Lemon Raspberry Cake

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Layers of lemon cake with raspberry jam swirl make the base for this Lemon Raspberry Cake and it’s all finished with a zesty lemon cream cheese frosting. The perfect balance of sweet and tart, this cake is always a hit!

An Easy Lemon Layer Cake

Lemon raspberry is one of my favorite flavor combinations and, after sharing my lemon raspberry crescent rolls, I think it’s become a reader favorite too. This Lemon Raspberry Cake was actually requested by a reader after I shared the crescent rolls and I was happy to oblige.

This cake alternates layers of a lemon raspberry swirl cake and lemon cream cheese frosting. Each bite feels truly decadent, with zesty lemon and tart raspberry flavors in each bite.

Instead of just adding some fresh raspberries to the lemon cake, I chose to go a step further and create a simple raspberry jam filling. It’s only 3 ingredients and easy to make but adds a sweetness to the lemon cake that fresh raspberries would not.

The cake is the same used in my original lemon cake recipe and I’ve also shared the lemon cream cheese frosting before too – though I did make a few slight changes for this recipe. However, you can make this with lemon buttercream frosting if you don’t like cream cheese.

All I can say is that when you combine the raspberry jam, lemon cake, and lemon frosting…well, you get a cake that everyone will want the recipe for!

What You’ll Need

Don’t be intimidated by this ingredient list! Each part of the recipe – the raspberry jam, lemon cake, and lemon frosting – is made from scratch. But, many of the ingredients, like lemon and raspberry, appear on all 3 ingredient lists!

• Raspberries – Fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries both work in this recipe. Frozen raspberries should be thawed first.
• Sugar – Helps to balance the tart raspberry and lemon flavors.
• Lemon juice – Fresh lemon is better for all aspects of this recipe!
• Lemon zest – Adds that lemon zing throughout the cake.
• Canola oil – You can also use vegetable oil.
• Butter – I prefer unsalted butter to control the salt level of the recipe. Bring it to room temperature but don’t soften it.
• Eggs – Eggs should also be at room temperature.
• Vanilla extract – A splash for flavor.
• Cake flour – Cake flour creates a much softer texture than regular flour, so I don’t recommend substituting it with all-purpose flour.
• Baking powder – The leavening agent that helps the cake rise.
• Salt
• Buttermilk – The flavor of buttermilk not only complements the lemon flavor but helps keep the cake nice and soft.
• Cream cheese – Softened cream cheese will help prevent any lumps in the frosting.
• Confectioners’ sugar – Sift the confectioners’ sugar before adding to the frosting to make sure there’s no clumps.

How to Make Lemon Raspberry Cake

There are several steps to making this lemon raspberry cake, as every level of the cake is made from scratch. While it may not be the fastest cake to make, each step is pretty straightforward and requires no special skills or equipment!

Make the Raspberry Filling

Make the raspberry puree. Process the raspberries in a food processor then press through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds.

Cook the jam. Add the sugar and lemon juice to the puree. Heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then bring to a boil for 5 minutes.

Check to see if it’s ready. Remove the jam from heat and drizzle a little into a sauce. Refrigerate for a minute, then run a finger through it. If it forms a crinkle, then it’s ready. If not, boil for an additional minute.

Cool. Allow the jam to cool completely before adding to the cake batter.

Make the Cake

Preheat the oven and prepare pans. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottoms and sides of the pans, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and dust the pan with flour. Wrap the pans in wet bake even strips.

Mix the ingredients. Beat the lemon zest and sugar on medium for at least 5 minutes. Mix in the oil and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add half to the butter mixture, then mix in the buttermilk and lemon juice. Add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix to combine.

Bake. Divide the batter between two pans. Drop spoonfuls of the jam evenly over the top and use a knife to swirl. Press fresh raspberries evenly into the cake batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cool. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Frosting

Beat the butter and cream cheese. Beat the butter and cream cheese on medium until smooth and creamy.

Incorporate other ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients. Beat on low to incorporate then turn to high speed for 2 minutes.

Assemble the Cake

Assemble the first layer. Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Pipe frosting around the outer edge. Spread remaining lemon filling inside in an even layer.

Add the second layer. Top with the second layer, then cover the top and sides with frosting. Refrigerate before serving. Add raspberries just before serving.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this lemon raspberry swirl cake chilled or at room temperature. I like to garnish with some additional fresh raspberries! Since it’s a layer cake, you can cut the slices a little thinner than a regular cake too!

How to Store Leftovers

This lemon raspberry cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just keep it tightly wrapped and bring it to room temperature for serving.

If you want to make the cake in advance, you can prepare the cake layers and keep them tightly wrapped in the fridge for 2 days before adding the frosting and assembling the cake.

Can I Freeze This?

Yes, you can freeze either the individual cake layers or the full frosted cake. Layers can be frozen for up to 2 weeks before assembling, just allow them to thaw completely in the fridge.

The frosted lemon cake will last in the freezer for up 2 months.

Lemon Raspberry Cake

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Layers of lemon cake with raspberry jam swirl make the base for this Lemon Raspberry Cake and it's all finished with a zesty lemon cream cheese frosting. The perfect balance of sweet and tart, this cake is always a hit!

Jen Sobjack

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Serving Size 12

Ingredients

For the Raspberry Filling

• 3 cups (454 g) fresh raspberries, or frozen and thawed
• 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For The Cake

• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• ½ cup (120 ml) canola oil, or vegetable oil
• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups (360 g) cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup (75 g) fresh raspberries, optional

For the frosting

• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces (226 g) cream cheese, softened
• 4-5 cups (480 – 600 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• Fresh raspberries, for garnish, optional

Instructions

Make the Raspberry Jam

• Process raspberries in a food processor until smooth. Press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium saucepan and discard the seeds. You should have about 1 ½ cups (320 g) of seedless puree.
• Add the sugar and lemon juice to the puree. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
• Once the sugar has completely dissolved, turn the heat up to medium and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Let boil for 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and drizzle a little jam onto a saucer and place in the fridge for 1 minute.
• Run a finger through the cooled jam drizzle and if it forms a crinkle (tacky) then the jam is ready, if not continue to boil for another minute at a time and re-test until it is ready.
• Once the jam is ready, place it in a small bowl and allow it to cool completely before using

Make the Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the inside bottom and sides of two 9-inch round pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper cut to fit. Lightly grease the parchment paper. Dust the inside bottom and sides of the pan with flour, then tap out any excess. Wrap the pans in wet bake even strips. Set aside.
• Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar and lemon zest together on medium speed for at least 5 minutes. This helps extract the oils from the zest resulting in more lemon flavor.
• Add the oil and butter and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 20 seconds after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a whisk and add half to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed until the flour is almost fully incorporated.
• Mix in the buttermilk and lemon juice, followed by the remaining flour mixture, and beat on low until just combined. Take care not to over mix.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, using an offset spatula to level the batter. Drop spoonfuls of the cooled jam evenly over the top. (You do not need to use all of the jam.) Use a butter knife to swirl the jam into the filling. Press the fresh raspberries evenly into the cake batter if desired.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
• Cool in the pans for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting

• In a large bowl using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Gradually beat in the sugar, followed by the lemon juice and salt. Beat on low speed until just incorporated then turn the mixer to high speed and beat for 2 minutes.
  

Assemble the Cake

• Place one cake layer onto a serving platter. Spread a generous amount of frosting evenly over the cake.
• Top with the second cake layer. Then, cover the top and sides of the cake with frosting. Immediately refrigerate the cake until firm, about 1 hour.
• Decorate with raspberries just before serving.

Notes

• Raspberry jam: I love the way the jam leaves swirls marks through the cake batter. And it tastes sweeter than fresh raspberries. If you don’t want to make the jam, you can still enjoy this cake by gently folding 1 ½ cups fresh raspberries into the batter. Keep in mind the berries will sink since the batter isn’t thick enough to support them.
• Frosting: This cake also pairs well with my raspberry frosting.

Make ahead tip

1. Wrap baked and cooled cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator. Assemble and frost the cake within 2 days.
2. Or layers can be triple wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Leave wrapped and set on the counter to thaw slightly before use.
3. Once the cake has been assembled, cover it and keep it stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. Bring it to room temperature just before serving.
4. The frosted cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature just before serving.
5. Leftover jam can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 939kcal | Carbohydrates: 138g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 274mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 111g | Vitamin A: 1088IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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More Lemon Dessert Ideas:

• Zesty Lemon Bars
• Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
• Lemon Cupcakes