Moist and sunshiny sweet, this Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake is so perfect for Easter or Mother’s Day brunch! Loaded with fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, and raspberries, this cake is loaded with flavor. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake
A few weeks ago I asked you what kind of recipes you’d like to see more of, and there was an overwhelming response for LEMON! I get it. I love lemon, too! And with Spring (hopefully) right around the corner, now is the perfect time to add some new lemon recipes to the blog! Starting with this moist lemon cake that’s bursting with real lemon flavor and loaded with fresh raspberries. It’s topped with a melt-in-your-mouth lemon cream cheese frosting, and decorated with fresh raspberries and a sprinkle of lemon zest. It’s a total showstopper and SO good with a cup of coffee.
If you love the combination of raspberry and lemon, you have to try this cake!
Raspberry Bundt Cake
Ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter: in a pinch, salted butter may be used. But be sure your butter is at room temperature before baking!
- Full-fat Cream Cheese: I do not suggest using reduced fat here! This ingredient adds moisture and flavor to this cake.
- Eggs: You will need 5 large eggs for this recipe. Be sure they’ve come to room temperature before you add the eggs to the batter, as cold ingredients do not bond. You’ll also want to add the eggs one at a time, allowing each one to full incorporate before adding the next.
- Granulated Sugar: I suggest using all granulated sugar, as called for in the recipe. Brown sugar will technically work, but will change the overall taste, texture, and appearance of the cake. So if you do make that change, keep that in mind.
- Lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract: we use a trio of lemon ingredients to give this cake a real lemon punch. That said, the lemon extract may be omitted.
- Cake Flour: which gives our cake a delightfully moist crumb. I don’t suggest using all-purpose flour here, but you can use a homemade cake flour substitute. See my notes in the recipe box for more on this.
- Baking powder: the flour and baking powder will be combined to give our cake structure and height.
- A dash of salt: to balance the flavors and overall sweetness of the cake.
- And finally, raspberries! Fresh or frozen raspberries will work. But if you’re using frozen, DO NOT THAW THEM!
You’ll also need cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon extract to make the frosting. But if you want a super simple cake, this recipe can be served without the frosting! Instead, sprinkle it with powdered sugar and serve with fresh raspberries. I like doing this when I’m serving the cake for breakfast. Otherwise I’m team cream cheese frosting all the way 😉
Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake:
- 2 and 1/2 cups (330 g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces (227 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 8 ounces (227 g) full-fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 cups (397 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (57 ml) lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest finely grated
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract optional
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 cups fresh raspberries
- 3 Tablespoons (21 g) all-purpose flour
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 and 1/2 cups and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, more if needed
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract optional
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
For Decoration:
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- Lemon slices
- Lemon zest
Instructions
For the Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Generously grease a 10-inch (12-cup) bundt pan, being sure to coat all of the nooks and crannies. I suggest using a non-stick baking spray that has flour in it, or greasing the pan with shortening or butter, then dusting it with flour. Set pan aside until needed.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk well to combine then set aside until needed.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add in the sugar, then increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract (if using).
- Reduce the speed back to medium, then add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low and add in the flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Turn mixer off.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the Raspberries and flour and toss well to coat. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the raspberries into the batter until just combined.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the oven to 300 degrees and continue cooking for 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 20 minutes. Then invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-speed until completely smooth. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the confectioners' sugar, beating until all of the sugar is completely combined. Add in the salt, lemon extract, and lemon juice and beat smooth. Once all of the ingredients have been incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for a minute.
- Spread frosting on the top and sides of the cooled cake. Top with fresh raspberries, lemon slices, and lemon zest. Slice and serve, or store in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
- Measure out the amount needed for your recipe. For this recipe, you'll need 2 and 1/2 cups.
- For every 1 cup of flour, remove 2 Tablespoons of flour. Then add in 2 Tablespoons of Cornstarch for every 1 cup of flour. Essentially, you're replacing the tablespoons of flour taken out with cornstarch.
- Sift the mixture 6 times before using!
- Always measure the flour that is needed after it has been sifted.
I don’t care for raspberries, so I will use blackberries. I’m not sure if the lemon juice should still be used…
Hi Janet. I would still use the lemon juice to ensure the texture of the cake remains the same.
For the lemon raspberry bunt cake Im going to use frozen raspberries musst I still coat the frozen berries with flour
Made this for a church meeting, everyone loved it!
I’m so happy this was a hit for your church meeting! Thank you for letting me know, Kathy 🙂
How much baking soda? You mention it in your notes but not in the recipe ingredients.
Hi Cheryl. No baking soda. I have searched the post looking for indications of baking soda being mention but haven’t found it. If you know exactly where it’s mentioned let me know so I can delete it! Thank you!
Hi! Can’t wait to make this recipe!
There is a section where you listed all of the ingredients higher up in the most and explained the importance of all the ingredients, and baking soda and powder are both listed there! I was going to put 1 tsp but now I saw your reply to someone else’s comment saying no baking soda so I won’t add it! Thanks!
Can this batter be used for muffins instead of a cake? If so, how many regular size or how many jumbo would the recipe yield? Thank you!
Hi! Made this last night and the flavors are FANTASTIC! I refrigerated it overnight to bring into the office this morning but when we finally cut into it, it’s VERY dense and almost seemed undercooked or that it settled thicker at the bottom of my dish. I am not an experienced baker and I’ll try again to see where I may have gone wrong. Any tips?
Hi Ashley, in the directions you say to add in baking soda but in the ingredients you don’t have any baking soda listed. How much baking soda is needed? Thank you…I’m excited to make this!
Excellent, easy bundt cake! My 9-year-old did a great job of mixing this up while I called out directions. We used the raspberry glaze recipe from this donut recipe instead of the cream cheese frosting. Yum! https://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/yeast-donuts-with-fresh-raspberry-glaze-recipe/
Hi. Do you use both Lemon juice and lemon extract? If so, Just wondering why you recommended both? Thanks so much
I have made this recipe three times now for different parties and it comes out beautifully every time. I made it with a bundt pan with a very intricate design this time and it still came out clean <3 Was the perfect addition to our Easter brunch!