Chocolate and strawberries are yum. Chocolate and raspberries are yummier. And chocolate and both strawberries and raspberries are the ultimate yummiest! Case and point, this delectable Chocolate Berry cake. I’ve got a brand new chocolate cake recipe and it’s oh so wonderfully fluffy with that rich moist chocolate flavour reminiscent of a devil’s food cake. Paired with a strawberry raspberry buttercream…this Chocolate Berry cake is plate-licking good.


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A pink frosted cake with chocolate layers and topped with dark chocolate oreos, raspberries, and bright red flowers. There are two slices taken out of it.

Chocolate Berry Cake

Intense chocolate cake layers that are both fluffy and moist. Covered in a sweet whipped berry buttercream full of real berries. A delicate balance of rich chocolate and sweet berry that sings on the tastebuds. This chocolate berry cake is not only easy to make but will have both the chocolate lover and fruit lover rejoicing!

How To Make Chocolate Cake Layers

Let’s talk about these cake layers first then shall we? I used a whole cup of cocoa powder in it. No skimping allowed. Full deep and flavourful chocolate going on here. To intensify that chocolate flavour, I mixed in hot milk. Not room temperature, not warm, but hot. This allows the cocoa to “bloom” and creates flavour depth. And trust me when I say it makes a difference. It truly does.

A pink frosted cake with chocolate layers and topped with dark chocolate oreos, raspberries, and bright red flowers.

Berry Buttercream Frosting From Scratch

Next up is that berrylicious (is that a word?!) whipped buttercream. No fake flavours here. Real strawberries and raspberries going into this frosting. Starting with equal parts of strawberry and raspberry, I created a basic cornstarch-based filling. After the filling thickened and cooled, it went straight into my basic dairy-free American buttercream and whipped to fluffy berry perfection.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Cake Drip

Last, but never least, after much humming and hawing I decided to top this cake with a decadent dairy-free dark chocolate ganache drip. It adds one more layer of chocolate yum and really ties the final design and overall cake aesthetic together.

A pink frosted cake with chocolate layers and topped with dark chocolate oreos, raspberries, and bright red flowers.

Final Chocolate Berry Cake Decoration

A crown of dark chocolate Oreos and the most stunning burgundy carnations brought Berry Chocolate cake together in a superbly romantic fashion. As usual, we ate this one over Sunday Family Cake and to say it went over well would be an understatement. I have video proof of my youngest daughter licking her plate clean. I hope you love it as much as we did. So much so, that you too, lick your plate clean!

A pink frosted cake with chocolate layers and topped with dark chocolate oreos, raspberries, and bright red flowers.

Chocolate Lover Treats

Love a chocolate cake or dessert? Try these ones out next!

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A pink frosted cake with chocolate layers and topped with dark chocolate oreos, raspberries, and bright red flowers.

Chocolate Berry Cake


  • Author: Katie Stymiest
  • Total Time: 2 Hrs. 23 Min.
  • Yield: 10 Slices 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

The best chocolate berry cake recipe with four deeply rich chocolate layers covered in a fresh whipped berry buttercream frosting. The perfect cake for the chocolate lover in your life.


Ingredients

Scale

Chocolate Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour *can sub gluten-free flour 1:1 baking blend
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 cups dairy-free milk, hot
  • 1 cup all-vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Berry Buttercream

  • ¾ cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
  • ¾ cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
  • ⅛ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 ½ cups dairy-free butter, room temperature
  • 4 ½ cups icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip

  • ½ cup dairy-free dark chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons dairy-free milk

Decorations

  • Dark Chocolate Oreos
  • Red Carnations
  • Fresh raspberries

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray with non-stick baking spray four 6 inch round cake pans.
  2. In the bowl of the stand mixer, mix together all the dry ingredients with the whisk attachment until fully combined.
  3. Add in the wet ingredients, making sure the milk is hot, and combine until just incorporated.
  4. Divide the batter equally into the four prepared cake pans and bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
  5. Allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then invert on a cooling rack to fully cool.

Berry Buttercream

  1. In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the raspberries, strawberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice and stir with a spatula until combined.
  2. Bring to a boil and allow the mixture to thicken. This should take approx 5 minutes. Once thickened remove from the heat.
  3. Pour the berry mixture into a shallow container and cover the surface gently with plastic wrap and allow to fully cool.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on high for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
  5. Add in the icing sugar and salt and mix on low until fully combined.
  6. Add in the fully cooled berry mixture and mix until combined.
  7. Turn the mixer up to high and let mix for 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Drip

  1. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the dark chocolate chips and milk in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until fully melted and smooth. *
  2. Depending on the kind of milk, the drip may require a touch more milk to thin or a bit more dark chocolate chips to thicken. *I always test my ganache drips over the edge of the kitchen sink before applying it to a cake to check the consistency.

Cake Assembly:

  1. Place on leveled layer of chocolate cake on a plate, cake board, and/or cake turntable with a small dollop of buttercream.
  2. Top with approximately 1 cup of buttercream and spread evenly. Repeat this step with the remaining layers.
  3. Cover the cake with a thin layer of buttercream and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  4. Apply a final coat of buttercream around the entire cake. Smooth the sides and scrape off excess buttercream from the top edge. Chill for another 10 minutes while the chocolate ganache drip is prepared.
  5. With a piping bag or spoon, carefully drip the chocolate ganache over the edges of the cake. Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for another 10 minutes.
  6. Decorate as you desire. I finished the cake off with a top border crown of dark chocolate Oreos, raspberries, and fresh carnations. Enjoy!

Notes

* The ganache can be made in a double boiler if desired.

  • Prep Time: 2 Hrs.
  • Cook Time: 23 Min.
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 737
  • Sugar: 67 Grams
  • Sodium: 832 Miligrams
  • Fat: 44 Grams
  • Saturated Fat: 29 Grams
  • Unsaturated Fat: 10 Grams
  • Trans Fat: 4 Grams
  • Carbohydrates: 85 Grams
  • Fiber: 3 Grams
  • Protein: 7 Grams
  • Cholesterol: 118 Miligrams

Keywords: cake, dairy-free chocolate cake, chocolate berry cake, dairy-free chocolate berry cake, chocolate berry cake recipe, vegan chocolate berry cake recipe, vegan chocolate berry cake