Gretchen's Vegan Bakery

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake

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Chocolate truffle cake will have everyone thinking you bought it at a bakery!

It’s an easy one bowl mix for the chocolate cake and two ingredient truffle ganache for the icing and filling
And the great news is, it can be made gluten free!

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake

Good quality raspberry jam filling seals the deal with fresh raspberries on top!

This cake is perfect in every way and it’s so easy to make with just 2 recipes and a jar of jam!

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake

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NOTES FOR SUCCESS:

Gluten Free flour works like a dream in this cake recipe with no other changes needed!
I’ve use Bob’s Red Mill *not sponsored

While I am not an avid gluten free baker I have learned that by allowing the batter to sit for about 30 minutes before baking will help the final texture
As well as baking for an additional 10 to 20 minutes longer than the recipe specifies *this time is dependent upon the size of the pans you are using

Many people are not sure what “cake flour” is and it is not the same as self raising flour click for more info!

If you cannot get cake flour it is totally fine to use all – all purpose flour (plain flour) instead
Just use 1/4 cup (30g) less than the recipe lists for the total weight/volume of both flours

Most people are against using coffee in their recipes but please understand that coffee enhances chocolate recipes.
Believe me you cannot taste the actual coffee in the final recipe and it does wonders for the overall taste!
However if you still cannot use coffee you can replace it with water or plant milk

Typically I use 7″ cake pans for all my layer cakes but for this one I finally went back to my 8″ cake pans

Since this chocolate cake recipe will make 2 very thick layers  you can alternatively use 2- 9″ pans as well!

Some of you may be tempted to use Dutch Process Cocoa powder but please be sure to use natural or the cake will not turn out well!

Click here for more info on Why Dutch Process is not Always Better than Regular Cocoa Powder

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL ON HOW TO MAKE THIS CAKE

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake

 

Yield: serves 12

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • All Purpose Flour 2 cups (250g)
  • Cake Flour 1 cup (120g) *see notes
  • Natural Cocoa Powder 8 Tablespoons (40g) *see notes
  • Granulated Sugar 2 cups (400g)
  • Salt 1 teaspoon (6g)
  • Baking Soda 2 teaspoons
  • Apple Cider Vinegar 2 teaspoons (10ml)
  • Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons (10ml)
  • Vegetable Oil ¾ cup (177ml)
  • Strong Brewed Coffee 2 cups *see notes
  • Or add 3 teaspoons instant coffee granules to the water

For the Ganache:

  • Semi Sweet Vegan Chocolate 8ounces (226g)
  • Full Fat Plant Milk ¾ cup (177ml)

For the Garnish & Filling:

  • Fresh Raspberries for the top 1-2 pints
  • Raspberry Jam 1 cup

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and then grease & parchment line 2-8" Cake pans
  2. Sift both flours, baking soda, salt, and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Combine the natural cocoa powder with the hot coffee and then add the vinegar, oil and the vanilla extract whisk smooth.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the sifted dry ingredients and whisk vigorously with a hand whisk until smooth (about 30 strokes)
  5. Pour batter into greased and parchment lined 8" x 2" cake pans
  6. Bake immediately for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs and the cake is springy to the touch when you gently press the center
  7. Meanwhile prepare the ganache by heating the soy milk until it just starts to boil, pour the hot milk over the finely chopped chocolate in a large mixing bowl and whisk smooth
  8. Let the ganache cool at room temperature to a soft spreadable consistency while the cakes also cool
  9. Build the cake as per the video tutorial

Notes

Chocolate raspberry truffle cake can stay at room temperature without the fresh raspberry garnish for up to 3 days.

For longer storage & for storing it with the raspberries on top, keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week

© Gretchen

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Katiuscia

    Que lindo!!!! Não entendi a parte do café com a cerveja. Eu preparo o café e depoi acrescento a cerveja? A farinha de bolo posso substituir por outra? Eu não conheço essa farinha. E no ganache posso usar outro leite vegetal? Como o de aveia ou castanhas? Me desculpe por várias perguntas. Obrigada Katiuscia

    • Gretchen

      Hi! I cannot translate your comment! Except for the part about the coffee? You can use brewed coffee (2 cups) or make your own coffee with instant granules and boiled water (Like I did)

    • Mina

      Basta fazer o café – sem cerveja.
      A farinha para bolo é uma farinha mais fina, como o amido de milho.
      Você provavelmente poderia substituir amêndoas moídas e água por leite de soja, embora o leite de castanha soe bem.

      Sorry if does not make sense. I used a translation tool from the following (to Portuguese):

      Just make the coffee – no beer.
      Cake flour is a finer flour, like cornstarch.
      You could probably substitute ground almonds and water for soy milk, though chestnut milk sounds good.

  7. Liz

    HI Gretchen can you use Almond milk instead of Soy milk and for vegetable oil what kind do you use.
    thanks. Liz

      • Leanne

        Hi gretchen, does the coffee give a overly coffee taste in the cake? Plan to make this for 5 year old bday cake.

        • Gretchen

          Hi Leanna, I always include a “notes for success” section just above the recipe section to address the FAQ’s and other important info’s
          Here is the coffee statement: Most people are against using coffee in their recipes but please understand that coffee enhances chocolate recipes.
          Believe me you cannot taste the actual coffee in the final recipe and it does wonders for the overall taste!
          However if you still cannot use coffee you can replace it with water or plant milk

  8. Daniela Nyvltova

    As usual, absolutely delicious! Now, I am so waiting for the ultimate vanilla sponge cake with soft, tight crumbs, vanilla sponge and the most decadent, not so sweet vanilla buttercream frosting (this you got several versions of). But to see a a classic white vanilla vegan cake, that would be awesome! If anybody can come up with it, it would be you! 🙂

  9. Vicki

    Looking forward to trying this recipe, sounds yummy. I went to your vegan baking mastery that you talk about in the video but you cant seem to join it. Do you not do it anymore?

    • Gretchen

      Yes Hershey’s is natural, most of the ones you get in the supermarket ARE natural, if it is Dutched process it will likely Say ” Dutched Process” and it will be much more expensive

  11. James H Wall

    Vedt chocolate cake. Moist even the next day. Ga.ache no so good. After melting the chocolate with almond milk, I let it con to room temp. When ready to use on cake…hard as a rock. Will try again. Any duggestiond taste was awful. Maybe bad chocolate?

    • Gretchen

      Hmm, perhaps your chocolate was too bitter? I use a semi sweet 56% cocoa (Bakers Brand) and you can add more almond milk to it for a thinner consistency next time

  12. Trish

    Absolutely delicious! I love this cake ,do you think I could add a little more flour to make it a bit more dense for a double barrel cake Because as it is I think it will be to moist to stack that high

    • Gretchen

      By just adding more flour to a recipe doesn’t mean it will simply be more “dense” Density in various cakes versus lightness in other cakes is not simply achieved by the addition (or subtraction) of flour. There are many factors that play into the way a cake turns out, so I wouldn’t advise to just just add more flour. Baking is a science and the ratios of ingredients as well as the mix methods that are employed are what make the end result.
      For a more dense cake you can try this recipe CLICK HERE and this can be made into cake layers as well, just fill pans half full whatever size you are making

  13. lauren

    I can’t find natural cocoa powder where I live, only dutch processed cocoa 🙁 is it possible to use cacao powder?? thanks 🙂

  14. Jayna

    On a whim this weekend, I decided to try this recipe out, and it is incredible! I am kind of a newbie baker and made several adjustments based on what I had available, in case anyone reading these is wondering about their options. I can only assume a closer following of the recipe would produce an even more incredible cake, but what I ended up with got an A+ from everyone who tried it.

    To start, the cocoa powder I had was alkalized, so I used 4 tbsp of baking powder. My next grocery trip will definitely be getting natural cocoa powder!

    I didn’t have cake flour, so I did 2.5 cups of all purpose and 0.5 cups of cornstarch per a recommended alternative I found, and I used almond milk instead of soy milk.

    And finally, I only have access to espresso at home, so I took a shot of espresso and mixed it with a little less than 2 cups of hot almond milk, and then mixed the cocoa powder into that.

    Going forward I will definitely start stocking cake flour and natural cocoa powder, and my next attempt will try two shots of espresso just to experiment.

    Seriously, I don’t even want to tell people how easy this was to make and put together – based on how it tastes, everyone is thinking I’m so talented!

    • Gretchen

      awesome! thankyou for the feedback and I am so happy you loved it! (also for a self proclaimed “newbie baker” you substituted for your needs like a pro!!

        • Gretchen

          Hi Ruth, yes, I try to always have a “notes for success” section on my recipes & this is a “most asked question”
          I wrote:
          Most people are against using coffee in their recipes but please understand that coffee enhances chocolate recipes.
          While you cannot taste the actual coffee in the final recipe it does wonders for the overall taste!
          However if you still cannot use coffee you can replace with water or plant milk

  16. Brenna Hack

    Wanting to know how I can preserve it overnight! I am making it for a friends birthday the night before. Can I stack and frost the whole thing and put it under a cover without it getting dry? Thanks!!

    • Gretchen

      Yes!! This cake lasts great for several days airtight! (I would however wait to put the raspberries on top or they will get weird and start to break down at room temperature and you will have a juicy mess

  18. Ekta

    Hi Gretchen. Thank you for the wonderful recipe of chocolate cake without eggs! Is there any substitute for coffee as I don’t consume coffee? Also, is this cake strong enough to go under fondant?

  19. Le

    Hi Gretchen please help, I would like to try your cake it looks delicious, but I dont eat any form of refined sugar. Can I use maple syrup or rice malt syrup? And because stevia leaves a terrible after taste I would rather stay away from that one too.

  20. Jean Evans

    Hi

    I have tried many of your recipes and have never been disappointed.

    Could you let me know what you use to grease your pans, is it just vegan butter ?

    Thanks

    Jean

  21. Sarah

    I made this cake for a coworker’s birthday today — it came together so easily, looked gorgeous and tasted amazing! It was devoured in seconds by everyone at work and it got so many compliments. I’m a novice baker but this cake tricked everyone into thinking I’m a pro. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I need to get your book!

  22. Wonder Woman

    Looks good; however, raspberries (presumably a main component of a “Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake”) are not included in the printed recipe’s ingredients list at all.

  23. Wonder Woman

    You’re welcome (eye wink/smile)! And for my UPDATE: I made this yesterday for my vegan niece’s 16th birthday. Everyone, including myself, absolutely LOVED it, especially because the sweetness is perfectly balanced. These were my tweaks to an already excellent recipe: 1) One pint crushed fresh raspberries and 2 tsps raspberry extract added to the cake mix before pouring into pans. 2) I used a mocha coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor; if I could’ve acquired one in time, I would’ve used a chocolate-raspberry or chocolate-mocha coffee. 2) I reduced the oven temp to 325 degrees (I made 3 9-inch tiers) and baked for 30 minutes as suggested in the recipe. For some reason, reducing the temperature of most baking recipes by 25 degrees works for me; I assume it has to do with my location in west Texas. 3) I doubled the ganache recipe to cover the entire cake because my niece *loves* chocolate. 4) I used a combo of fresh raspberries and sliced strawberries to top the cake and dipped them in ganache (strawberry glaze also works) to help them stick to the cake since I had to transport the cake to another location. Thanks so much; we’ll be making this again quite often! I’ve subscribed to your excellent Youtube channel. Hope you had a terrific Easter!

  24. Stephen

    I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was
    good. I do not know who you are but definitely you
    are going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!

    • Gretchen

      yes, however I do not LOVE the texture change of the cake (or any vegan cake for that matter) after it has been frozen then thawed. I prefer to just keep them wrapped and in the refridge until I need to build the cake (max 4 days)

  26. Vera

    Hi, it’s Vera from Taiwan. I love your way and attitude in making vegan cake. I’ve tried this cake today. Amazing and yummy. May I add less vegetable oil for the cake? For example from 177ml to 100ml or 80ml. What kind of situation may I have if I make the oil less?

    And I tried whipped cashew cream. Failed with grainy situation, but I tried your how to fix the broken cream. It works. Wow lala. But not until I freeze the beautiful whipping cream for 5 minutes. Broken again. So I don’t have to put the successful cream into refrigerator?

    Thank you for sharing those amazing recipes.

    • Gretchen

      You can try substituting applesauce for some of the oil. The cream should stay refrigerated, but it can stay out for several hours with no trouble

  27. LeeAnn

    Hi there!
    This recipe looks great- if I wanted to make it into a sheet cake in a 9×13 pan, any idea on how to adjust bake time/temp? Thanks!

    • Gretchen

      all the batter into the 9″ x 13″ pan bake temp same, bake time will be similar- but always check it at 20-22 minutes to see how much longer to go!

  28. Grace

    Hi Gretchen,
    I am just wondering if there is anyway to make this recipe gluten free and still get a similar result?

    Thanks 🙂

  30. Sanjana

    Hi Gretchen,

    Love the recipe, and can you suggest what changes I need to make if I am baking a smaller cake – 6”?

    Thank you

  31. Richa shanker

    Gretchen i made truffle cake base with all purpose and patisserie flour. I don’t have cake flour. And it was awesome.
    What is patisserie flour ?? Is it Pastry flour ?

  32. Jennifer Beckman

    Instead of 8 tablespoons cocoa powder, why don’t you say 1/2 cup?
    The cake recipe whipped up easy this morning. Waiting until Wednesday to put the cake together for a birthday celebration.

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