White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Updated: Mar 15, 2026 by christina.marsigliese · 139 Comments

Although I'm a dark chocolate lover to the core, there is a place for white chocolate. Red fruit and white chocolate is such a special combination. When tart and sweet fruity raspberries are combined with creamy sweet white chocolate, something magical happens. This White Chocolate Raspberry Cake is simple yet sophisticated with soft and moist vanilla cake layers studded with fresh raspberries, a homemade deliciously bold pure raspberry filling and the silkiest whipped white chocolate ganache frosting. This frosting almost steals the show! It is incredible and made with not even a dab of butter. It's just 3 ingredients whipped to a dreamy cloud-like consistency. This cake will impress anyone who tries it. If you love baking fruity cakes, try my Lemon Raspberry Cake too, and if you love the combination of raspberries and white chocolate, then my White Chocolate Raspberry Blondies are a must make.

white chocolate raspberry cake sliced on serving plate

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Soft and tender vanilla raspberry cake - the buttery vanilla cake layers are so soft with fresh raspberries baked right in.
Moist vanilla cake - the perfect proportion of ingredients makes moist and flavorful butter cake.
Homemade raspberry filling - this filling is so delicious with intense raspberry flavor 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. It is simply made from pure raspberries, sugar and lemon juice.
Whipped white chocolate ganache frosting - look how silky this frosting is! There is not a bit of butter in it and the sweetness comes all from pure white chocolate. Once you try this silky light frosting, you might never make buttercream again.

white chocolate raspberry cake slice on a plate

INGREDIENTS FOR WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CAKE

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, see 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 vanilla shines.
Pure vanilla extract - good quality vanilla is essential to making delicious butter cakes and I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Unsalted butter - butter brings the flavor! It's important to use butter in this recipe to really bring out the vanilla flavor. If you only have salted butter, then reduce the added salt by ⅛ tsp.
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 cake 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.

white chocolate raspberry cake slice with bite

white chocolate raspberry cake ingredients

Egg - 1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites will provide structure, lift and of course flavor to these cakes. The egg whites keep the cake layers a lighter shade and also make them very plush.
Sour cream - I love baking with sour cream. It adds rich dairy notes, body and tanginess.
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).
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.
White chocolate - seek out pure white chocolate (not compound chocolate) which has only cocoa butter as the fat. There should not be any other vegetable oils added in the ingredient list. This is the one I use here.
Whipping cream - you will need cold heavy cream with at least 35% milk fat for the frosting.
Vanilla bean - here is the perfect recipe to show off a fancy vanilla bean! The pure ingredients and creamy flavor really enhances the vanilla and carries the flavor. I purchase mine here. You can also use vanilla bean paste.

white chocolate raspberry cake on serving plate

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR WHITE CHOCOLATE 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 at least 1 hour.
STEP 2). Make the cake batter. Combine soft butter, oil, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg until well incorporated. Add egg whites and beat until well combined and smooth. Mix in sour cream.
STEP 3). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
STEP 4). Add wet and dry ingredients. Sift in half of the flour over the wet mixture and mix it in slowly. Gradually beat in half of the milk. Mix in remaining flour and then rest of the milk. Beat on high for the last 5 seconds to emulsify the batter. Gently fold in raspberries.
STEP 5). Bake. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 20-30 minutes in the pan, then run an offset spatula or knife around the edges to loosen them, invert, remove the bottom layer of parchment and let completely on the racks.
STEP 6). Make the frosting. Place chopped white chocolate into a large bowl. Pour ½ cup of cream into a saucepan with the scraped vanilla bean seeds (and I also add the scraped pod because there are still lots of seeds in there!) and place over medium heat. Watch it as it comes to a simmer. Once simmering, immediately pour it over the chopped chocolate, cover the bowl and let stand for 2 minutes. Uncover and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth and silky. Let it cool for 5 minutes so it is no longer hot, and then whisk in remaining cold cream. Place the bowl in the fridge and chill until completely cold. If you choose to chill overnight, then cover the bowl after 20 minutes. Once thoroughly chilled, beat with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until thick and fluffy. This will take about 2 minutes but it depends on your mixer. Watch the video to see the consistency you should be looking for.
STEP 7). Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Fill a piping bag with about 1 cup of frosting and pipe around the circumference of the cake to build a wall that will keep the filling from squeezing out. Use a small offset spatula to spread the raspberry filling over the top of the cake within the frosting border. Place the other layer on top so it aligns with the sides of the bottom layer. Cover the entire cake with frosting 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.

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 even browning.
Use very soft (but not melted) butter. Take your butter out of the fridge two hours before you plan to bake. 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 for the best aeration.
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. Sifting is so important for cakes in order to break up the flour particles for even absorption and also to evenly distribute the leavening agents which will prevent large holes or "tunnels" in the baked cakes.
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.

white chocolate raspberry cake cross section

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.

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 White Chocolate Raspberry 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 the cake batter, but you can use frozen raspberries to make the filling.

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.

Do I need to use vanilla bean for the frosting?

This frosting with its purity and ultra creamy flavor is perfectly suited to show off a vanilla bean. I also love the specs which makes it look so pretty and natural. If you choose not to use one, then increase the vanilla extract in the recipe to 1 ½ teaspoons.

STORING AND FREEZING

How do I store White Chocolate Raspberry Cake?

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

Can I freeze White Chocolate Raspberry 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. Note: the fresh berries will become a little mushy after thawing.

Looking for other recipes with raspberries? Try these:

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