Lemon Raspberry Cake

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Delight in the bright and fruity flavors of this Lemon Raspberry Cake, a delightful dessert that’s perfect for any occasion. Picture layers of moist and tender lemon cake, filled with a luscious raspberry filling and topped with a creamy lemon buttercream frosting. Each bite is a burst of tangy lemon and sweet raspberry goodness, creating a harmonious balance of flavors that’s sure to tantalize your taste buds.

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Transport yourself to a realm of citrusy bliss with our Lemon Raspberry Cake. Imagine layers of moist lemon-infused sponge cake, delicately balanced with tart raspberry filling. Each slice offers a symphony of flavors, where zesty lemon meets the vibrant sweetness of raspberries. The cake is elegantly adorned with a creamy lemon frosting, beautifully finished with fresh raspberries on top. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply craving a burst of refreshing flavors, this Lemon Raspberry Cake is a perfect harmony of tangy and sweet indulgence

Why you will love this Lemon Raspberry Cake Recipe

  • It’s perfectly balanced – not too tart, not too sweet. The fresh, tangy sweetness will have you licking the plate clean.
  • Enjoy the burst of bright, sweet raspberry flavor from our homemade raspberry filling – and there’s plenty of it! If you’re short on time, store-bought filling works just fine.
  • Thanks to the reverse creaming method, this cake boasts a soft, airy, cloud-like crumb that’s simply irresistible.
  • And fear not – this cake is sturdy. Velvety, tender, and moist, with enough structure to support all that delicious filling.
  • Between each layer, indulge in our lemon cream cheese frosting – ensuring no dry, orphaned cake here!

INGREDIENTS NOTES

While the ingredient list for this Lemon Raspberry Cake recipe may seem long, most of the ingredients are pantry-friendly staples that you’ll use multiple times in the cake, filling, and/or frosting. Here’s what you’ll need for each component.

FOR THE LEMON CAKE

  • Lemon: You’ll need one fresh lemon for its juice and zest. The zest adds concentrated lemon flavor, so be careful to avoid the white pith, which can be bitter.
  • Raspberries: Choose ripe but not overly soft berries. You’ll also want extra raspberries for garnishing the cake.
  • Cake flour: This flour is finer than all-purpose flour and has a lower protein content, resulting in tender, light cake layers with a fine crumb. If you can’t find cake flour, there’s an easy substitution included below.
  • Butter: Unsalted butter is recommended for baking so you can control the salt content. If you only have salted butter, adjust the salt in the recipe accordingly.
  • Milk: Any type of milk will work, but 2% or whole milk will yield the moistest cake.
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar is used to let the lemon flavor shine.
  • Eggs: Room-temperature eggs are best for baking. If you forget to take them out in advance, you can quickly warm them in a bowl of warm tap water for about 20 minutes.
  • Baking powder: This leavening agent helps tenderize the cake and give it rise during baking. Make sure your baking powder is fresh for best results.
  • Vanilla extract: A touch of vanilla adds depth of flavor to the cake. Opt for a high-quality extract for the best taste.

FOR THE RASPBERRY FILLING

Making raspberry filling is simple with this recipe, or you can opt for store-bought jam.

Here’s what you’ll need for the raspberry filling:

  • Raspberries: Fresh and very ripe raspberries work best, or you can use thawed frozen raspberries. Ensure that if you’re using frozen raspberries, they don’t have any added sugar.
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar is used to sweeten the raspberries and turn them into jam.
  • Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is ideal, but bottled will work too. The lemon juice enhances the fresh berry flavor and balances the sweetness of the sugar.
  • Cornstarch: This ingredient thickens the jam. Without it, you’d need to use twice the amount of sugar and reduce the cooking time.

FOR THE LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  • Cream cheese: Opt for full-fat brick-style cream cheese for the creamiest texture. Avoid using ⅓ less fat cream cheese, as it’s softer and could result in a sliding cake.
  • Butter: Unsalted butter is ideal, but salted butter works too. Adjust the amount of added salt accordingly.
  • Powdered sugar: For smoother frosting, sift the powdered sugar before using, especially if it’s been sitting for a while.
  • Lemon juice and zest: These ingredients add a refreshing lemon flavor to balance the sweetness of the powdered sugar. They also lend a delightful tanginess to the frosting.
  • Vanilla extract: Choose a high-quality vanilla extract for the best flavor.

VARIATIONS

  • Different toppings: Elevate the flavor by topping the cake with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or even white chocolate shavings.
  • Lemon Blueberry Cake: Mix 1 ½ cups of blueberries with one Tbsp of flour to prevent them from sinking. Gently fold the floured blueberries into the cake batter at the end of mixing. Using smaller blueberries helps the batter cook evenly. Check out a specific recipe for detailed instructions.
  • Lemon Poppy Seed Cake: Add ¼ cup of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients for a delightful crunch.
  • Lemon Almond Cake: Fold in ½ cup of slivered almonds into the batter before baking. Optionally, add 1 tsp of almond extract for extra almond flavor.

MAKE AHEAD RASPBERRY LEMON CAKE

Here’s how you can prepare the cake ahead of time or in stages:

  • Raspberry Filling: Make and refrigerate it up to 1 week in advance or freeze it for up to three months.
  • Frosting: Prepare it up to 24 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Allow it to come close to room temperature before re-whipping if necessary.
  • Cakes: Bake, cool, and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate them one day ahead or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Crumb Coated Cake: Let the crumb coat set completely, then tightly wrap the cake in plastic wrap. Refrigerate or freeze until you’re ready to finish frosting.
  • Frosted Cake: To make sure your frosted cake is perfect, put the whole cake together, cover it with a cake cover or wrap it with foil, then chill it in the fridge for 24 hours before cutting. Before serving, let it sit at room temperature.

HOW TO FREEZE LEMON RASPBERRY CAKE

  • Individual cake layers: Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months.
  • Crumb-coated cake: Wrap the set cake in a couple of layers of plastic wrap followed by a couple of layers of foil, and freeze for up to two months.
  • Frosted cake: Flash freeze the cake until solid, then wrap it tightly in a couple of layers of plastic wrap followed by a couple of layers of foil. Freeze for up to two months. Remove the plastic wrap, transfer the cake to a container, and allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing. After slicing, let it come to room temperature before serving.

 

Love cakes? Be sure to check out these other delicious cake recipes!

White Chocolate Almond Raspberry Cake

Strawberry Crumble Cake

Lemon Blueberry Cake

 

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