Raspberry Lemon Cake is a pretty layer cake made with yogurt, fresh berries, and a tart lemon frosting. Perfect any time, anywhere.
This raspberry lemon cake is over-the-top delicious without being fussy ~ my kind of dessert. Inspired by European-style cakes, it has a finer crumb, fresh raspberries in every bite, and a bright lemon buttercream.
Check your pantry
- All-purpose flour ~ cake flour works too for an even softer crumb
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar + confectioners’ sugar
- Large eggs
- Yogurt ~ full-fat gives the best flavor and tenderness (use plain or vanilla)
- Raspberries ~ frozen work beautifully because they hold their shape and don’t bleed into the batter; I often flash-freeze fresh berries to firm them up
- Fresh lemons for juice + zest, the zest delivers most of the lemon flavor
- Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
The technique that makes this raspberry cake special
This cake uses a classic European method that lands between a butter cake and a sponge. The eggs are separated, and the whipped whites are folded in at the end for a texture that’s light, tender, and never heavy or overly sweet.
- Whip the egg whites to soft peaks. This builds structure and lift without relying on lots of leavening.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time. The yolks add richness and color while keeping the crumb tender.
- Alternately add the dry ingredients and yogurt, then gently fold in the whipped whites and raspberries. Folding, not stirring, preserves the air you’ve just created, giving the cake its signature delicate texture.
Sue’s tips for baking with raspberries
The flavors of my raspberry cake really come through here, partly because whole raspberries are folded into the batter just before baking. But fresh raspberries are incredibly delicate, and will inevitably break apart as you stir them in. I’ve got a solution for that!
- Use frozen berries because they stay intact when folded into the cake batter. Do not thaw them before using.
- Or flash freeze fresh: if you have fresh berries, consider popping them in the freezer for a short while to firm them up before using.
The tart lemon buttercream is everything!
The counterpoint to the tender yogurt cake is the thick layer of bright, sweet-tart lemon buttercream. It’s like lemon fudge, only better.
I might be in the minority here, but I love this cake cold from the refrigerator. It does wonderful things to the buttercream (think lemon fudge!)
This cake is fine to leave out at room temperature the first day for serving ~ after that, I store it in the refrigerator and let it sit out briefly before slicing.
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Raspberry Lemon Cake
Video
Equipment
- 8 inch cake pans Buy them here.
- parchment paper rounds, optional
Ingredients
cake
- 9 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt (you can use vanilla yogurt as well)
- 1 1/2 cups raspberries (I like to use frozen berries)
lemon buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, you may need a bit more.
- optional 1 small drop yellow gel food coloring
Instructions
cake layers
- Preheat your oven to 350F and butter and flour 2 non-stick 8 inch cake pans. I like to put a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pans just to insure a good release.
- Cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, along with the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.
- In another separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the yogurt and mix until well combined. Scrape down the bowl.
- Fold in the whipped egg whites, working gently until no white streaks remain.
- Fold in the berries.
- Spread the batter evenly between the two cake pans and even out the tops with an offset spatula.
- Bake the cakes on the same oven shelf for about 30 minutes, or until the center springs back when touched and the edges are just starting to turn golden. Don't over bake.
- Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes before turning them out and cooling them completely on a rack.
frosting
- To make the frosting cream the butter, sugar, (and the drop of food coloring, if using) adding enough lemon juice to make a creamy spreadable frosting. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add more sugar for a stiffer frosting, and more lemon juice if it’s too stiff.
- Frost the cake when completely cool. Add a generous amount of frosting to the first layer, then top with second layer and finish frosting top and sides.
Notes
- 8-inch pans: taller, bakery-style layers, my choice for this cake.
- 9-inch pans: the cake will be wider and the layers thinner. The bake time will be shorter.
Nutrition
Pan Notes
For layer cakes, a heavy, well-made pan makes all the difference. Thick aluminum pans (like USA Pan or Chicago Metallic) bake evenly and help cakes release cleanly every time.
I keep both 8-inch and 9-inch pans on hand — the size noticeably changes the cake’s height and appearance, so choose based on the look you want.
Keep those pans release-ready
- Hand wash in warm soapy water (skip the dishwasher)
- Dry thoroughly before storing
- Avoid metal utensils that can scratch the surface
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