Nothing says it’s valentines without a rich chocolate cake filled with tart raspberries. This vegan chocolate raspberry cake is moist fudgy and decadent with homemade raspberry compote and a fresh raspberry buttercream, it’s easy to make and absolutely delicious! Vegan, No-Egg and No-Dairy!
This cheesecake has been made in collaboration with St Dalfour. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. (For more information along with affiliated links, check out my disclosure policy.)
Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Love is in the air, and so is the irresistible flavour that is rich chocolate and tangy raspberries! This Valentine’s Day, treat someone special (or yourself) to the most decadent dessert, the ultimate Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Cake. My vegan chocolate raspberry cake is a luxurious blend of fudgy and rich chocolate sponge layers, creamy and smooth chocolate buttercream and tart yet sweet raspberries. This cake is with vegan / plant-based ingredients, it’s the perfect way to say “I love you”. Whether you’re celebrating with a loved one, or simply wanting to treat yourself, this cake will make your heart melt, and taste buds tingle.
Looking for more Valentines day recipes? Check out my:
- Mini Jammie Dodger Cheesecakes
- Vegan Red Velvet Cookies
- Vegan Hidden Heart Cupcakes
- Single Serve Vegan Brownies
- Viral Vegan Pink Cinnamon Rolls
Here’s why you’ll love this cake:
- Cake is super fudgy and moist, yet slightly spongey.
- Fully vegan: This recipe doesn’t require any animal derived ingredients!
- Flavours are delicious: Perfect balance of rich flavours of the rich and decadent chocolate sponge, chocolate ganache, smooth chocolate buttercream and the tart raspberries.
- A velvety smooth and silky chocolate ganache ties it all together for a luxurious finish.
- Raspberry jam and fresh raspberries make this cake burst of juicy flavour! They perfectly compliment the chocolate.
- Gorgeous Valentines inspired decoration with pink whipped buttercream swirls.
- Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, Mothers Day or for celebrating Valentines, this cake will impress and satisfy everyone who tries it.
Layers of my vegan chocolate raspberry cake
There’s 4 parts to this recipe, so let’s break down each component of this decadent and indulgent cake:
- Chocolate cake: We’re using my go-to deep, rich chocolate-y cake batter. You’ll love the additional freeze dried raspberries in the batter!
- Raspberry jam: I use St Dalfour Raspberry Fruit Spread. This is the best jam for baking / enjoying. It’s filled with real raspberries and raspberry seeds which make the cake burst of tangy flavour. I added the jam into the buttercream and in between the cake laters – so so good!
- Raspberry buttercream: Delicious layers of raspberry buttercream are between each cake layer, and used to apply a crumb coat and final coat to the exterior of the cake. You’ll also need a piping bag + star tip to pipe some swirls around the edge of the cake. The buttercream is here not only for taste, but serves a important function which holds the raspberry filling in place and keeps the cake moist.
- Chocolate ganache: Top the whole cake with a simple 2 ingredient dark chocolate ganache. You can use any stregnth of dark chocolate but i personally like 60% and above as it adds to the rich flavour of the overall cake.
Tips for stacking and decorating the cake
- When the cake layers are cool to the touch, they’re ready to stack, fill and decorate. The cakes should bake even / flat, but if they have a bit of a domed top, use a sharp serrated knife to trim off the domes. The leftovers make for a great snack – haha!
- If you want the cakes to be even and each slice to have the perfect layers, pipe the buttercream then use an off-set spatula to spread it flat. This will ensure a even base for the next layer of cake.
- I decorated my cake in a elegant style with light pink buttercream and juicy raspberries. The light buttercream background contrasts against the red tones and rich dark chocolate ganache making them stand out beautifully.
- Ensure the raspberries are dry before being applied to the cake as you dont want them to be full wet as this can effect the buttercream and ganache.
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram , TikTok and Facebook! And if you want to pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
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Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Total Time: Overnight
- Yield: 8–10 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
How to make the most decadent and delicious Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Cake, with moist chocolate sponges, raspberry jam, raspberry buttercream topped with a silky smooth chocolate ganache. No-Egg, No-Dairy, perfect for all bakers!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the sponge
- 480ml of dairy-free milk (unsweetened soya milk works best)
- 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
- 400g of self raising flour
- 60g of cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon of freeze dried raspberries
- 300g of caster sugar (fine white sugar)
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 120ml of sunflower oil
Ingredients for the buttercream
- 530g of dairy-free butter (I used Flora block butter)
- 500g of powdered / icing sugar
- Dairy-free milk (if needed)
- 2 tablespoons of St Dalfour Raspberry Jam
- 1 + 1/2 tablespoons of freeze dried raspberries
Ingredients for the ganache
- 60g of dairy-free dark chocolate
- 50g of coconut cream (see notes for more detail)
+
- Fresh raspberries (decoration)
- Freeze dried raspberries (decoration)
Instructions
Method (Cake)
- Preheat your oven to 180°C fan and line three, 8 inch loose base / push up cake tins with greaseproof paper. If you don’t have 3 cake tins you will have to bake the cakes separately. Just cover the unused batter with a damp tea towel until you’re ready to use it.
- In a bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, freeze dried raspberries, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine.
- Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix. Don’t over-mix!
- Pour equal amounts of batter into the lined cake tins. Make sure to tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
- Pop the cakes into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes. You will know they are done when you put a knife or cake skewer in to the centre of the cake and it comes out clean and they are springy to the touch.
- Place the cakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool slightly before removing them from the tins. Leave the cakes to cool fully on the cooling rack. Once cool, pop them into a sealed container to keep them fresh before frosting. Optional: To keep the cakes super moist, mix some maple syrup with water, then brush over the top and sides of the cake before storing. This keeps them super moist!
Method (buttercream)
- In a large mixing bowl, add in the dairy-free butter and 2 tablespoons of raspberry jam, whip until creamy. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, a hand mixer will work great too.
- Sift in the icing sugar and add in the freeze dried raspberries. Whip on high speed for around 5 minutes to incorporate it. Add a splash of dairy-free milk if needed. If the frosting is too thick, add some more chunks of butter. If it’s too soft, add more icing sugar. You want it smooth, creamy and airy. If it ever looks like it’s split, add some more chunks of butter to get it to the right consistency .
- Transfer 3 heaped tablespoons into a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip nozzle. Set aside.
- Place one of the cakes on a serving plate or cake stand. Dollop or pipe some of the raspberry buttercream on top and spread out until even using an off-set spatula or pallet knife.
- Make a little well in the middle of the buttercream with a spoon and spoon in some raspberry jam. Not too much or it may ooze out the sides of the cake (refer to video for example).
- Place the second cake layer on top. Press it down gently so it sticks, repeat for the third cake. Coat the whole cake with a thin layer of buttercream. This creates a crumb coat.
- Place the cake into the fridge to set for 15-20 minutes. You want the buttercream to be firm, this will make the final coat and applying the decorations easier.
- Remove the cake from the fridge and apply a second/final coat, this time making it thicker, then using a cake scraper to make the edges of cake smooth.
- Add the chocolate and coconut cream into a saucepan and heat on low, stirring constantly until it melts and is super smooth and glossy. You can also add in a small drop of sunflower oil, this will make the ganache super shiny.
- Once melted, allow to cool for a few minutes then pour over the top of the cake, smooth out with the back of a spoon or offset spatula, allowing some to drip over the sides of the cake.
- Place into the fridge to chill before piping on the buttercream swirls, as the heat from the hot ganache will melt the buttercream.
- Pipe swirls of buttercream around the top edge of the cake.
- Top each swirl with a fresh, whole raspberry and sprinkle over some freeze dried raspberries.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the cake into slices, serve and enjoy!
- You can even serve with an extra drizzle of chocolate ganache – yum!
Notes
To store: Store this cake in a sealed container in the fridge. Best eaten within 3 days of making.
Remove from the fridge and leave at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Un-iced cakes can be stored in a sealed / air-tight container at room temperature for 2 days.
Coconut cream: Use the thick white from from a can of coconut milk, don’t use the clear liquid.. only the thick white cream.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Cakes and layer cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
