chocolate raspberry cake

Everyday Chocolate cake

This Everyday Chocolate Cake is soft, rich, and deeply chocolatey, making it perfect for both casual baking and special occasions. Firstly, cocoa and dual sugars create a balanced depth of flavour, while sour cream and oil ensure lasting moisture and tenderness. As the cake bakes, it develops a delicate yet stable crumb that slices beautifully. Finally, a smooth chocolate raspberry ganache adds brightness and contrast, bringing together indulgent chocolate richness with fresh berry notes. Simple to prepare yet elegant to serve, this is a reliable cake designed for everyday enjoyment.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 day d 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 day d 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8 people

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Baking

Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

Cake

• Baking paper
• 250 g Plain flour
• 135 g Cocoa
• 360 g Castor Sugar
• 225 g Soft brown Sugar
• 5 g Bicarbonate of Soda
• 6 g Baking powder
• 6 Eggs 70g
• 145 g Oil a little extra for oiling the tin
• 235 g Sour cream
• 180 g Butter
• 430 g Water

Raspberry Ganache

• 375 g Dark Chocolate (Note 1)
• 100 g Cream thickened
• 250 g Raspberries
• 150 g Cream Cheese (Note 2)
• 75 g Unsalted Butter (Note 3)

Raspberries

• 125 g Freeze Dried Raspberries (Note 4)

Equipment

• 1 Oven
• 1 22cm Spring form Tin
• 1 Stand Mixer
• 1 Stand Mixer Flat beat
• 1 Stand Mixer Whisk
• 1 Medium Bowl
• 3 Small bowls
• 1 Bowl scraper
• 1 stove
• 1 Saucepan
• 1 double boiler
• 1 Spoon
• 1 Whisk
• 1 Serated Knife
• 1 Palette Knife
• 1 Sieve
• 1 Blitzer
• 1 Scissors
• 1 pastry brush

Method

 

Cake

1. Set the oven at 150C
2. Melt and cool the butter and set aside
3. Using a flat beater and stand mixer add the plain flour, cocoa, sugar and castor sugar, baking powder and sifted bicarbonate of soda
4. On a low speed add in the eggs, oil, sour cream, water and cooled butter and mix until smooth
5. Using a 22 cm spring form tin lightly oil and add baking paper
6. Pour the chocolate into the tin and bake 30-35mins
7. Set aside to cool completely

Raspberry Ganache

1. Place a pot on the stove and add the raspberry and water to simmer for a few minutes
2. Using a Blitzer mix well and press through a sieve and set aside the puree and dis guard the seeds
3. Put the chocolate over the double boiler and melt over a slow simmer and set aside
4. Separately simmer cream and pour over the chocolate
   75 g Unsalted Butter
5. Now and add the cream and raspberries to the chocolate and mix mix through
6. Cool completely
   150 g Cream Cheese
7. Cream the butter and cream cheese with a flat beater until there are no lumps
8. Add the cold chocolate ganache in two lots and whip in between. Now whip well to ensure there are no lumps in the ganache before using.

Filling the cake

1. Turn the cake upside down to ensure the top is on the base of the cake
2. Cut three even layers using a serrated knife
3. To the first layer spread an even layers of ganache that has been whipped to the cake layer
4. Sprinkle with a layer of freeze-dried raspberry (use sparingly)
5. Add another cake layer over the ganache
6. Add another layer of ganache and spread evenly
7. Sprinkle with a layer of freeze-dried raspberry
8. Add another layer of cake
9. Finally add a layer of ganache and using the pallet knife spread nicely to make the top attractive
10. Sprinkle with a layer of freeze-dried raspberry
11. Set in the fridge

Video

Notes

1-Couverture chocolate 45-55% is ideal but you will still get good results with dark baking chocolate

 2-Cream cheese – use a Philadelphia cream cheese not cream cheese spread or light as cream cheese as it has a firmer texture. 

3-Cut butter  into small cubes and leave out the night to soften if possible or microwave 10 seconds at a time until finger soft (do not melt)

4-My favourite freeze dried raspberries as Fresh As but any freeze dried whole powdered or crumbled will work well.

At first glance, this Everyday Chocolate Cake may look like a simple recipe. However, every ingredient has been carefully balanced to create a cake that is deeply chocolatey, exceptionally moist, and reliable for both everyday baking and celebration cakes.

In baking science, texture is never accidental — it is the result of structure, moisture, fat, and chemical reactions working together.

Let’s explore how each ingredient contributes to the final result.