My Raspberry Lemon Cake recipe with lemon buttercream is made with yogurt, fresh raspberries, and lots of lemon juice for an old fashioned from scratch layer cake that’s perfect any time of day…or maybe I should say multiple times of day 😉
My raspberry lemon cake is over the top delicious but not at all fussy.
It’s just the thing with a cup of tea or coffee for an afternoon pick me up. Yes, you can definitely serve it as an after dinner dessert, but it seems a shame to waste such a good cake on people who’ve just had a big meal. And anyway, I’m always looking for ways to insert more cake into my day 🙂
This recipe is inspired by European style cakes, it has a moist, dense texture, and it’s not over the top sweet. The berries add just the right fruity element, and the frosting pulls it all together with a burst of tartness.
what you’ll need:
- flour ~ I use all purpose flour, but you could use cake flour as well.
- butter ~ unsalted
- granulated sugar
- confectioner’s sugar
- eggs ~ we’re going to separate them.
- yogurt ~ any kind you love, I use full fat vanilla.
- raspberries ~ for this cake I like to use frozen berries because they don’t break up when I fold them into the batter.
- lemon juice and zest
- baking soda, baking powder, and salt
the method for raspberry lemon cake
The eggs are separated, and the whites are beaten and folded into the batter. It gives the cake a light sponge cake texture which is really nice.
- Separate the eggs, and whip the whites to soft peaks.
- Cream the softened butter, sugar, and lemon zest beating in the egg yolks one at a time. Add the vanilla.
- Alternately fold in the dry ingredients with the yogurt. Fold in the berries.
Some homemade treats are made to pack up and bring ~ to the bake sale, the book group, the office…but others, like layer cakes, are meant to stay at home and sit fetchingly on the kitchen counter, preferably under a glass dome.
Raspberry treats on this blog can run the gamut from casual little Raspberry Lemon Blondies to the more exotic Raspberry Pavlovas. In either case the focus is squarely on the unique and glorious flavor of fresh raspberries.
Fresh or frozen berries will work fine
The flavors of this cake really sing, partly because whole raspberries are folded into the batter just before baking. Some of them break apart as you stir them in, but most stay whole and provide bursts of tart berry flavor in every bite. If you use frozen berries they’ll stay intact better.
Your reward for the light as air yogurt cake is the thick layer of insanely sweet tart lemon buttercream. It’s like lemon fudge, only better 🙂
I might be in the minority here, but I love the cake cold from the refrigerator. It does wonderful things to the buttercream.
tvfgi recommends: sturdy non-stick cake pans
For those times when only a layer cake will do, you need good sturdy reliable cake pans. I like to use thick walled nonstick pans like the Chicago pan above, or USA brand pans. Both cook evenly and release the cakes every time. I have a set of both 8 inch and 9 inch pans, there really is a big difference in the size of the cakes when you bake in the different pans ~ sometimes the smaller cake pan works better, and vice versa.
How to care for your cake pans so they release your cakes perfectly every time!
- I always hand wash my cake pans in warm water and dish soap, I never put them in the dishwasher. Be sure to dry them thoroughly before putting away.
- Don’t ever let metal utensils touch the surface of your pans.
Reader Rave ~
“I was looking for a cake recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this” ~ Kate
update notes:
- This cake has been wildly popular since its original posting, but a few of you have had issues with it, so I’ve re-tested the recipe, tweaked a few details, and made new notes, below. It’s the same amazing cake, only even better. Hope you love it!
- 8 inch pans work best for this recipe, and I’ve increased the baking time accordingly. The slightly smaller pan makes a slightly taller cake.
- I’ve added lemon zest and vanilla extract to the cake, and reduced the amount of baking powder.
- I’ve upped the amount of berries.
Raspberry Lemon Cake
Equipment
- 8 inch cake pans
Ingredients
cake
- 9 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated 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
- Preheat oven to 350F 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.
- 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, and when 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.
- 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.
Cook’s notes
Nutrition
414 Comments
Tas Nim
January 13, 2022 at 1:58 amCan I bake this without the frosting… like a basic tea cake? would i still need to use 2 pans
Sue Moran
January 13, 2022 at 8:18 amI haven’t tried but you might bake it in a 9×13.