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Introducing the perfect simple snacking cake: raspberry lemon loaf cake drizzled with lemon glaze! Fresh raspberries shine in this soft and buttery loaf that’s equally delicious for breakfast or dessert. Bursting with sweet berry flavor, whole milk and Greek yogurt give each slice a moist and tender crumb. Top with fresh raspberries for a showstopper treat!
When I’m craving an easy dessert made with fresh raspberries, I turn to this raspberry loaf cake. It’s bright, buttery, and studded with pockets of raspberries – simply divine!
Best of all, this cake is made with pantry staples and comes together quickly with a stand or hand mixer. Mix up the batter in less than 30 minutes, and you’re ready to bake!
Love loaf cakes? Find more inspiration in my round up of best loaf cake recipes!
Key Ingredients
- Flour – Regular all-purpose flour is perfect for this cake.
- Unsalted butter – Use unsalted butter at room temperature (room temperature butter is slightly cool to the touch and your finger will make a shallow impression).
- Sugar – White granulated sugar sweetens the cake.
- Eggs – Two large eggs add moisture and richness to the cake.
- Whole milk and Greek yogurt – Ensures a soft and tender crumb. Whole milk gives this loaf moist, rich flavor. If you don’t have whole milk on hand, stir together 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup water as a substitute for 1 cup whole milk.
- Fresh raspberries – Sweet raspberries are gently folded into the batter before baking and make a gorgeous topping. Nothing beats fresh berries for the most vibrant flavor! Out of season, you can substitute frozen raspberries (no need to thaw, just add straight from the freezer). Keep an eye on the oven: the extra moisture will extend the bake time by about 5 minutes.
- Fresh lemon zest and lemon juice – Lemon zest flavors the cake and glaze. You’ll also use fresh lemon juice (and granulated sugar) to make the lemon syrup. Brush the warm cake with syrup to lock in moisture.
- Vanilla extract and almond extract – I like a combination of vanilla and almond extracts to flavor the cake and complement the raspberry flavor.
- Powdered sugar – Makes a perfectly smooth glaze.
The Best Raspberry Lemon Loaf Cake
Room Temperature Ingredients – Bring butter, eggs, whole milk, and Greek yogurt to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients incorporate more easily and create a smooth cake batter.
Baking Pan – Use a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan for this recipe. I recommend using a light-colored aluminum loaf pan to ensure that your cake bakes evenly and doesn’t over-brown on the sides or top too quickly.
Prepare Baking Pan – Lightly spray the bottom and sides of the pan with nonstick spray. Line the loaf pan with a sheet of parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan. The parchment overhang will help you easily remove the baked cake from the pan.
Bake Cake – Bake cake at 350°F for 56 to 62 minutes, until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
Lemon Syrup – In the last 5 minutes of baking, combine lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and syrup thickens, about 4 minutes.
Cool Cake – Remove cake from the oven and immediately brush the top with lemon syrup. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; carefully remove cake from pan and cool completely.
Lemon Glaze – To make the glaze, whisk together melted butter, salt, lemon zest, powdered sugar, and milk in a small bowl until smooth.
Assembly – Drizzle glaze over the cake and and let set before serving. Decorate the top of the cake with fresh raspberries.
Storage Tips
This cake is best enjoyed freshly baked! Store any leftover cake tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
To freeze cake slices, use a serrated knife to slice the cake and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Store the slices in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw slices at room temperature.
More easy loaf cake recipes to try:
- Chocolate Ganache Loaf Cake
- Fresh Strawberry Loaf Cake
- Cinnamon Swirl Loaf Cake
- Blueberry Lemon Loaf Cake
- Chocolate Chip Loaf Cake
Did you try this Lemon Raspberry Loaf Cake Recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating below!
Fresh Raspberry Lemon Loaf Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf cake, 12 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Raspberry lemon loaf cake drizzled with lemon glaze and topped with fresh raspberries is the perfect anytime cake! Soft and buttery with a tender golden crumb, this raspberry loaf cake is bursting with fresh berry flavor.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5 g) aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
- 1/2 cup (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp (6 g) fresh lemon zest
- 1 tsp (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) pure almond extract
- 2 large eggs (100 g), at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 g) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60 g) plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 cup (170 g) fresh raspberries
Lemon Syrup
- 2 Tbsp (30 g) fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
Glaze
- 1 Tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, melted
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp (30 g) whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon flour mixture to toss with raspberries.
- Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time. Combine milk and yogurt in a small bowl. Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk mixture (begin and end with flour mixture), just until incorporated.
- Toss raspberries with reserved flour mixture and gently fold into the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula and tap sharply to reduce air bubbles.
- Bake loaf cake for 56 to 62 minutes, until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
- Make lemon syrup: In the last five minutes of baking, combine lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and syrup thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and immediately brush the top with lemon syrup. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; carefully remove cake from pan and cool completely.
- Make glaze: Whisk together melted butter, salt, lemon zest, powdered sugar, and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake and let set before serving. Top with fresh raspberries.
- Store leftover cake tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
Baking powder: To keep the cake batter from turning blue, use an aluminum-free baking powder.
Whole milk: If you don’t have whole milk on hand, stir together 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup water as a substitute for 1 cup whole milk.
Freezing Instructions: Use a serrated knife to slice the cake and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Store the slices in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw slices at room temperature.
Hi, can I substitute the whole milk with coconut milk or almond milk? Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Hi Maggie, a substitution should work, though the texture may be less moist and plush due to the reduced fat.
Love, love this recipe! As did my family. Most and so delicious! Next time I will add more raspberries though!!
Thanks so much for your feedback, Patti! 🙂