Description
Raspberry lemon layer cake is the BEST cake! You’ll love this light and fluffy cake with whipped raspberry frosting and fresh raspberries. Recipe makes one 8-inch layer cake.
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour (see note below)
- 1 1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, at room temperature
Whipped Raspberry Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 oz full fat cream cheese, at cool room temperature
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
- 1–2 drops deep pink gel food coloring
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream
Filling
- 2 Tbsp raspberry preserves
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
Topping
- fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper.
- Make cake: Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy; beat in lemon zest and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Combine buttermilk and Greek yogurt in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture (begin and end with flour mixture).
- Divide batter evenly between cake pans and smooth with an offset spatula. Tap pans sharply to reduce air bubbles.
- Bake cake layers for 24 to 25 minutes, until the top and edges are golden, cakes spring back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool cakes for 15 minutes in pans on a wire rack before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Make raspberry frosting: Beat butter, cream cheese, and salt in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until combined. Beat in vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar on low speed 1 cup at a time until incorporated, scraping down bowl as needed. Gradually mix in raspberry preserves until combined. Mix in gel food coloring and heavy cream and beat frosting for 1 minute, until light and airy. If frosting is too soft to use immediately, chill for 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator before using.
- Assemble cake: Place one cake layer on a rotating cake stand and use an offset spatula to swirl frosting (about 1/2 cup) over the cake. Pipe a ring of frosting around the outer edge of the cake layer and chill the layer for 10 minutes.
- Fill the center of the cake layer with raspberry preserves and 1/2 cup fresh raspberries. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the second cake layer, and place the layer (frosting side down) over the raspberries. Chill the stacked cake for 20 minutes.
- Use offset spatula to apply a layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake while you rotate the cake stand, then use a bench scraper to gently smooth the edges of the cake and remove any excess frosting. Chill the frosted cake for 30 minutes before serving topped with fresh raspberries.
- Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
To make your own cake flour: For every 1 cup of cake flour, place 2 tablespoons cornstarch in an empty 1-cup measure, then top up with all-purpose flour. Sift the mixture several times to evenly distribute the cornstarch.
Cake layers: For perfectly even cake layers, place your cake pans on a kitchen scale and weigh each pan as you add the batter.
Raspberry preserves: If your preserves contain seeds, press through a fine mesh sieve before adding to the frosting.
Make ahead: The cake can be baked, cooled, and frosted one day in advance. Cover the frosted cake and chill overnight. The next day, add the fresh raspberries just before serving.