With its luscious berry frosting and moist, decadent chocolate interior, chocolate raspberry cake is a delightful dessert for any occasion. Yet, thanks to its rosy pink and red appearance, it is especially fitting for Valentine’s Day. Employ a little imagination and those fresh raspberries topping the cake begin to resemble tiny, beaded hearts. What could beat this colorful sweet?

Along with its festive appearance, chocolate raspberry cake offers a delightful marriage of flavors. Bold, bittersweet ground cocoa comes together with sweet, tangy raspberries to create a balanced treat.

Using oil for a velvety texture

In addition to that pleasing partnership of flavors, chocolate raspberry cake possesses a velvet-like feel not only in its icing but also in its cake. This soft texture results from the use of oil in the batter. While butter will add flavor to baked goods, oil bumps up the moisture content and produces a more tender cake.

Want more baking tips?

If you’re looking for more baking tips or a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, join me on Sunday February 13 at 4 PM. I’ll be teaching a virtual cooking class through Main Point Books and demonstrating how to make an easy tarte tatin. Advance registration is required.

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

for the cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup hot water

for the icing:

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk, divided, at room temperature

1/3 cup good quality raspberry preserves, at room temperature

Fresh raspberries, washed and dried, for decorating

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of an 8-inch, round cake pan with parchment paper. Grease and lightly flour the bottom and sides of the pan. Set aside.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl whisk together the milk, oil, eggs and vanilla. Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients.

Using an electric hand or stand mixer, mix the ingredients until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the hot water. Beat the ingredients together until you have a smooth batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool completely before icing.

To make the frosting:

Beat the butter until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add half of the confectioner’s sugar and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla, 1 tablespoon milk and remaining confectioner’s sugar and beat until creamy and smooth.

Add the raspberry preserves and beat until you have a fairly thick but spreadable frosting. If the frosting seems clumpy or too thick to spread, add a half tablespoon of milk and beat again. You can add up to 2 tablespoons of milk without the frosting becoming too loose.

Using an icing spatula or knife, spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Mound a layer of fresh raspberries in the center of the cake. Serve with hot coffee or tea.