Lemon Raspberry Cake

Updated: Jun 26, 2024 by christina.marsigliese · 29 Comments

This might be the prettiest cake I ever did see. My Lemon Raspberry Cake is bright and bold without any artificial colors and made with pure ingredients. How wonderful is this cake for a Summer birthday? There are two layers of flavorful lemon butter cake with fresh raspberries baked right in. The cake is filled with raspberry vanilla whipped cream and all covered in a beautiful pink raspberry buttercream frosting. It's fresh while also being decadent and just totally delicious. If you love the combination of lemon and raspberry, check out my Raspberry Lemonade Cookies!

lemon raspberry layer cake slice on a plate

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Soft and tender lemon raspberry cake - the lemon cake layers are so soft and buttery with fresh raspberries baked right in.
Homemade raspberry compote - this filling is so delicious and once you know how to make it, you can use it in so many other ways! It's so beautiful with its ruby red color and makes a wonderful topping on ice cream and a great filling for pastries and cupcakes too.
Fresh raspberry cream filling - the filling is simple with some lightly sweetened fresh whipped cream marbled with some of the raspberry compote. The combination of raspberries and cream is so dreamy.
Raspberry buttercream - look how beautiful this buttercream is! There is not a drop of food coloring in it. All of that color comes from the raspberries that have been cooked and concentrated to make the filling.

INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON RASPBERRY CAKE

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

All purpose flour - you do not need specialty cake flour to make wonderful cakes. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly. Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake and leads to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
Granulated sugar - simple fine white granulated sugar keeps the flavor clean so the lemon shines.
Pure vanilla extract - I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Unsalted butter - butter brings the flavor! Butter and lemon is also a wonderful combination. I use melted butter for this recipe. Make sure it is cooled. You will also need very soft butter for the frosting.

lemon raspberry layer cake sliced on serving plate

Oil - just a bit of oil is my secret to making soft cakes. Oil is liquid at room temperature while butter has more solid fats. That means if I were to use all butter, the cupcakes would have a firmer texture. Oil will help bring down the fat melting profile so that the cake layers stay soft. You can use any neutral oil like sunflower oil or canola oil.
Egg - three whole eggs will provide structure, lift and of course flavor to these cakes. The egg yolks with the lemon zest create the natural yellow color of the crumb.
Milk - you can use whole milk at 3.25% or 2% milk. I would avoid anything with less fat content than that (i.e. avoid skim milk).
Sour cream - I love baking with sour cream. It adds rich dairy notes, body and tanginess.
Whipping cream - the filling is so easy to make with just cream, sugar and lemon with a bit of the raspberry compote folded in. Make sure you use cold heavy cream with minimum 35% milk fat content.
Raspberries - you'll make a quick and delicious raspberry filling from fresh or frozen raspberries, sugar, corn starch and a bit of lemon. You will use this to make the frosting and also for the filling.

lemon raspberry layer cake on serving plate

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR LEMON RASPBERRY CAKE

STEP 1). First prepare the raspberry compote. Make the raspberry compote according to the recipe at the bottom of this post, then let it cool completely and chill for 1 hour.
STEP 2). Make the cake batter. Combine cooled melted butter, oil, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and whisk until combined and the mixture looks a bit fluffy. It will look more like wet sand as the butter is melted, but it should fluffy up a bit if the butter is cooled. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Whisk in vanilla and sour cream.
STEP 3). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into another bowl and whisk until evenly blended.
STEP 4). Add wet and dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and fold them in gently. When they are mostly combined, add milk in 2 stages and fold it in. Use a whisk at the last stage to make a smooth batter, but do not over-mix. Fold in raspberries.
STEP 5). Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
STEP 6). Make the cream filling. Place cream in a medium bowl and whip with an electric hand mixer (or by hand if you're willing) until it forms soft peaks. Add the sugar and lemon juice and beat until it forms firm peaks. Add the raspberry compote and fold it in. It's OK if there are streaks of raspberry as it looks really pretty. Keep chilled until ready to use.
STEP 7). Make the frosting. Place soft butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until very smooth and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and slowly beat until it is incorporated and then increase the speed and beat for about 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting is smooth and spreadable, then gradually beat in the compote on low speed. Do not over-beat at this point since the water in the compote has a tendency to cause the frosting to split, especially if it is cold.
STEP 8). Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Use a small offset spatula to spread the cream filling over the top, spreading it out to the edges. Place the other layer on top so it aligns with the sides of the bottom layer. Cover the entire cake with raspberry buttercream and use a large offset spatula to even out the sides and make swooshes and swirls on the top layer. Dollop small spoonfuls of raspberry on top and swirl them in if desired. Decorate with fresh raspberries and lemon slices.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Do not over-bake. The cakes are ready when they spring back when pressed gently and a skewer comes out clean. They will not get very browned on the top, just lightly golden so don't wait for browning.
Use very soft (but not melted) butter for the frosting. Take your butter out of the fridge two hours before you plan to make the frosting. I usually take mine out the night before if it's not a hot day. It should be nice and soft but not melted to whip properly and incorporate evenly with the raspberry sauce.
Have eggs at room temperature. Take your eggs out of the fridge 2 hours before baking, or place them in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes.
Sift the dry ingredients. This is a simple recipe that doesn't require a mixer, so to ensure you get a smooth batter that is homogeneous, it is important to sift the flour. This will help it incorporate evenly.
Fold the berries in gently. Fold the berries in at the last step to prevent handling them too much and preserve their shape.
Use fresh berries. Frozen raspberries will change how this cake bakes and will leach more moisture into the batter to change the texture. I recommend fresh raspberries for this recipe.
Make the raspberry compote ahead of time - you can prepare the compote up to 2 days in advance to save you time on the day you're making the cake.

lemon raspberry layer cake slice with bite on plate

RECIPE FAQ

What type of oil is best for cake?

Firstly - use a fresh oil! Do not use anything that's been opened for a long time and when you store oil, it should be in a cool dark place. Light and heat accelerate oxidation reactions that can make the flavor turn rancid. My oil of choice for baking is sunflower oil for its clean and neutral taste, but any other oil such as canola or safflower will do.

How do I know when my cakes are finished baking?

Once the centers are springy and a toothpick comes out clean the cakes are ready. They do not get very brown, just lightly golden around the edges.

What is the secret to super moist cake and how do I make my cake more moist?

It's not more fat! Moisture comes from liquid, not fat. So you can add more butter and more oil, but it will really just make the cake more dense and more tender by shortening the texture. Fat will not make a cake moist as only liquids can add moisture. This cake is moist because of the amount of liquid.

How do you add moisture to cake?

A bit of oil makes the texture very soft and in turn gives the perception of "moistness". That's because oil is made up of mostly unsaturated fats that are liquid at room temperature. Butter contains more saturated fats that are solid at room temperature, therefore the texture of a butter cake will be more crumbly and firm.

Can I use frozen raspberries for Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake?

Frozen raspberries will change how this cake bakes and will leach more moisture into the batter to change the texture. I recommend fresh raspberries for this recipe.

Can I make the cakes in advance?

Yes you can make the cakes (without the filling and the frosting) up to one day in advance and store them refrigerated due to the fresh fruit inside. The next day you can assemble the cake.

Can I make the raspberry compote in advance?

Yes, you can make the raspberry compote up to 2 days in advance and keep it covered and refrigerated until ready to use it.

STORING AND FREEZING

How do I store Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake?

This cake must be stored in the refrigerator since it has fresh fruit and a fresh cream filling.

Can I freeze Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake?

You can wrap and freeze unfrosted and unfilled cake layers for up to three months. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place in a resealable freezer bag for storage.

Looking for other recipes with raspberries? Try these:

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