Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Mousse

July 21, 2025marissamakes
A cake adorned with raspberries and flowers, with light pink buttercream frosting.

Prep time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 8-10

This chocolate cake with raspberry mousse and white chocolate buttercream is the perfect mixture of the richness of chocolate, with the brightness of raspberry, and smooth sweetness of white chocolate. It’s the perfect celebration cake for birthdays or special occasions, and you can use frozen raspberries for the mousse, making it friendly for year-round baking.

I’m a huge lover of chocolate and raspberry together. It’s hands down one of my favorite dessert combos: fresh, decadent, sharp, and sweet. I’ve had a little tradition with myself to make myself a birthday cake every year. I’ve made variations of this one several times: it’s my interpretation of my favorite cake that my mom used to get for me from the French bakery in our neighborhood. This year’s attempt turned out the closest I’ve been to recreating the original thing, and I’m so excited to finally be sharing the recipe with you!

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Ingredients for the perfect chocolate cake

I love chocolate cake, but I often find that it can be difficult to make it actually taste chocolatey enough. In this recipe, we have two ingredients that help us achieve the extra chocolatey flavor: dutch process cocoa powder, and strongly brewed coffee. Dutch process cocoa powder is different from regular cocoa powder in that it has been processed to be more alkaline. This gives it a less bitter, smoother taste, and darker color. Because dutch process cocoa powder lacks acidity, it reacts best with baking powder for rise. However, because our recipe also has an acid (sour cream), we are also using baking soda for rise as well.

If you cannot find dutch process cocoa powder, you can substitute it with regular unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. It will turn out lighter in color, and possibly lacking some chocolate flavor. However, just know that this swap won’t always work for every recipe so be sure to check if you need to do swap again in the future! My personal favorite dutch process cocoa powder to use is the Cocoa Rouge Dutch Process Cocoa from Guittard. I often see it in major grocery stores, but you can also find it on amazon.

The other ingredient for a super chocolatey cake is coffee. This can be incorporated in a few different ways, usually through either espresso powder, or freshly brewed strong coffee. This recipe uses brewed coffee. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you can absolutely use brewed decaf. The coffee flavor paired with the flavor of the chocolate helps to make it stronger, as the flavor can sometimes get lost in the baking process.

Using sour cream in cakes is a great way to add moisture and depth of flavor! This cake contains sour cream- if you’ve never used it before in your cakes, trust me! You can’t taste it at all and it gives the most amazing texture. This chocolate cake also contains both white and brown sugar for added moisture and flavor.

For extra raspberry flavor, we’re using fresh raspberries scattered on top of the mousse for added freshness and bright flavor.

Making raspberry mousse

Raspberry mousse is super simple to make, and is a lovely contrast in taste and texture to the chocolate sponge. This mousse recipe requires gelatin to help set it: because the mousse is a cake filling, we need it to be very stable. If you are vegetarian, you can try substituting with agar agar, but I have not tested this. If you’ve tried out a vegetarian version of this mousse, please let me know in the comments!

To make the raspberry mousse, we start out by making a raspberry syrup with added gelatin. This gets added to cream whipped to stiff peaks, and left to set. Simple as that! In order for the mousse to set appropriately, it needs to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours. I actually like to make mine the day before, so it can set overnight. Then, when I’m ready to bake, I add it to a piping bag for easy application.

You will have leftover mousse from this recipe, so use the extra as a quick an easy dessert, simply topped with fresh berries!

The best buttercream

I have to admit I’m not actually the biggest fan of white chocolate, but I promise you this white chocolate buttercream is the best! It’s not too sweet, and is super smooth, and rounds out the whole flavor profile of the cake. This buttercream is a simple American buttercream, which means that it contains butter, powdered sugar, and flavorings, simply beaten together until smooth. I recommend using white chocolate that you’ve chopped yourself from a baking bar, or white chocolate pieces made specifically for baking. White chocolate chips can sometimes contain additives that make them harder to properly melt.

Tools you’ll need for this chocolate and raspberry cake

This cake doesn’t require much special equipment to make. I do recommend either a stand mixer or electric beaters for both the mousse, and the buttercream. You will also need a food processor or a blender and a fine mesh sieve for the raspberry syrup.

For the cakes, you will need two 8″ cake pans.

Tips for assembling this cake

The most important things to remember when assembling this cake are: to make suer that your mousse is fully set, and your cakes are fully cool. I like to set my mousse in the fridge overnight so I’m confident that it can hold up cake layers. You need to let it chill for a minimum of 4 hours, if you can’t do overnight. Be sure to fully cover the mousse in cling wrap so that the wrap is touching the surface of the mousse. This prevents contact between the mousse and trapped air, which can cause a skin to form. The set mousse will be pipeable, but hold its shape without any looseness.

It’s also very important to make sure your cakes are fully cool before assembling, as a warm cake will melt the mousse and buttercream, and will be less structurally stable. You can chill your cakes in the fridge after baking once they’re no longer hot, but are still warm, and you can also chill them overnight (or up to a couple of days). If chilling overnight, wrap tightly in clingwrap so they don’t dry out. Cold cakes are easier to assemble and frost, so this cake is very prep-ahead friendly!

You can also make the buttercream up to a week in advance. Simply add a splash of cream or milk and beat until fluffy and pipeable again.

How to serve and store this cake

Serve this cake at room temperature or chilled from the fridge. Store, wrapped well, in the fridge for up to 5 days.

More special occasion desserts you’ll love

Cara Cara Orange Cake with Kumquat Thyme Marmalade

Strawberry Financiers with Rhubarb and Rose Buttercream

Rosemary Hot Milk Cake

Double Lemon Cake with Marionberry Compote

I hope you enjoy this Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Mousse and White Chocolate Buttercream! Be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your creations, and leave me a comment below! Your feedback helps other home cooks and bakers who are giving this recipe a try, and I love hearing about what you made!

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Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Mousse and White Chocolate Buttercream

  • Prep time: 4 hours 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 5 hours
  • Serves: 8-10

This chocolate cake with raspberry mousse and white chocolate buttercream is the perfect mixture of the richness of chocolate, with the brightness of raspberry, and smooth sweetness of white chocolate. It's the perfect celebration cake for birthdays or special occasions, and you can use frozen raspberries for the mousse, making it friendly for year-round baking.

Ingredients

For the cake sponge

  • 2 cups all purpose flour , (250g)
  • 1 cup dutch process cocoa powder, (100g)
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed, (155g)
  • 1 cup white sugar, (210g)
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup unsalted buter , (2 sticks, 226g) melted
  • 2 large eggs, room temp
  • 1/2 cup milk, (118ml) room temp
  • 1 cup hot, strongly brewed coffee, (236ml)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup sour cream, (175g) room temp

For the raspberry mousse

  • 2 1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin, (1 package)
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, (about 18 oz) 1/2 cup divided to be used for filling and topping
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar, (150g)
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, (354 ml)

For the buttercream

  • 12 oz white chocolate , (343 g) chopped from a baking bar, or baking pieces (preferably not white chocolate chips as they do not melt well)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, (512g)
  • 2 cups unsalted butter, (452g), room temp
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1-2 tbsp heavy cream, or as needed, to thin

Method

Make the mousse

  • 1)

    Start by making the mousse so it has time to set. Combine the gelatin with about 1/4 cup of water and stir well. Set aside to soften.

  • 2)

    In a medium sauce pan, combine the raspberries and sugar with a splash of water and cook over medium heat until the raspberries release their juices and begin to break down. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

  • 3)

    Once cool, add the berry syrup to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds, and return to the pot. Add the softened gelatin and whisk thoroughly to combine so the gelatin is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

  • 4)

    In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the heavy cream and whisk until it reaches stiff peaks. Gently fold the cooled raspberry mixture into the whipped cream using a rubber spatula. Cover in cling film, with the film touching the surface of the mousse so that it does not form a skin. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight to set.

Make the cake layers

  • 1)

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8″ cake pans and set aside.

  • 2)

    In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, both sugars, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In a separate vessel with a pour spout, whisk together the melted butter, milk, and eggs. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk to combine, or use a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed.

  • 3)

    Add the sour cream, and mix until just combined. Carefully and slowly pour in the hot coffee- it will be a bit loose at first so add a little at a time and mix at a slow speed until just combined.

  • 4)

    Divide the batter between the two prepared pans, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester inserted to the center comes out mostly clean, with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack and allowing to cool completely before assembling.

Make the buttercream

  • 1)

    Using a double boiler, or a microwave, melt your white chocolate pieces. If using a microwave, melt in 30 second increments, stirring well in between.

  • 2)

    In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the softened butter and beat on medium speed until fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and the salt until combined. Add the melted white chocolate and beat until fluffy and smooth.

  • 3)

    Add the cream, a tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is reached. For this cake, we want the buttercream to be thick, but pipeable.

Assemble the cake

  • 1)

    Trim the fully cooled cake layers so that they are level. Secure the bottom layer to a cake board (or plate) with a little bit of buttercream. Using a piping bag or ziplock bag with a corner snipped off, pipe a dam of buttercream around the edge of the bottom cake layer, about 1-1.5 inches high.

  • 2)

    Using another piping bag or ziplock bag, pipe a layer of raspberry mousse on the bottom cake layer, about an inch-an inch and a half thick. Smooth with an offset spatula, and sprinkle the top with fresh raspberries.

  • 3)

    Add the top cake layer, and frost fully, as desired, using the remaining buttercream. Decorate with fresh raspberries and edible flowers.

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