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.
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.
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.
- 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.
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.
RECIPE FAQ
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.
Once the centers are springy and a toothpick comes out clean the cakes are ready. They do not get very brown - just lightly golden.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes, you can make the raspberry compote up to 2 days in advance and keep it covered and refrigerated until ready to use it.
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
This cake must be stored in the refrigerator since it has fresh fruit and a fresh cream filling.
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.
Baking with raspberries
Looking for other recipes with raspberries? Try these:
More layer cakes
Here are more cake recipes to try:
If you love cakes, check out these recipes!
Ultimate Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Creme Brulee Cupcakes THE BEST Moist Chocolate Cake Lemon Curd Cupcakes Lemon Pistachio Cake Sticky Toffee Date Cake Moist Lemon Blueberry Bread Olive Oil Chocolate Bundt Cake Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe with Chocolate Fudge Frosting Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting Blueberry Peach Upside Down CakeVideo
White Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
1 x recipe for Raspberry Cake Filling
Cake batter:
- 1 ¾ cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon (84g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoon (30ml) sunflower oil
- 1 ⅓ cups (265g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon (7ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 large egg whites at room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) full fat sour cream
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) fresh raspberries
1 x Recipe for Vanilla Whipped Ganache Frosting
Instructions
- Make & cool the raspberry sauce. First prepare the raspberry filling according the the recipe here. Allow the raspberry sauce to cool completely and chill for at least 30 minutes before using. Cover and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the base of two 8-inch round cake pans and line the base with rounds of parchment paper. I don't even grease my pans because I like the batter to cling to the sides for more height, but if you prefer it then you can lightly grease the sides.
- Make the cake batter. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
- 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. 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.
- 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.
- Make the frosting. The link for the recipe is here. 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 the bowl 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 for at least 2 hours or overnight until completely cold. If you choose to chill overnight, then cover the bowl after 20 minutes, and in this case you may wish to make the frosting base first and then make the cake layers the next day.
- Once thoroughly chilled, add the vanilla extract and 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.
- 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.
Paula O.
Oh my goodness. I love this cake and would give you 10 stars. Thanks for sharing.😋😋😋😋
christina.marsigliese
You are welcome Paula! Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂
Barb
I made this for Christmas dessert…. It is such a great cake!!! It was a hit! It was perfect ending to a holiday meal!
It wound be perfect at any meal!! 😊
christina.marsigliese
Thank you Barb! Glad you enjoyed the cake 🙂
Krystal Grady
Hi, can I use 9x1.5 inch pans?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Krystal! I would recommend increasing the recipe by 1.5x as the layers will be thin in a 9 inch pan.
Krystal Grady
can I use olive oil instead of sunflower oil
christina.marsigliese
Hi Krystal! Yes you can.
Brenda Thomson
Hi. I would like to make this recipe as cupcakes. Would it work well?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Brenda! Yes it would. You will need to reduce baking time to about 18-20min.
Taylor
If I wanted to turn these into cupcakes, can you advise on impact to bake time? And would you scoop out a little of the cupcake center and fill with raspberry sauce? Thank you!
Charlotte
Hello!
I’ve been asked to make a chocolate raspberry cake with a neat clean edged icing to serve 80 people for a wedding. I’m wondering…
A) How well the recipe bakes a sheet cake / in a very large 14 inch round cake tin.
B) How many times the recipe I will need
C) Will the soft ganache frosting hold up 3 layers of this cake
D) Will the cake batter perform well and create a nice even rise in this large tin - aka as a sheet cake?
I’m an experienced baker but I really don’t want you have to make too many trial cakes of this size or I’ll turn into a raspberry white chocolate cake myself!!!!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Charlotte! I have never baked this recipe in such a large format but I think it should be OK as long as you adjust the baking temps and times. The ganache should hold up to three layers, just keep it cold when assembling.
Evi
Could anyone tell me, I don`t have 2 cake tins, could I put this in a loaf tin? Or would it not cook properly?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Evi! It would be too much batter for one loaf tin.
Anna
Can I assemble the day before eating or will it go soggy
christina.marsigliese
Hi Anna! 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.
Krystal Grady
Hi, does this mean the cake wont be good after the first day of assembling?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Krystal! The cake will still be good after a day as long as it was stored in the refrigerator. The berries will start to make the crumb wet after longer storage, as with any cake baked with fresh fruit.
Ashley
Can I use food coloring to color the frosting?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Ashley, yes but I would use it sparingly.
Catherine Brkic
I would like to make the cake over the weekend...can I use something else...maybe more butter instead of sunflower oil?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Catherine, oil helps to make a softer texture. With all butter the cake crumb will be firmer and more crumbly.
Claire
Why can't I find the link to the video? Is there one. I would like to make this cake in the coming days. I've ordered the chocolate you suggested too. Looks delicious!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Claire, there is a video. Just click on "Jump to Video"
Claire
Thanks, i see it now using my phone. For some reason the video wouldn't show on laptop
Felix
Want to try an bake this for my fiancé's birthday and I have 1 question. There's no sirup or extra moisture added to the cake base after baking or before adding the filling and frosting. Will it be moist enough, or could I use a light almond extract syrup (basically watered down almond extract) to give it a bit extra moisture? BTW: I am a decent cook but an awful baker, so any advice is greatly appreciated!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Felix, I think it is plenty moist as is. If you follow the recipe precisely and use a scale to weight the ingredients, you will have great results. Be sure not to overbake the cake.
Lisa B
I made this cake for my daughters birthday and everyone loved it. My daughter declared it the best cake I had ever made, and I have made many, many cakes! I am in Australia so I used Self Raising flour instead of plain flour and baking powder, and it turned out perfectly, so moist and a beautiful texture. Each component was easy to make, I made the raspberry jam 2 days prior and the first stage of the ganache and the cakes the day before, and then put it all together on the day and it was perfect. I have already had a request for it to be made again for my Granddaughters birthday in August. Thanks so much for this recipe and the easy to follow instructions, the video was so helpful too as I had never made whipped ganache before, so I replayed that a few times to make sure I had it right!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Lisa, thank you so much for the positive feedback! I am so glad your daughter loved the cake.
Jennifer
I don’t have access to fresh raspberries at the moment but have frozen in abundance. How would I need to tweak the recipe to be able to use frozen?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Jennifer! 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.
Sara
Used this cake as a base for a lemon cake. Absolutely phenomenal !
christina.marsigliese
Thanks Sara!
Hana
Can the sponge be frozen and decorated a week or so later? Will the raspberries survive this?
christina.marsigliese
Hi Hana! Yes you can, just expect the raspberries to be a little soggy after thawing.
Errin
I’ve tried so many different homemade vanilla cakes over the years, always wishing they would turn out as delectably smooth and fluffy as this one did! It was PERFECT! I’m so happy to have discovered this recipe and it will be my new go-to for sure. And paired with the vanilla whipped ganache frosting?! Heavenly!!!
christina.marsigliese
Thank you so so much Errin! I'm so glad you've found the best vanilla cake!
Zoe
Hey! I’m hoping to make this tonight, I’m using 2 6x3 inch heart tins. Will these quantities work for those tins or do I need to make more batter?
Thanks in advance 🤍
Natalie
Hi Will I be able to frost the cake the day before? And will the cake hold its shape if I made this a 3 layer cake instead of two? Thanks
christina.marsigliese
Hi Natalie, yes to both! You can frost it a day ahead and it will hold up to 3 layers.
Tabby
Hi Christina, I was wondering if these sponges would freeze ok or if the fruit in it would mean it comes out wet? Thanks!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Tabby! I would not recommend freezing the cake layers due to the fruit. You can make the cakes (without the filling and frosting) up to one day in advance, storing them in the fridge, and assembling the next day.
Charlotte Elrod Hardin
I am planning on using your recipe for a cake I am making in about a week, but I have some questions first, as it is very important that this comes out right as it is for my granddaughters 10th birthday party. Basically I am making a 5 section caterpillar cake using 6 inch round pans and 6 inch dome pans. Will the batter amount be enough for that and are there any baking instructions that would change for the dome pan? Also, can the white chocolate frosting be dyed with food coloring (each caterpillar section will be a different cake and color, the different cakes are oreo, hershey chocolate, white, red velvet and yours, which is the only one I have never made before). Those are my main concerns/questions and any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
christina.marsigliese
Hi Charlotte, I'm thinking you might need 3 times the recipe. You can dye the frosting, but use gel to get the best results. You will need to adjust the baking times accordingly so test with a skewer for doneness.
Clare
Why is my cake not rising?
I made it 3 times today 😂
First, thought it was my eggs were refrigerated, then I realised my baking soda had expired but the last try today I did everything right! Cant understand what I'm doing wrong.
Im in Ireland so could the ingredients be a problem? I used Caster Sugar instead of Granulated as I understand they're different from US Granulated sugar - Caster is for cakes here...
Any help I'd appreciate it!
christina.marsigliese
Hi Clare, check the freshness of your baking powder and ensure you are not overmixing at the last step. The sugar shouldn't matter especially if you are using a scale (which is always recommended).
Kathy
Just made a test cake and can't wait to try it. Our future daughter-in-law wants me to make it for her wedding to my son - not many people like the traditional fruit cake these days. Not sure how to decorate it.
Brooke
Hi Kathy, first of all, congratulations to your son! Has the wedding happened yet? I am planning to make this cake for a family friend's wedding next week. I plan to decorate it quite simply - keep the whipped ganache undyed, and decorate the three-tiered cake with fake plants/greenery. I purchased a cake topper that looks like a diamond ring and a wedding band side by side. If the wedding has already happened, how did you end up decorating it? If it hasn't, feel free to decorate it similar to my description!