Valentine’s Day is coming up and this chocolate cake with raspberry sauce will not disappoint! The cake is made with healthier ingredients than your typical cake recipe, but is still satisfyingly moist and full of rich, chocolate flavor. The easy raspberry sauce adds a tartness that complements the chocolate and adds bright red color to honor Valentine’s Day. But of course, you can enjoy this recipe anytime of the year. I also include an option for chocolate cake without sauce, in case you like options. I know I do!
Why you Will Swoon Over This Recipe
This recipe is delicious and decadent. With Valentine’s Day coming up, you will want to give this a try. Or, if you are in the mood for something chocolatey feel free to enjoy this anytime of the year. You will also love that this cake can be enjoyed with or without the raspberry sauce. If you choose to not use the raspberry sauce, it will not be lacking in flavor or moisture. The sauce adds a fun tanginess and a pop of color but is completely optional. See below for more ideas on how to dress up this cake and make it look pretty, if you’d like something more simple.
Ingredients for the Chocolate Cake
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For this recipe I use ingredients that are healthier than your typical cake recipe. I use whole wheat pastry flour instead of regular white flour. This gives each serving more nutrition including more fiber and more calcium. You can find whole wheat pastry flour here.
I also choose to use extra virgin olive oil, that boasts a fruity flavor, in place of butter to reduce saturated fats and cholesterol.
Flavor is enhanced by adding freshly brewed hot coffee to cocoa powder. This helps develop the chocolate flavor in the cocoa powder. Mini chocolate chips are incorporated to add an additional source of chocolatey goodness.
Additionally, I mix in buttermilk instead of regular milk to help the cake rise and to give it a more tender texture.
Lastly, I incorporate raspberries into the sauce recipe to add a source of fruit. Adding fresh raspberries on top of your cake before eating will also add an additional nutrition boost. Not much goes together like chocolate and raspberry!
Ingredients for the Raspberry Sauce
The raspberry sauce is easy to make and only requires four ingredients. Make sure you set some fresh raspberries aside to place on top of the cake before eating. Feel free to use frozen raspberries for the sauce in place of fresh if that is what you have available.
I Love Heart Shaped Cakes
To make this heart shaped cake, you will need a heart shaped baking dish. I used a 9″ heart shaped silicone mold. You can also use a heart shaped metal pan. Note that a metal pan may require less baking time.
You may of course, also use any other fun shaped pan you want. Cooking time is based on using a 9″ pan so baking time may need to be adjusted if you use a different size pan.
Option for Chocolate Cake Without Sauce
If you do not have the time or ingredients to make the raspberry sauce (or just don’t feel like it), fear not. The raspberry sauce is not required; the cake is still delicious without it. If you still want the cake to look extra fancy, feel free to take a teaspoon of powdered sugar and sift on top of the cake before serving. I usually use a colander to shake powdered sugar on top of the cake. Make sure the cake is completely cool before doing so.
Recipe for Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce
Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce
A rich chocolate cake with a tart raspberry sauce, perfect for Valentine's Day!
Ingredients
- Ingredients for Cake
- 1/2 cup hot coffee
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1 and 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup cane sugar
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
- Ingredients for raspberry sauce
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 2 Tbsp cane sugar
- 1/4 cup water + 1 Tbsp water for corn starch slurry
- 1.5 tsp corn starch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Coat baking pan with non stick spray.
- Brew fresh coffee, in a medium bowl mix hot coffee into cocoa powder. Set aside to cool.
- In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt.
- To coffee and cocoa mixture add olive oil, cane sugar, buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mix just until combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into heart shaped baking mold or 9" cake pan. If using silicone mold place on cookie sheet to provide support. Bake in oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cake on rack. Remove from baking pan.
- Make raspberry sauce by combining raspberries, 1/4 cup water and sugar in a pan. Stir mixture over low heat and mash raspberries as they cook.
- When sauce is heated through and raspberries are all mashed, strain seeds with mesh colander, being careful to collect raspberry sauce. Discard seeds and return raspberry sauce to pan.
- Make corn starch slurry by mixing corn starch and 1 Tbsp water. Stir into heated raspberry juice. Heat on low heat again until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- Drizzle raspberry sauce onto chocolate cake just before serving. You can drizzle over the whole cake or slice by slice. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield
10Serving Size
1 slice (about 70 gm)Amount Per Serving Calories 247Total Fat 10.3gSaturated Fat 2.7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6.3gCholesterol 22.5mgSodium 209mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 4.75gSugar 21gProtein 4g
Nutrition facts are calculated using data from nutrient analysis software that utilizes data from USDA and Nutritionix. Therefore, the nutrition facts are estimates based on general nutrient analysis data. Different variables may affect the accuracy of these nutrition facts. Variables may include different brands of food items used and any changes made to the ingredients called for in the recipe. Nutrition facts are most accurate when using nutrition fact labels on actual ingredients used.
If you try this recipe and love it, please give it a 5 star review. Thanks!
Jodi says
Sounds delicious I’ll have to give it a try for this Valentine’s Day
kristynthedietitian says
<3 So glad you will try it out, you won't be disappointed!