The Best Raspberry Cake Recipe
Have you been looking for the best raspberry cake recipe? Look no further, because it’s here and it’s AMAZING!
Whether for a birthday, holiday, or just because, cake is always a classic choice for dessert. This simple raspberry cake, combined with a delicious lemon and cream cheese frosting, is perfect for a special occasion.
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This fresh and flavourful raspberry cake is ideal for birthday parties, bridal showers or baby showers! It’s full of delicious citrus and raspberry flavours that everyone is sure to love.
This recipe makes a small tiered cake that is perfect serving a smaller crowd of guests. Making a 6-inch cake is also the perfect way to avoid too much overindulgence if you’ve got a sweet tooth like mine!
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Equipment:
- Hand mixer
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Mixing Spatula
- Mixing bowls
- Cake drum or decorative cake board
- 2 6-inch cake pans (2 inches tall)
- Turntable for cake
- Angled spatula
Raspberry Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
Cake Batter –
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 cup white cane sugar
- 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 6 ounces raspberries, dusted with flour
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 2 tsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 3⁄4 cup milk (room temperature or as close as possible without it getting warm)
Buttercream –
- 1 1⁄2 cups salted butter
- 4 ounce cream cheese (full fat)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. To a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, butter, lemon extract, and lemon juice. Start mixing with the hand mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until everything is light and fluffy.
3. In a separate, medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder, and whisk together. Alternate adding the flour mixture and pouring milk into the egg/sugar ingredients. Mix until well combined, scraping sides midway through. Mix no longer than 1 1⁄2 minutes.
4. Fold in the raspberries. Be sure not to overmix to avoid breaking the berries.
5. Pour equal amounts of batter into 2 6-inch round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 mins. Check with a toothpick. It should come out clean. If not, bake an additional 2 mins.
6. Allow cakes to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pans and cooling completely.
7. While the cakes are baking, prepare the frosting. Mix the salted butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and extracts together until creamy and smooth. Cover and allow to rest while the cake layers cool completely.
To decorate:
1. Place one of the cakes on a decorative cake board or cake drum. Using the angled spatula, add some of the lemon buttercream to the top of the cake layer. In a back-and-forth motion, spread gently to cover the entire top of the cake.
2. Place the second cake on top of the first layer (top side down). Press down gently, as this helps remove some of the air pockets that may have developed.
3. Place more buttercream on the cake and gently work back and forth. Frost the sides of the cake. Use the angled spatula to smooth out the buttercream as much as possible, or make slight ridges by turning the cake on the turntable.
4. Top with fresh raspberries and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks:
- You can use an electric mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or whisk attachment for this recipe.
- Do not attempt to add buttercream to the cakes until they are fully cooled. Adding buttercream to warm cakes can cause it to melt and not set as firmly as needed.
- I use a kitchen scale to make sure each cake pan has equal amounts of batter. You can also use the scale to measure out the flour.
- If your cakes are quite domed, use a serrated knife to cut off the tops, so you can stack them evenly.
- Because of the cream cheese, keep this cake refrigerated. It can be stored up to 5 days, covered with plastic wrap or sealed in an airtight container. Do not place an uncovered, cut cake in the refrigerator. The cake will dry out and can absorb odors from the fridge.
Recipe Variations:
- You can top the cake with fresh raspberries if desired.
- To boost the raspberry flavor, include raspberry jam, raspberry puree, or extra fresh berries in between your cake layers.
- For a white chocolate raspberry cake, add white chocolate chips to the batter.
- Use a lemon, yellow, or white cake mix.
- Add lemon zest to the buttercream for even more lemon flavor.
- Make a raspberry buttercream.
- Try a whipped cream frosting, instead of buttercream.
- Leave out the lemon and make a raspberry chocolate cake.
The next time you want to make something really special, give this raspberry cake recipe a try. Be sure to check out this delicious strawberry cake too!
If you love this raspberry cake recipe, please give it a five star review and share it on Facebook or Pinterest so that others can enjoy it too.
The Best Raspberry Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 cup white cane sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 6 ounces raspberries dusted with flour
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 2 tsp lemon juice fresh or bottled
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup milk room temperature or as close as possible without it getting warm
- 1 1/2 cups salted butter
- 4 ounce cream cheese full fat
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- 2. To a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, butter, lemon extract, and lemon juice. Start mixing with the hand mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until everything is light and fluffy.
- 3. In a separate, medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder, and whisk together. Alternate adding the flour mixture and pouring milk into the egg/sugar ingredients. Mix until well combined, scraping sides midway through. Mix no longer than 1 1⁄2 minutes.
- 4. Fold in the raspberries. Be sure not to overmix to avoid breaking the berries.
- 5. Pour equal amounts of batter into 2 6-inch round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 mins. Check with a toothpick. It should come out clean. If not, bake an additional 2 mins.
- 6. Allow cakes to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pans and cooling completely.
- 7. While the cakes are baking, prepare the frosting. Mix the salted butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and extracts together until creamy and smooth. Cover and allow to rest while the cake layers cool completely.
- To decorate: Place one of the cakes on a decorative cake board or cake drum. Using the angled spatula, add some of the lemon buttercream to the top of the cake layer. In a back-and-forth motion, spread gently to cover the entire top of the cake. Place the second cake on top of the first layer (top side down). Press down gently, as this helps remove some of the air pockets that may have developed. Place more buttercream on the cake and gently work back and forth. Frost the sides of the cake. Use the angled spatula to smooth out the buttercream as much as possible, or make slight ridges by turning the cake on the turntable.
Nutrition
Can you make this in a 9×13 pan instead and for how long?
Yes, I would suggest testing the cake 5-10 minutes sooner with a toothpick inserted into the center. When it comes out clean its fully baked.
Looks great! Making it this weekend for my best friend’s birthday. Would this still be good if I made it the night before?
You bet! Enjoy :)