa (like an unsweetened hot cocoa). Another idea would be to do hot water measurement (minus one tablespoon) with a tablespoon of coffee-flavored liquor like Kahlua. 🙂
I boiled fresh raspberries in 1 cup of water, strained out the seeds and pulp, and used it in place of the coffee. Gave the cake a very slight raspberry flavor!
Hi Abbi! That’s a great idea! I bet your cake tastes delicious!! Happy Holidays!
I scaled the recipe down and made this today as a trial for Christmas dinner in a couple of days. I’m not a fan of chocolate cake but I absolutely love this one! This cake is so moist and the frosting is heavenly. Not overly sweet. Assembly was easy, and the garnish makes it a work of art. I’m so pleased, my husband loved it and I’m sure our family will too. Thank you!
Hi Aisha! Thank you so much for the kind comment. I’m so glad that you and the hubby enjoyed this recipe. 🙂 I love how moist this cake is too <3 I hope you have a beautiful Christmas with your family! Sending warm wishes and lots of good cheer XX
What a great recipe, this is delicious, everyone loves it.
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Help me please! I loved the cake, as did everyone else last night. However, I ended up having to put together an alternate white frosting, on the fly, because the mascarpone frosting did not work out. I made it as directed, but the end result kept separating from it’s whey and it would not spread. At all. Any ideas what could have gone wrong?
Hi Amy!
So mascarpone curdles fairly quickly, especially if it’s cold or if other ingredients (i.e. Butter, cream, etc.) are cold too. In this case, we want the mascarpone frosting to curdle a bit for the snowy effect, but overmixing the frosting (i.e. Mixing too long) will produce separation. Next time, if you’re looking to achieve the curdled look, just keep a watchful eye on the mixer and be prepared to stop the mixer as soon as the frosting starts to curdle, as it happens in the blink of an eye. Regardless, it won’t be as smooth and spreadable as regular frosting so don’t expect to be able to smear it onto the cake like you normally would.
If you want to achieve a smooth mascarpone frosting, simply make sure all your ingredients are room temperature and, again, keep a very careful eye on the mixer as it whips. If it does happen to curdle, you can “save” the frosting by whisking the curdled frosting in a saucepan over low heat until you remove all the lumps. Then allow the mixture to come to room temperature and use the mixer to whip it into frosting again. Hope that helps! Happy Holidays! 🙂
I made this cake yesterday. Turned out perfect and was delicious! Thank you!!
Thank you for the kind feedback, Janie! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Happy New Year! xx
can the cake be baked and frozen to make at a later day
HI Lil! Yes you can. After you bake the cakes, let them rest in their pans until they’ve cooled. Flip each layer out and wrap each layer well in plastic wrap, then wrap each layer in aluminum foil. When you want to assemble the cake, just take the wrapped cake layers out of the fridge and let them thaw out – about 2-3 hours. 🙂
I made this cake for my big annual Christmas party. It was a huge hit! Thanks!
Yay I’m so glad you and your guests enjoyed this Brenda! Thanks for the kind note here <3
How well does this cake store? if i wanted to make it a day before i needed it, are there any special directions?
Hi Lacie! This chocolate cake is super moist, so you should be fine making it the day before and refrigerating. I would just advise that you keep it in some kind of covered container (be it a cake stand or cake carrier) and make sure there aren’t any foods with strong odors in your fridge (i.e. onion, etc.). You’ll definitely want to keep it refrigerated as the mascarpone cheese will spoil if you don’t! 🙂
Happy Holidays!
Oh and I almost forgot – if you’re making it a day ahead, I would suggest holding off on placing the raspberries on top until the day you’re serving, as the raspberries may bleed into the frosting overnight 🙂
You are saying to bake the cake on the middle rack my rack does not hold 3 pans at a time can I leave the one pan out on the counter or put it in the ref to back when the other 2 are done
I have made this 3 times already in the last few weeks and everyone loves it. I made it as cupcakes with the raspberry in the middle but I would need to bake them a little longer than I did so they don’t fall apart but they tasted great. . I LOVE DARK CHOCOLATE SO we used dark chocolate chips and dark cocoa powder. We also used espresso blend coffee. I attempted the Marscapon frosting but that did not work so I did a cream cheese frosting and it was amazing with the cake. Thank you so much for the recipe idea. I will definitely make it again. Happy holidays!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Kristen! Thank you so much for the kind feedback. Hope you have a very happy holiday as well! <3
I couldn’t find mascarpone cheese at my local grocery store. What would you recommend as a substitute? Cream cheese?
Hi Jenny! I know that sometimes it can be tricky finding mascarpone. I usually turn to my local Trader Joe’s, but in the case that you can’t find it, you can use cream cheese and maybe add a little more sugar depending on your taste. Mascarpone isn’t “sweet” the way we typically think of sugary sweet things, however, it is just a subtle bit sweeter than cream cheese. 🙂
I ended up using cream cheese as my local grocery stores are tiny and didn’t have it. Everyone loved how it wasn’t very sweet. Going to do the same for a carrot cake icing. Thank you!
Hi Jenny! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed this cake! 🙂 I get the pleased “not too sweet” comment a lot with my recipes so I’m glad that came through here too!
Made this cake for Christmas this year and used the European dark cocoa! It was delish and I highly recommend it. I will definitely be making it again!!!
Hi Beth! So glad you enjoyed this! Thanks so much for sharing your kind feedback 🙂
My family doesn’t like anything with mascarpone cheese, what can I use instead? Would love to make this for my Christmas party. Thank you
Hi Ej! You could do sweetened whipped cream or just vanilla buttercream instead! 🙂