Raspberry Cake with Lemon Buttercream
This Raspberry Lemon Cake recipe is a bright and beautiful dessert bursting with fresh flavor. Tangy raspberries and zesty lemon combine in a moist, tender cake layered with silky lemon buttercream frosting. It’s a show-stopping cake for spring, summer, or any celebration that calls for something fruity and fresh.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or vanilla yogurt)
- 1 1/2 cups raspberries (preferably frozen)
- For the Lemon Buttercream:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 5 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (more if needed)
- Optional: 1 small drop yellow gel food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour two non-stick 8-inch cake pans. Optionally line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy.
- Beat in egg yolks one at a time, then add vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Alternately add dry ingredients and yogurt to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
- In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold them into the batter.
- Carefully fold in raspberries to avoid breaking them.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly touched and the edges are golden.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- For the buttercream, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sifted sugar and lemon juice, beating until smooth and spreadable. Adjust consistency if needed.
- Once cakes are completely cool, frost the top of one layer, stack the second, and frost the top and sides of the cake.
Notes
- Frozen raspberries hold their shape better in the batter; if using fresh, freeze briefly before folding in.
- The texture is moist and dense, similar to European-style cakes.
- All ingredients should be at room temperature for best results.
