Decadent Raspberry Chocolate Swirl Cake
A moist and rich chocolate cake swirled with fresh raspberries, perfect for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion. This easy homemade dessert balances bittersweet chocolate with tart raspberries for an unforgettable treat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (35g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (225g) fresh raspberries
- ½ cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until fluffy and pale, about 3-5 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and sour cream, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix gently after each addition, about 2 minutes total.
- Divide the batter: spoon about two-thirds into a separate bowl (this is the raspberry batter).
- Fold 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the remaining one-third batter to make the chocolate swirl batter.
- Gently fold the fresh raspberries into the raspberry batter, careful not to break them up.
- Pour half of the raspberry batter into the prepared pan. Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter on top, then add the remaining raspberry batter. Use a butter knife or skewer to swirl the batters together in a figure-eight or circular motion without overmixing.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, starting to check at 40 minutes with a toothpick. It should come out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar if desired before serving.
Notes
Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Gently fold raspberries to maintain swirl pattern. Chill batter before swirling if raspberries tend to sink. Avoid overmixing to keep cake light. Frozen raspberries can be used if thawed and drained well. For gluten-free, substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12th of c
- Calories: 320
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Protein: 4
Keywords: raspberry chocolate swirl cake, Valentine dessert, chocolate cake, raspberry cake, homemade cake, easy dessert, chocolate swirl, berry dessert