Chocolate Berry Cake

(1)

This decadent chocolate berry cake is a delightful combination of rich chocolate cake, juicy berries, and hot chocolate whipped cream, creating a flavor explosion that is sure to please your taste buds.

Whether you’re planning a special occasion or simply looking for a dessert, a chocolate berry cake is a perfect choice. Easy to make, even for a beginner baker, this mouth-watering cake will make the star of any dessert table.

Get ready to indulge in a slice of heaven with this chocolate and berry cake recipe.

Why you’ll love this Chocolate Berry Cake 

• The combination of chocolate cake with berries is delicious.
• This cake is incredibly rich in chocolate flavor. The whipped cream filling adds a more chocolatey flavor.
• Whether you’re planning a fancy dinner party or searching for a berry birthday cake, a chocolate cake with fruit topping is a perfect fit for any occasion. If you would like a second cake, you can also opt for a strawberry whipped cream cake.
• This cake is easy to prepare. Opting for a semi-naked cake is an excellent way to simplify things. Even beginner bakers can achieve success in making this chocolate berry cake.
• A cake with berries on top is effortless but still, a beautiful presentation that will give an impressive and delightful dessert to serve to your guests.

Ingredient notes

This chocolate berry cake uses common ingredients that you will find easily. Here are a few notes to help you choose the right ingredients. Full list at the end of the post.

For the chocolate cake:

• Dutch process cocoa powder, also called baking cocoa.
• Fine sugar: you can use caster or granulated sugar.
• Milk: whole or 2% milk-fat
• vegetable oil with a neutral flavor like canola oil / rapeseed oil.

Mixed Berries: Use fresh berries for the best flavor, especially strawberries. If you are using frozen strawberries in your cake, the extra water may affect the texture of your batter.

I used a mix of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. You can add blackberries if you like, but they tend to be in season when the strawberries are out of season.

Chocolate whipped cream for filling and frosting: full-fat heavy cream and full-fat mascarpone cheese. Don’t go for a light version. The fat aids in stabilizing the whipped cream, ensuring it holds its shape. And make sure to use a hot cocoa mix.

Useful tools

• 3 x 6 inch / 15 cm round cake pans
• hand mixer
• palette spatula
• piping bag with a tip
• cake board
• turntable
• cake scraper

Some of these tools will make the chocolate berry cake-making process easier, but they’re not all compulsory.

How to make this cake?

Here is a summary of the recipe. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions at the end of this post.

Bake the chocolate cakes: In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and stir until well combined. Transfer the batter to cake pans and bake.

Prepare the mixed berries: Dice the strawberries and add them to a bowl with raspberries and blueberries. Add sugar, then let sit for 30-45 minutes before straining off the excess juice through a sieve.

Hot chocolate whipped cream filling: Add all the ingredients to your bowl. With an electric mixer, beat at low speed until everything is combined. Then, increase the speed slightly and whip until stiff peaks form. 

Once the cakes are baked and cooled, proceed to the assembly.

Fill the cake: Using a cake leveler or a long-serrated knife, level the cakes if needed to remove any domes and to have flat cakes.

Spread the whipped cream on top of the first cake and pipe a rim around the edge. (It will create a dam, and your berry filling won’t slip.) 

Then, spoon the filling in the center over the chocolate whipped cream until the edge of the dam.

Top with whipped cream and spread evenly with a palette spatula.

Top with the second cake layer, and repeat the process.

Top with the third layer, making sure the layer cake is upside down to have a perfectly flat surface on the top.

Frost the cake: Using an offset spatula, cover the sides and top of the cake with the chocolate whipped cream. Use a frosting smoother to smooth the side.

Decorate the top with the remaining frosting and fresh berries.

Tips

For the chocolate cakes

• It’s easier to combine ingredients when they are at room temperature.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Mixing too much will make the cakes tough and dry. Just mix until all the ingredients are combined.
• Divide the batter evenly by weighing it.
• Use aluminum cake pans for best results.
• To ensure that your cake cooks evenly and doesn’t have hard edges, use a wet strip around the sides of the pan.
• Don’t overbake your cakes. Overbaking will dry them out.

Berries for the middle 

• Avoid frozen strawberries, as they tend to contain more water.
• To get the most out of your berries, choose them when they’re in season.

Hot chocolate whipped cream filling:

• Be sure to chill the heavy cream before whipping it.
• Stir the mascarpone cheese with a spoon or spatula to make it blend more easily into the other ingredients.
• Start whipping the ingredients at low speed and gradually increase the speed. It helps for a stable whipped cream.
• Homemade whipped cream is a lot tastier than the store-bought kind. Avoid the latter because it tends to be less stable.

Assembly:

• It’s important to let cakes cool completely before frosting them with whipped cream, or else the cream will melt.
• Pipe whipped cream to fill the cake using a piping bag. It’s easier than trying to spread it with a spoon.

By following these tips, you can make the perfect chocolate berry cake.

FAQs 

How to store the cake?

Store it in the refrigerator under a cake dome for up to 2 days.

Can I make this chocolate berry cake ahead of time?

You can prepare the cakes a day ahead. Once cooled, wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in an airtight container. Alternatively, freeze them for up to 2 months.

The berries and whipped cream filling should be prepared the day you plan to serve the cake.

Variation

• Use full-fat cream cheese instead of mascarpone cheese. The flavor might vary slightly, so you may need to adjust the amount of sugar to balance the sourness (use powdered sugar for that).
• You can make a classic whipped cream instead of chocolate whipped cream: 240ml (1 cup) of heavy cream + 120g (1/2 cup) of mascarpone cheese + 50g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar + 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
• Instead of a semi-naked cake, you can choose to frost the cake completely, add extra: 120ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream + 60g (1/4 cup) mascarpone cheese + 50g (1/2 cup) hot cocoa mix.

Try these recipes next:

• strawberry whipped cream cake, for a vanilla version
• or the chocolate mud cake, with a fancy decoration, for another delicious chocolate cake

If you tried this chocolate berry cake or any recipe on the blog, let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below or a rating.