Dessertscarlsbadcravings4.8
Lemon Raspberry Cake Recipe
This Lemon Raspberry Cake recipe is a show-stopping dessert with its bright, tangy lemon flavor, mega moistness (thanks to the reverse creaming method), layers of raspberry filling, and lemon cream cheese frosting. It has readers raving: "Wow. This cake was perfection," "The perfect texture," and my husband claimed it was the best cake he had ever tried!
👥 10 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 4h 35m⏳ Prep: 4h🔥 Cook: 35 min👤 Jen📖 carlsbadcravings
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- saucepan
- food processor
- spatula
- whisk
- pan
- oven
- bowl
- measuring cup
- knife
- microwave
📝 Preparation Steps
1
RASPBERRY JAM FILLING (SEE NOTES FOR STORE-BOUGHT)
2
Make the raspberry filling first if trying to assemble the cake more quickly so it has time to chill. Otherwise, make it while the cake is baking to multitask.
3
Puree raspberries: Add 16 ounces of raspberries to a food processor and puree. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium saucepan and add the raspberry puree to strain out the seeds. Press the puree down with the back of a spoon or spatula until only seeds remain in the sieve. Take care to wipe the back of your sieve to get all of the puree.
4
Thicken: Whisk the cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice into the puree until the cornstarch is mostly dissolved. Bring to a simmer until thickened. Refrigerate until completely chilled (it will thicken more as it chills).
lemon juice, (room temperature)2 tablespoonstablespoons lemon juice2 1/2(2 sticks) unsalted butter, (room temperature (DON'T microwave))1 cuplemon juice2 tablespoons
5
CAKE
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Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper (or I love these silicone mats). Spray the pans with nonstick cooking spray WITH flour or butter and flour the pans.
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Coat raspberries: Add 9 oz. raspberries to a medium bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon flour. Set aside.
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Mix wet ingredients: Whisk the eggs, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract together in a 3-cup (or more) liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
large eggs, (room temperature)4(2 sticks) unsalted butter, (room temperature (DON'T microwave))1 cuplemon juice, (room temperature)2 tablespoonstablespoons lemon juice2 1/2lemon juice2 tablespoonslemon zest1 tablespoon-2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest (depending on how tangy you like it)1vanilla extract1 teaspoon
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Mix dry ingredients: Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on the lowest speed until combined, about ⏱️ 20 seconds.
cake flour (see DIY in Notes)2 cups(2 sticks) unsalted butter, (room temperature (DON'T microwave))1 cupbaking powder2 teaspoons
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Add butter: With the mixer still running on low speed, add 1 piece of butter at a time and beat until all the butter is incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and continue beating until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, with butter bits no larger than small peas.
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Add wet ingredients: With the mixer running on low, add approximately half of the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, approximately ⏱️ 60 seconds. Reduce the speed to medium-low, then add the remaining egg mixture and beat until incorporated, about ⏱️ 30 seconds (batter may look slightly curdled). DO NOT OVERMIX.
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Add raspberries: Stir in the 9 ounces of coated raspberries just until evenly combined.
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Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I use a kitchen scale), smooth with a spatula,and drop a few times on the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees F for ⏱️ 27-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out with just a few crumbs.
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Cool: Cool cakes in the pans for ⏱️ 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
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Freeze (optional): Time permitting, after cooling, freeze the cakes for ⏱️ 30-60 minutes to make them easier to slice in half. (Make ahead: Alternatively, tightly wrap the cooled cakes in plastic wrap at this point and refrigerate until ready to slice and frost.)
16
FROSTING
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Combine ingredients: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together at medium speed until very creamy. Beat in lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
lemon juice, (room temperature)2 tablespoonstablespoons lemon juice2 1/2(2 sticks) unsalted butter, (room temperature (DON'T microwave))1 cuplemon juice2 tablespoonslemon zest1 tablespoon-2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest (depending on how tangy you like it)1vanilla extract1 teaspoon
18
Add powdered sugar: Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, then beat at medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy.If the frosting is too runny, refrigerate it until it sets more. Alternatively, add powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency, then season with a pinch of salt to taste; otherwise, it will be too sweet. If the frosting is too thick, thin with milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
(2 sticks) unsalted butter, (room temperature (DON'T microwave))1 cuppowdered sugar6 cups
19
ASSEMBLE
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Prepare stand: Place four strips of parchment paper around the edges of a plate or cake stand to create a square with an open space in the middle (to keep cake stand clean).
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Slice cakes: Cut cakes in half horizontally using a long-serrated knife or cake leveler to create 4 even layers. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on the prepared serving plate/cake stand.
22
First Cake: Transfer some frosting to a piping bag (or Ziploc bag). Pipe a ring of frosting just inside the top edge of the cake. Add 1/3 of the chilled Raspberry Jam and spread it to the edges of the piped frosting. (Note: If raspberry jam is too thick, microwave it for just a few seconds.) Add about 3/4 cup frosting and spread it to the edges of the cake.
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Second Cake: Top with the second leveled cake, top side down. Repeat procedure with piping/raspberry filling/frosting.
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Third and Fourth Cake: Top with the third cake, and repeat the procedure with piping/raspberry filling/frosting. Add the final cake, most even side up (usually you add the top side down, but the raspberries can make it uneven).
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Freeze (optional): Time permitting, place the cake in the freezer for ⏱️ 15-30 minutes to chill and harden the frosting slightly. This step prevents the top layer from sliding around on slick, warm frosting while you apply your crumb coat. (Make Ahead: Alternatively, cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to continue.)
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FROST CAKE
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Crumb coat: Set aside about 3/4 cup of frosting for the “crumb coat.” Frost the cake starting with the top and working down until the cake is evenly, thinly frosted. Freeze the cake for ⏱️ 15-30 minutes or until the crumb layer has set.t.
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Frost cake: Frost the outside of the cake as you desire with the remaining frosting. Remove parchment paper, then pipe a ring of frosting around the bottom of the cake. Garnish with raspberries if desired.
29
CHILL THEN SLICE
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Chill: Freeze the cake for ⏱️ 20-30 minutes to firm up before slicing, or if not serving immediately, refrigerate for at least ⏱️ 45 minutes before slicing.
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Serve at room temperature: After slicing, let it come to room temperature before serving.
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STORE
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The frosted cake should be covered with an inverted bowl or cake cover and refrigerated. Slice while chilled, but bring cake to room temperature before serving.
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