This vegan raspberry chocolate cake is the best thing I've tasted in a while. I know I may be biased, but the combination of chocolate and raspberry is always a winner in my books. It is based on my vegan chocolate cake recipe.

There are a few elements to this cake between the chocolate sponge cake, raspberry buttercream, and chocolate ganache frosting. So it's not something you'll be able to whip up too quickly, but it is so worth the effort! I recommend making it over the course of 2 days to allow yourself time to get all the stages right.

vegan raspberry chocolate layer cake with ganache drip and fresh raspberries on top.Pin

📖 Recipe Overview

  • Fluffy, moist, and flavorsome vegan chocolate sponge cake.
  • Decadent with a deep chocolate flavor.
  • Eggless and dairy-free.
  • A shiny chocolate glaze that sets without cracking when cut
  • The perfect vegan cake for Valentine's day.

🧾 Ingredients Needed

Ingredient Notes

  • Soy milk: This is mixed together with apple cider vinegar which creates a vegan buttermilk substitute. This helps to tenderize the vegan raspberry chocolate cake giving it a perfect texture. You can use another non-dairy milk like almond milk if you prefer.
  • Dutch-processed cocoa powder: Or unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder. This is will give your vegan chocolate cake a delicious deep chocolate flavor. Natural cocoa powder will give the cake a different taste and texture as it is more acidic so I don't recommend swapping this ingredient out. You can read more about this over on this post by Sally's Baking Addiction.
  • Soft brown sugar: I usually bake with brown sugar when it comes to chocolate cake, as I love the slight caramel flavor and moisture it brings to cake recipes.
  • Coffee: Coffee intensifies the flavor of chocolate in baking, but you can add water in its place if you're avoiding coffee.
  • Olive oil: You can use any neutral oil you have to hand. Sunflower oil and rapeseed oil work well. I also recommend opting for a light olive oil if you are not partial to the taste.
  • Baking powder: This is the leavening agent which gives a nice fluffy rise to vegan cake recipes.
  • Sea salt and vanilla extract: These are both added to enhance the flavor of the chocolate sponge cake.
  • Dark chocolate: As always, I recommend going for a good quality vegan dark chocolate or chocolate chips with a minimum of 70% cocoa content. Vegan milk chocolate will not work well in the ganache as it won't set as solid as dark chocolate.
  • Coconut milk: For the ganache, you'll need full-fat canned coconut milk that's been refrigerated. Once chilled, the thick coconut cream will rise to the top of the can, and this is the part that you want!
  • Golden syrup: Or rice syrup, adds a slight sheen to the ganache. You can skip this ingredient or swap it for maple syrup if it's not available to you.

You'll also need some fresh raspberries for garnish as well as a batch of my vegan raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream for frosting.

Pin

🥣 How To Make Vegan Chocolate Raspberry Cake

As mentioned above, I recommend making this cake over the course of 2 days. Day 1 will consist of baking the vegan chocolate cakes and chilling them to make them as stable as possible before assembly. On day 2, you'll prepare the garnishes such as the ganache and buttercream, and (the most fun part) assemble the vegan raspberry chocolate cake.

Day 1: Bake and chill the cakes

First, mix together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In this case, that's plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together and then add in the wet ingredients (vegan buttermilk mixture, coffee, olive oil, and vanilla extract). Gently whisk the ingredients together until you have a batter consistency, but be careful not to over-mix.

Divide the chocolate cake batter between three 6" prepared cake pans. If you have a kitchen scale, this is a great way to check that the batter is distributed evenly between all of the pans. Bake the cakes in a preheated oven according to the bake time in the recipe card below, and once ready allow them to sit for about 10 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack to cool.

Once the cakes have reached room temperature, I recommend chilling them overnight. You can place them in an airtight container, separated by sheets of parchment paper, or stack them on a plate and cover them with plastic wrap. Either way, be sure to separate each layer with some parchment paper to prevent the cakes from sticking to one another.

3 cake tins filled with chocolate cake batter,Pin

Day 2: Assemble and decorate the cake

How to make chocolate ganache glaze

Similar to my vegan Ferrero rocher cake, this raspberry chocolate cake is coated with a layer of chocolate ganache glaze. To make the ganache is easier than it looks!

  1. Finely chop the vegan dark chocolate and set it aside in a heat-resistant bowl. This ensures that it will melt quickly and evenly.
  2. Add the coconut milk to a small saucepan and place on medium heat for a couple of minutes until just simmering, do not allow it to boil as this can separate the coconut milk.
  3. Pour the heated coconut milk over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 3-5 minutes, uncovered. Be sure not to cover the bowl, as this creates condensation which will send water droplets down into your ganache.
  4. Stir the mixture until it's smooth before adding in the golden syrup (or rice syrup). Give it a good stir and set it aside to cool to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before glazing the cake. This gives you enough time to go and prepare the vegan raspberry Swiss buttercream.

Assembling the chocolate ganache cake

Once you have prepared all the different elements it's time to assemble your vegan chocolate raspberry cake.

  1. Carefully level the cakes with a serrated knife by trimming off any domes (if there are any).
  2. Place a tiny bit of buttercream on top of a cake turntable and secure the first cake layer down on top of it.
  3. Reserve half of the buttercream for coating the outside of the cake. Use an offset spatula/pallet knife to spread a layer of the remaining buttercream on top of the sponge.
  4. Add the next layer of cake and repeat with another layer of frosting. Top with the final layer of cake.
  5. Use the remaining frosting to coat around the sides on top of the cake and smooth everything out with a cake scraper.

Glazing the cake

  1. Prop the cake on top of an upside-down cake tin and place it in a large bowl – this will catch any glaze that drips over the edges!
  2. Pour the glaze over the top and edges of the cake and use a spatula to gently run around the sides to make sure the cake is completely coated.
  3. You can re-use the ganache that collects in the bowl to create a chocolate ganache drip around the edges of the cake using a spoon.

Lastly, arrange the fresh raspberries on top of the cake and voila, you have the best vegan raspberry chocolate cake!

💬 FAQs

How to store vegan cake?

This cake can be kept at room temperature on the day or serving it.

If you plan on serving it at a later stage, place it in an airtight container. It will store well for 4-5 days, depending on the freshness of the raspberries on top.

slice of eggless chocolate cake with raspberry buttercream and ganache.Pin

More vegan cakes

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ★★★★★ rating in the recipe card below and consider leaving a comment as well, thanks!

Stay in touch with me through social media InstagramPinterestTikTok, and Facebook. And if you like one of my recipes, tag me!

Vegan Raspberry Chocolate Cake

5 from 34 votes
PREP TIME: 2 hours
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 15
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE

Description

Deliciously fluffy eggless chocolate cake with raspberry Swiss buttercream and a dark chocolate ganache glaze. This vegan raspberry chocolate cake is the ultimate vegan layer cake for special occasions.

Ingredients

Chocolate cake

Chocolate ganache glaze

Garnish

Instructions

  • Please read over the recipe and instructions fully before getting started as well as the above blog post which contains more detailed instructions, images, and tips.

Chocolate cake (Make the day before if possible)

  • Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). Line the base of three 6" cake tins with a circle of parchment paper and spray the sides with oil spray.
  • Add the plain flour, soft brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt to a large mixing bowl, whisk and set aside.
  • To make the vegan "buttermilk" add the soya milk and apple cider vinegar to a jug, stir and allow to sit for 10 minutes. 
  • Add the vegan buttermilk mixture, coffee, olive oil, and vanilla extract to the bowl with the dry ingredients and whisk carefully to combine. Do not overmix the batter.
  • Divide the batter into the lined cake pans and bake for 30 minutes. Check they are ready by inserting a skewer, it should come out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 15-20 minutes and then carefully turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool further. Refrigerate the cakes in an airtight container until ready to use. Chilling the cakes for a few hours (or overnight) makes them easier to work with and decorate.

Chocolate ganache glaze

  • Finely chop the chocolate and set it aside in a heat-resistant bowl. Add the coconut milk to a saucepan and place it on medium heat until gently simmering. Pour the heated coconut milk over the chocolate and allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes uncovered, before stirring with a spatula until smooth. Stir in the golden syrup and allow the mixture to come to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the vegan raspberry Swiss buttercream.

Assembly

  • Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the domes from the tops of the cakes if there are any to get them as even as possible. Place a tiny amount of buttercream on a cake turntable and secure the first sponge layer on top of it.
  • Reserve half of the buttercream for coating the outside of the cake. Use an offset spatula/pallet knife to spread a layer of the remaining buttercream on top of the sponge. Add the next layer of cake and repeat with another layer of frosting. Top with the final layer of cake. Use the remaining frosting to coat around the sides on top of the cake and smooth everything out with a cake scraper.

Glazing the cake

  • If the chocolate ganache has become too thick or gloopy, gently heat it over a double boiler/water bath and stir until it comes back to pourable consistency.
  • Prop the cake on top of an upside-down cake tin and place it in a large bowl – this will catch any glaze that drips over the edges! Pour the glaze over the top and edges of the cake and use a spatula to gently run around the sides to make sure the cake is completely coated. You can re-use the ganache that collects in the bowl to create a chocolate ganache drip around the edges of the cake using a spoon.
  • Lastly, arrange the fresh raspberries on top of the cake and voila, you have the best vegan raspberry chocolate cake!

Storage instructions

  • This cake can be kept at room temperature on the day or serving it. If you plan on serving it at a later stage, place it in an airtight container. It will store well for 4-5 days, depending on the freshness of the raspberries on top.

Notes

  • Nutritional information is based on the cake without buttercream
  • Coconut milk: Refrigerate overnight, then use only the thick cream from the top of the can.
  • Golden syrup: This creates a slight sheen to the glaze, but you can omit it if you do not have access to this ingredient.

Nutrition

Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 141mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 69IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe? Tag me TodayBe sure to leave a rating and a review in the section below, and mention @addictedtodates or tag #addictedtodates

© addictedtodates.com. All content and images are protected by copyright. If you want to share this recipe, please do so using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or republish the recipe or content in full. instead, include a link to this post for the recipe.

LEAVE A REVIEW:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




9 Comments

  1. Hi! Would it be possible to swap the out layer of chocolate glaze for a more matt, light coloured cream? What would you recommend? Love the flavour and the inside of the cake but I want to decorate the outside. Thanks! 🙂

    1. Hi Esther,

      Absolutely! You can go for another buttercream, depending on the flavor you'd like. If you want a white version I would recommend either my Italian or Swiss meringue buttercream recipes. I hope this helps!

  2. Hi Christina! If I were to make this cake for 25 people, which cake tin size do you recommend? And how do I adjust the batch quantity? Thank you a lot!!

    1. Another question came to mind: if I can't fit all the cake tins in one single oven rack, how do I proceed? Thanks again!

    2. Hi Denise!

      I would probably go ahead and double the recipe to make sure there's enough for everyone - and perhaps the odd second slice :).

      For sizing: I would either go with a four-layer 9" or three-layer 12". Alternatively you could also just make 2 separate cakes (2x three-layer 6" or 2x two-layer 9") - this way you will be able to cut thicker slices that aren't so tall, and the frosting process will be easier!

      Its best to prep them in two separate batches so that you don't have batter waiting around while the oven is full - so only prep batter for what you have space to bake at a time.

      In terms of baking times, I would test the batter at 20 minutes as this will vary depending on the height of the batter in the pan,. Then continue to bake for 5-10 minutes as needed.

      I hope this helps and I wasn't too confusing with my explanations!

      Thanks so much for trying the recipe and I hope you love it!

      1. Thank you so much for your in-depth reply!! Everything was very clear! I also just thought: alternatively, do you reckon I could turn it into a 9x13 sheet cake?

  3. Hello Christina 🙂
    I would like to make the cake as the bottom tier of a two tier terrace style cake and have a few questions:

    I would like to make only 2 layers with a larger diameter.
    How big should the tin be then?

    Can I bake the entire batter in 1 tin or should I also bake it in 2 tins?
    Will this change the baking time much, if i use 1 tin?

    I would like to make the walnut-coffee cake as the top layer and use a 16-20cm (6.3-7.87 inch) tin for this...the raspberry-chocolate cake should be 20-26cm (7.87-10 inch).

    The whole thing should then be covered with fondant.

    Thanks in advance for your help.
    Greetings from Germay

    1. Hi Julia,

      Wow, that sounds amazing! I would personally bake it in 2x 8inch tins, and baking time will be shorter. I would check it after 20 minutes and it should be ready, but continue to bake until the 25-minute mark if needed.

      I hope this helps 🙂