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
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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
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!
Excellent recipe. Excellent instructions. Definitely a keeper. I took the frosted cake out of the fridge about one and a half hours before serving.
Flavor is 11/10, so so SO good. I added the zest of 2 more lemons into the batter for a little more lemon flavor. However, my cake was SO dense, more like a bread then a cake. The only change I made was instead of two 8” cakes, I did 1 6×4” cake pan (as I was trying to make my sons smash cake for his first birthday). And because I made this change, I had to cook the cake over twice the time and the middle was still gummy. Can anyone tell me if that’s the reason it was so dense??? The flavor is amazing and I’d like to use this recipe but would like it lighter and more like a cake. Any help is appreciated!!
I’ve made this cake twice now in the last month, with different results. First time it was so moist and delicious. Second time (baked yesterday, enjoyed today) I felt it was dry, but my guests still loved it. Both times I followed the recipe exactly, with my own tweaks (more lemon zest, etc.) The only thing I can figure is that I didn’t have as many raspberries as I would have liked, as quite a few had turned bad and I had to throw them away, and didn’t have time to go back to the grocery store. It has become one of my favorite cakes, and I will bake it again. The lemon buttercream is amazing!
So um correct me if I’m mistaken but I read this recipe several times but it does not mention what you do with the egg yolks after mixing it with the vanilla unless I’m to assume it is implied to be mixed into the batter because I followed the instructions and realized I only have a bowl of egg yolks mixed with vanilla left on the side.
In step 6 you add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture (you creamed butter sugar and eggs in steps 2 and 3) along with the yogurt.
How long does this cake last in the refrigerator? How many days can you make it in advance?
It will last a few days in the refrigerator, and if you want to make the layers in advance, cool them completely and wrap in plastic for up to a day, then frost close to when you’re ready to serve.
Can you use cake flour instead of all purpose flour?
Will it make a difference?
It will generally make a cake more tender.
Yes, i find you can use them interchangeably in most cake recipes.
Love this cake! Comes out perfect everytime. The forsting is the perfect tart to light/sweet of the cake. Any idea on how long to bake it for cupcakes and how many it yeilds? Want to try it today, but thought I’d ask.
Depending on size cupcakes generally take about 18-20 minutes, but not sure about this batter. These cake layers are on the small side, so you might get 16 cupcakes? Just a guess. Glad you loved it!
Hi Lynn how did the cupcakes go? Want to try them for a outing with the grandkids. Any tips ? TIA
Sandy
Can you make this in a 13×9 inch pan?
Yes, it will be a fairly thin cake.
You said you reduced the amount of baking powder but didn’t say to what. Is it still 2 tsp?
Yes, the recipe reflects the changes.
I made this recipe to the exact recipe and after 40 mins of baking my cakes were sponge like on the edges and wet still in the center. I am baking for another 10 mins to see if that cooks it throughout. Has anyone else had this problem