Raspberry Mocha Upside-Down Cake

A moist decadent chocolate cake paired with juicy raspberries and an irresistible espresso caramel makes this raspberry mocha upside-down cake a dessert you’ll want on regular rotation.

A decadent raspberry mocha upside-down cake is the dessert worth making this year.

As I mentioned in my amaretto cherry upside-down cake post, upside-down cakes are my current hyperfixation. They’re so easy to make and so easy to create fun flavor profiles. In this version, I pair a rich espresso caramel with sweetened raspberries and a moist, decadent chocolate cake. It’s all the best flavors in the world: a bit of bitterness, the perfect amount of sweet tartness, and chocolatey decadence.

This upside-down cake starts with a layer of espresso caramel beneath a layer of lightly sweetened fresh raspberries. It’s topped with a moist chocolate cake batter. My favorite part is that the caramel seeps into the chocolate as it bakes, creating little pockets of rich, gooey, espresso caramel in the chocolate cake. It really is a divine dessert recipe that will have everyone wanting seconds…or thirds!

How to make this raspberry mocha upside-down cake

While this cake looks ultra-luxe, it’s actually so easy to make that you can even whip it up on a weeknight.

What you need

• Raspberries: You’ll coat fresh raspberries in cornstarch and sugar.
• Espresso caramel: You need espresso powder, butter, light brown sugar, and heavy cream.
• Cake batter: The cake is simply butter creamed together with sugar and an egg. It has cake flour, baking powder, salt, Dutch-process cocoa powder (though any unsweetened cocoa powder will work here), milk, and vanilla extract.

How to make it

• Step 1: Coat the raspberries in sugar and cornstarch and transfer to the refrigerator.
• Step 2: Melt butter in a small pot and add espresso powder, corn syrup, and granulated sugar. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sugar dissolves. The mixture will be very viscous! Pour it into the bottom of a greased 9-inch cake pan and transfer to the refrigerator. The mixture will harden in the refrigerator, but that’s okay!
• Step 3: Make the batter. Sift together cake flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together, and add an egg and beat until creamy. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with whole milk, mixing lightly after each addition. Finish with the vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix!
• Step 4: Assemble the upside-down cake! Remove the cake pan from the refrigerator and add the raspberries on top of the caramel in an even layer. Press gently into the mixture to form a tight layer, but don’t mash the raspberries too much. Spoon the cake batter on top and smooth it into an even layer.
• Step 5: Transfer the cake to a preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 to 45 minutes.
• Step 6: Place a large plate on top of the cake pan and flip. Use a butter knife or spoon to tap the bottom of the cake pan to encourage the gentle release of the cake.

From there, you can slice the cake and serve it with a dollop of whipped cream on top if you like.

Raspberry Mocha Upside-Down Cake

A moist decadent chocolate cake paired with juicy raspberries and an irresistible espresso caramel makes this raspberry mocha upside-down cake a dessert you'll want on regular rotation.

3 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Inactive time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 323kcal

Equipment

• 9-Inch Round Cake Pan
• Mixing Bowls
• Electric hand mixer
• Small pot

Ingredients

Raspberries:

• 12 ounces raspberries
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Espresso caramel:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Batter:

• 1 cup cake flour
• ¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For serving:

• Whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the raspberries:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
• Place the raspberries in a large bowl. Cover with ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Stir to coat and refrigerate until needed.

Make the espresso caramel:

• Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan. Set aside.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once melted, add 2 teaspoons espresso powder and ½ cup light brown sugar. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture darkens slightly in color.
• Turn the heat to low and add 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Whisk until smooth and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth it into an even layer. Transfer to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Make the batter:

• Sift 1 cup cake flour, ¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt into a small bowl. Set aside.
• Using an electric hand mixer, cream 4 tablespoons butter with ½ cup granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg and beat until smooth.
• Add half the dry ingredients and beat with the mixer until just combined. Add half of the milk and beat until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients, the rest of the milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until just combined. Don’t over-mix!

Assemble the cake:

• Remove the cake pan and raspberries from the refrigerator.
• Pour all of the raspberries, including any liquid from the bowl, over the caramel layer. Smooth the raspberries into a single layer and press gently into the caramel to create a tight layer. Avoid breaking the raspberries too much.
• Spoon the batter over the raspberries and smooth it into an even layer.

Bake the upside-down cake:

• Transfer the cake to the oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Let the cake stand for at least 30 to 45 minutes at room temperature.

To serve:

• Place a large plate over the cake pan and carefully flip the cake onto the plate. Use a small butter knife to tap over the pan to encourage the release of the cake. Once the cake has been transferred to the plate, cut and serve with whipped cream on top. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Sodium: 294mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin C: 11mg

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