My Raspberry 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 for birthdays and special occasions, or any time you want to pamper yourself!
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 for this simple raspberry cake
- flour ~ I use all purpose flour, but you could use cake flour as well.
- butter ~ unless otherwise stated I always bake with unsalted butter. Be sure to bring your butter to room temperature before using.
- granulated sugar
- confectioner’s sugar
- eggs ~ unless otherwise stated I always use large eggs for baking. We’re going to separate them.
- yogurt ~ any kind you love, I use full fat vanilla. Yogurt has the surprising ability to make baked goods extra tender.
- raspberries ~ for this cake I like to use frozen berries because they don’t break up when I fold them into the batter. If you’ve got fresh berries you might pop them into the freezer for a bit to firm them up.
- lemon juice and zest ~ the zest is where all the flavor of the lemon hides!
- baking soda, baking powder, and salt
easy method for making a raspberry cake
This cake comes together a little differently than most cakes. 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.
my best tips for baking with raspberries
The flavors of this cake really sing, 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 if you would like them to stay in tact when folded into the cake batter. Do not thaw them before using.
- 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!
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.
I recommend sturdy nonstick pans for layer cakes
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 Chicago pans, 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.
Raspberry treats on this blog can run the gamut from casual little Raspberry Almond Bars to the more exotic Raspberry Pavlovas…
- Black Raspberry Ice Cream
- Raspberry Champagne Sorbet
- Raspberry Coffee Cake
- Perfect Black Raspberry Muffins
- Easy Raspberry Galette
- Raspberry Eton Mess
- Raspberry Desserts to Make All Summer
Add The View from Great Island as a Trusted Google Source
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
9-inch pans: the cake will be wider and the layers thinner. The bake time will be shorter. 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 and tweaked a few details. The changes are reflected in the above recipe. It’s the same amazing cake, only even better. Hope you love it!
Can this be baked in a 9 x 13 cake pan instead of a layered cake?
I haven’t done it that way, but I assume it would work fine. The cake would be thin, like a snack cake, since there isn’t a ton of batter.
Made the cake this weekend – fabulous!
Thanks Stan! I want to make it again 🙂
I’m a huge fan of lemon desserts Sue. And add those juicy raspberries and that just seals the deal! Fabulous cake for Easter and spring!
Hello, I want to change to cupcakes. Any suggestions? Thanks
I think you can do that without a problem Bill, just watch your cooking time, cupcakes typically take about 15-20 minutes.
HI Bill/Sue. If you tried making the cupcakes can you tell me how FULL to fill the cups? (regular cupcake size). I noticed that Sue said the batter is not like typical cake batter consistency so i wonder if that would change the amount one would pour into a cupcake liner. – Thank you in advance! – Lynda
I think you can fill the cupcake liners like normal, which is about 2/3 full.
Thank you!
Hi! Just noticing there isn’t any extract in the cake. Is there supposed to be? I.e. vanilla or lemon? Planning on making this for Easter and hoping it tastes like Spring! Thanks!
Hi Diane, I didn’t use extract in this cake. You could use vanilla or almond, but I didn’t want to compete with the lemon and raspberry combo. The frosting lends plenty of lemon so there’s no need for lemon extract in the cake, but you could use zest if you wanted to.
Thanks! Can’t wait to make this.
Well I know what I’m doing with the rest of last seasons blackberries and raspberries ?? and once this year’s start coming in I’ll have to make it again with fresh berries… might just become my birthday cake
Blackberries would be really nice, I’m going to try that for sure.
Wonderful way for me to use this huge amount of full-fat Greek yogurt waiting in my fridge!
Just wanted to double check with you if that ‘ 1 tablespoon of baking powder’ is correct in your recipe?
That is correct! Hope you love it 🙂
And I did love it.
Have you ever tried this as a buttercream substitute? Melt 125grams white chocolate; let cool a bit. Beat into it 70 grams thick Greek yogurt and 3 TBL icing sugar. Chill till it’s spreadable. 🙂
No but it sounds interesting…it also sounds like it would have an amazing texture.
Do you think this might work in a 9×13 pan Sue?
I think you could…it’s not a huge amount of batter, so it would not be a super thick sheet cake, but it should work fine.
I am pinning this wonderful looking cake and hope to make it when I return from Germany.
I’m thinking of giving it a shot at making it with gluten free flour. It just looks so yummy, and I have a weakness for lemon cakes! Actually, I have a weakness for any type of yellow layer cake! Actually, planning to make your fruit-nut bread this weekend. I adore it, can easily make it g.f., and it substitutes for breakfast!! Thank you for your beautiful website and your recipes. That photo of the chicken salad surrounded by fruit was gorgeous! I wanted to jump into the picture!
Thanks for the kind words, <3 I think you’ll love the fruit and nut bread, and I do think this cake should do ok with a good gf baking mix. I usually think the baking mixes do better than a single flour.