Luscious Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake
A bright and cheerful lemon raspberry layer cake with moist lemon cake layers, juicy raspberries, and creamy lemon frosting. Perfect for any occasion and easy to make.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice)
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups (225g) fresh raspberries
- 8 oz (227g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Mix in lemon zest and lemon juice.
- Add dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir gently until just combined.
- Gently fold in fresh raspberries, taking care not to break them.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, then lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until creamy and spreadable. Adjust consistency with milk or powdered sugar if needed.
- Place one cake layer on serving plate, spread frosting on top, then add second layer and cover entire cake with remaining frosting. Smooth or create swirls as desired.
- Chill cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Toss raspberries lightly in flour before folding into batter to prevent sinking and color bleeding. Use room temperature butter for better creaming. Sift powdered sugar for smooth frosting. Chill frosting if too runny before applying. Bake layers simultaneously if possible for even baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cak
- Calories: 320
- Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Protein: 3
Keywords: lemon cake, raspberry cake, layer cake, creamy frosting, lemon raspberry cake, easy cake recipe, homemade cake