If you like lemons and raspberries you’re going to LOVE this Lemon Raspberry Cake! This raspberry cake is exploding with fresh lemon flavor and covered in tangy lemon cream cheese frosting. It’s the perfect lemon raspberry dessert for Mother’s Day or Easter brunch!
Lemon Raspberry Cake Recipe
Last week we had 3 straight days of crazy rain and I barely left the house. I happily accepted the less than stellar weather as an opportunity to nest. I treated myself to delivery (twice!), curled up on the couch for a serious Criminal Minds marathon, and baked until there was no sugar left in the pantry. It was during these shenanigans this Lemon Raspberry Cake came to be.
I’ve been taking advantage of Summer berries in a major way. Every weekend you can find me at our local farmer’s market, swiping up as many cartons as I can carry. Last weekend the raspberries looked especially plump and lovely so I splurged and bought 6 cartons!!!
3 to eat and 3 to bake with. Summer life is the best, I tell ya!
How to Make Lemon Raspberry Cake
Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success:
- This recipe calls for cake flour because it’s extra finely ground and gives our cake it’s silky soft texture. In most grocery stores you can find cake flour in the baking aisle, but if you can’t find it, don’t fret! Making your own cake flour is easy and only requires two ingredients: cornstarch and all-purpose flour. Here’s what you do: For every 1 cup of flour called for in the recipe, remove 2 Tbsp of flour. Then add in 2 Tbsp of Cornstarch for every 1 cup of flour (you’re replacing the tablespoons of flour taken out with cornstarch). Sift this mixture a few times (you want it well combined) and that’s it – you just made ready-to-use cake flour.
- You must toss the raspberries in all-purpose flour before adding them to the batter. This dusting of flour helps keep the berries afloat during the baking process, and ensure you won’t slice into a cake full of sunken berries.
- You may use fresh or frozen raspberries for this cake, but if you use frozen, don’t thaw them first.
- I used store bought raspberry preserves in this recipe, but feel free to use homemade if you’d like!
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest! You’ll want to zest the lemons first, then cut them in half and juice them. I suggest buying 6 or 7 large, heavy lemons so you have enough on hand.
- I list lemon extract as an optional ingredient. If you prefer a cake with light lemon flavor, I do not think it’s an essential ingredient. If you prefer a very lemony cake, I highly suggest adding the extract to both the lemon raspberry cake batter as well as the frosting. I love Watkins pure lemon extract because it’s 100% natural, doesn’t contain any artificial flavors, colors, or additives, and just tastes like pure lemon. I promise I’m not getting paid a cent to say any of that; I just really love their lemon extract!
- I don’t recommend adding more raspberries than called for to the batter. Adding too many berries will weigh down the cake as it bakes, causing it to sink the middle and bake unevenly. You can add plenty of extra raspberries on top of the frosting 😉
- For best results make sure your butter, eggs, sour cream, and milk have all come to room temperature before you begin baking.
- When you measure your flour, be sure you’re not packing it into the measuring cup. Packed flour will yield a dense and dry cake.
- For the frosting, you’ll want to make sure your butter and cream cheese are VERY soft before creaming it.
- If you’d like your cake to look exactly like mine does in these photos, simply top it with fresh raspberries and twisted lemon slices.
Don’t let the Summer slip by without baking this moist and delicious lemon raspberry cake!
For more Lemon Raspberry Recipes, Check Out:
- Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake
- Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
- Raspberry Peach Iced Tea Lemonade
- Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your kitchen creations makes my day.
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Lemon Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 and 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, if using frozen, do not thaw first
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 block (8 ounces) full-fat cream cheese, a little softer than room temperature
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, a little softer than room temperature
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar, more if needed
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
Garnish:
- 1/2 cup raspberry preserves
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Cut out two 9-inch round segments of parchment paper to line your cake pans with. Spray each pan generously - sides and bottom - with nonstick cooking spray, then place the parchment paper cut out in the bottom of the pans and spray again. It's important to make sure every bit of pan and paper are sprayed so your cakes don't get stuck. Set pans aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), combine the butter, both sugars, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract; beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (don't skimp on time here!). Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mixing well to evenly combine the ingredients. Add the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until everything is just barely combined. You should still see some lumps and dry streaks. Turn mixer off. Add in the milk, sour cream, and lemon juice; use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients into the mixture, stirring until everything is incorporated, but being sure not to overmix. Set aside.
- In another bowl, gently toss the raspberries with 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Add the raspberries, and any remaining flour, to the batter and fold in by hand, using a rubber spatula, until just combined. Again, be sure not to over mix! Over mixing is very easy to do, and will result in a dry, dense cake.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the tops are firm and slightly golden, and a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist (but not wet) crumbs clinging to it.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before gently running a knife around the edges to loosen any stuck bits, then turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- While the cakes cool, you can make the frosting.
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the confectioners' sugar. Add in lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon extract, and salt; beat until combined. Increase the speed back to medium and mix until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and continue beating the frosting until very light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. If the frosting seems too thin, add a little more confectioners' sugar, starting with one tablespoon at a time; if the frosting seems to thick, add in a little more sour cream, starting one tablespoon at a time.
- When the cakes have completely cooled, place one round on a cake stand or large plate; spread the top and sides evenly with frosting, then top with the raspberry preserves. Don't worry if they mix together a little. Gently place the other cake round on top of the frosted one and press down very lightly to seal them together. Place the semi-frosted cake in the fridge for 20 minutes, then continue frosting the cake, using a thin spatula, offset spatula, or whatever you have that works best, until the top and sides of the cake are evenly frosted. Place the cake back in the fridge for another 20 minutes before decorating. I love decorating this cake with fresh raspberries and thin lemon slices, but feel free to decorate according to your own tastes.
- The frosted cake will stay fresh, covered and stored in the refrigerator, for 3 days. Simply take it out of the fridge an hour or two before serving so it can come to room temperature.
This cake is absolutely amazing and beautiful. I can’t wait to make it. thanks so much for sharing this! I will share it too!
Thank you, Carolann! I can’t wait to hear how it turns out 🙂
Hi! i was just wondering wether the frosting works to hold fondant in place for a birthday or a special event in case i want to use this receipe!
Did you try it with fondant, Judie? We were wondering the same thing and may try it this weekend…
Hi, has anyone tried this with fondant? Just wondering whether to cover the cake with fondant before adding fondant decorations, or if they can be added directly onto the frosting… Thanks!
I just tried the fondant and worked perfectly!!
Does the Lemon Raspberry Cake freeze?
I was wondering if it would be suitable to try out for my wedding cake. The recipe looks like just what I want..
I live in Brisbane Australia and my wedding is in September 2018
Love your recipes, but live in England, have you ever thought of converting the cups and tablespoons to grams and ml?
You can find conversion charts online, I use them all the time to convert recipes to cups and ounces. Although my digital scale is actually the most accurate measurement.
0mg This was so good I made it when I was 11 and I made the recipe correctly so the instructions are really informative And really easy to read I actually Found out that when you put it in the fridge even for like 12 hours for like 10 hours I honestly Loved it cold it was so delicious and the frosting was so creamy
Hi,
Would I be able to make this cake batter without the raspberries? Would my baking time or ingredients need to be adjusted? Thank you!
THIS CAKE IS CRAZY YUMMY. Can’t wait until I have the opportunity to make it again ♥️♥️♥️
How would I adjust the cooking time for 8 inch round pans
I wouldn’t.
I baked the cakes in 8 inch tins yesterday. They took 45 minutes to bake, give or take.
I must make this cake since we all love lemon and raspberries but I don’t do cream cheese (lactose intolerant and cream cheese is deadly to me). I can buy lactose-frèe butter, would a lemon butter cream work as an icing?
I am lactose intolerant and today I noted that Philadelphia makes a lactose free cream cheese
My little sister and I made this for our mom’s birthday, and it was AMAZING. Definitely the best cake in my entire life. Our 4 person family demolished this cake and it was gone in two hours. The instructions were all very clear and easy to follow. Nothing bad to say here! The only “downside” was that it made way to much frosting, but when is extra frosting a bad thing….? Thank you so much. 5 stars!
I want to hang out and have a criminal minds marathon while EATING this cake. Deal?
YES! Let’s set a date 🙂
A woman who is just like me, love to bake and love love love Criminal Minds
The filling looks so amazing! I love when lemon and raspberry are paired together, they taste so good together!
Thank you, Miranda! I think you’d love this cake 😉
That looks delicious, I would love a piece of it right now! I love your flavour combinations. Thanks for sharing.
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it. Do you think I would have to use the same amount of flour if I use glutenfree flour?
Hi Bianca. I have very little experience baking with gluten free flour, so I can’t say what the ratio would be for this cake. I believe if you’re using cup-for-cup gluten free flour the amounts would be the same.
Thanks so much! I will try that!
Absolutely a scrumptious cake.. Now tops the list of my fave cakes! Made it for the first time for visitors. Gutsy move but successful! Thank you bakerbynature for this awesome recipe!
This looks amazing! Can it be made in a bundt pan too? If so what how long would the cooking time change?
Thanks!
Lyn
I can’t wait to make this cake!! Lemon/ Raspberry is one of my favorite flavor combinations!
I have been looking everywhere for a recipe for a white cake made with fresh Strawberries. Do you happen to have one or could I use this recipe, omitting the lemon and adding almond/ vanilla for the flavoring?
This cake looks absolutely amazing and I would love to have a slice now with my morning cup of tea! Combination of lemon & raspberries is so good, yum! 🙂
This cake is INCREDIBLE! I made it for a friend’s birthday and everyone LOVED it! My new go to fabulous cake. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for letting me know how much you enjoyed it, Domini! It made my day 🙂
Hi, does the cake get much rise other than what is shown here? Attempting in couple of days for hubby bday party so want to check further, it looks very moist pound cake like. Is that what I should aim or light airy?
Hi Roopa. The cakes will rise just enough to get a slight dome. It’s subtle! The cakes will be moist but dense enough to slice.
Hello,
Thanks for the delicious recipe. I tried this cake for my husband’s birthday. The flavours turned out fantastic. But the cake itself was not as soft as it should be. I followed recipe to the T. Are there any suggestions I could possibly follow?
Must try at the earliest…..thanks
How would I change the recipe to make cupcakes?
Made it yesterday. It was just a delight on this first snowfall day. This cake is a winner and a keeper in our top recipes collection.
So happy to hear this cake was a winner 🙂
Full fat tastes better and existing research shows your better off going for full fat dairy.
I made this cake yesterday. I didn’t have enough lemon nor the raspberry preserves, so decided to halve the recipe and just make it one layer. The taste is fantastic! Even though I halved the frosting, it was more than enough. It seems a little sweeter than necessary so when I make this again — definitely making this again! — I will not use as much powdered sugar in the frosting.
I made this cake for Easter and it will absolutely be a staple in my baking my moving forward. I couldn’t decide whether or not to use the lemon extract since it was optional so I opted to use 1/4 tsp instead of 1/2 and really enjoyed the amount of lemon taste. I used Bonne Manam raspberry preserves. Yum! My favorite part of this cake was definitely the icing. Sooo yummy! All around great recipe!
I Made this cake for Easter and everyone devoured it! I used 1/2 the amount of lemon extract and it was the perfect amount.
I am wanting to make it again for my sons graduation party but would like to bake it in a 9X13 pan. Can anyone offer baking tips for that?
I usually use the low fat version of sour cream and cream cheese, however, I see you specify full fat, why is that a must? What would the effect be suing the lower fat? Do not want to make it with all therse ingredients to see it fail. This cake looks amazing, and I want to make it. Thank you for your time.
Hi Maxine. Using a lower fat version will yield a less moist cake crumb, and a less creamy frosting. The reason I stress using exact ingredients is because baking is very specific and changing even just one ingredient really can change the entire outcome. While I don’t think your cake would be a failure using low fat sour cream, I cannot guarantee it because I have not tested the recipe that way. I hope that helps 🙂
I made this cake yesterday for my boyfriend’s birthday! I’m not a big fan of sweets so it was slightly too sweet for me but it was good nonetheless. Also, i must’ve over stirred because it was quite dense. (I know, I know, I was warned!). Anyway my boyfriend loved it and that’s what counts! I sprinkled some left over grated lemon peel on top and it had a really pretty finish. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re so welcome, Mary 🙂 Glad your boyfriend loved it and you enjoyed it, too!
very beautiful
Thank you!
Oh my goodness this cake took me FOREVER to make. I followed the instructions to a tee but it came out flat as a pancake 🙁 I still put it together and iced it and hopefully it will taste ok for my sister’s bday tomorrow. I will let u know with an update!
Hi! I’m ready to try this amazing lookinh recipe, just wondering if I can refrigerate my cake layers for 1 day? Will they be just as good if I assemble tomorrow?
Thank you much!
I followed your recipe for my son’s 1st birthday party, and I was quite proud of it. Everyone loved it! And I loved the way you placed the lemon on top, I did the same.
Thank you!!!
That’s awesome, Marie! I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed this cake 🙂
This recipe is too yummy-looking to ignore. I’m looking forward to making one of this myself. Thanks!
Yay! I can’t wait to hear how it turns out, Jennifer 🙂
Do you think white chocolate ganache woukd work with this cake too?
Absolutely a keeper! Always looking for that perfect berry cake since we grow way too many raspberries & marionberries here in Western Washington. I followed the recipe to a tee, and it turned out perfect! Berries did NOT sink to bottom of cake! Delicious! A thing of beauty! Also made the lemon cream cheese frosting. Definitely will make it again and again! It will be my summer company cake!! And my fall cake . I did use frozen raspberries but as the recipe said, I did not let them thaw, and the cake was perfect. Thank you for this phenomenal cake!!
This comment made my morning, Cheryl! I’m so happy you love this cake as much as I do 🙂
I Just made this cake for my mother’s 65th birthday. I loved it and I think everyone else did too. I actually doubled the frosting recipe and made my own raspberry filling since store bought preserves tend to be sweeter. I posted a picture online and several people asked for the recipe.
This comment made my day, Charissa! So happy it was a hit, and Happy (belated) birthday to your Mom!
Love this! My cake turned out great! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
Regarding the cake mixture alone & not the frosting, what kind of butter should I use? Unsalted butter or regular salted butter?
Unsalted 🙂
Stephanie, Always use unsalted butter in baking unless the recipe says otherwise. The reason is that Salted butter can vary dramatically as to the salt content. The recipe will usually say how much salt to add.
Awesome! i love this red color and pinky cake. It would be a great gifts for our beloved ones. Thanks for the amazing recipe.
Is it possible to use two square 9 inch pans instead of round?
one of my all time favorite cake recipes. Thanks for sharing. Simon
I made this cake for Easter and now am making it for my dear son’s 24th birthday at his request. Love love the light cake. It even turned him into a raspberry preserve lover! That is a major conversion. I’m going to make a gluten free version for those in the family that are sensitive. Thank you for sharing! It is on the most requested list in our family.
Tried it and my family loved it! Thank you for the amazing recipe!!!
Every year, my mom asks for a lemon raspberry cake for her birthday. This cake, was by the far the best one we’ve tired! Everyone wanted seconds and some friends even took it home for breakfast!
I did have to bake it for about ten extra minutes, but that is because my oven bakes a little strangely in the summer.
I made this for my moms bday celebration. It was a HUGE it! In fact everyone voted to bring it to every get together! *i added lemon juice to the raspberry preserves donut wasn’t too sweet with the frosting. Awesome recipe. Thanks for sharing !!
Awesome! I’m so happy this was a hit with you and your family, Megan 🙂
Delicious cake with a great lemony flavor. I used lemon extract as recommended. Frosting is really sweet, so I didn’t use that much. Cake came out great and looked just like the pictures. Thank you !
This cake was a hit! I’m now getting requests to make it.
This was Wonderful! I made it without the frosting, and served it with cream for dessert at a family get-together. It looked fabulous and everyone loved it. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Hi
I’m in UK, does •1/4 light brown sugar, packed, mean 1/4 CUP light brown sugar? and packed is when you push it down?
Yes – that’s correct 🙂
Can I use 1 9inch tin and cut the cake in half? How long would you suggest putting it in the oven for if I do this?
I just made mine in one 3” deep 9” round pan. I didn’t keep track but I think it was at least an hour I had to bake it. It’s cooling now, so hopefully it lives up to its reputation. I’m going to throw it I. The freezer for a bit so it’s easier to torte.
This cake looks delicious! I Luv anything raspberry and lemon. Wanting to make it for a get-together but would be easier to serve if in a 9×13 pan and cut up into smaller squares for the kids . Is it possible to make this in a 9×13 pan? If so, how long do I bake it for? Thanks for the recipe.
I’m wondering the same thing! Want to make it Friday for my daughter’s birthday.
I made this cake tonight. A couple things, especially for beginners…. as a complete novice (this was my first homemade cake) this recipe was really hard to follow the correct way. We don’t KNOW how to cream things like butter, or the proper way to incorporate dry and moist ingredients together, or whether to use unsalted or salted butter. I ended up using salted because it never specified. Maybe that’s why my butter and sugar didn’t cream at all after more than 5 minutes with my kitchen-aid mixer, besides the fact that I just dumped it all in there and turned it on. The cakes still looks presentable… I haven’t tasted it yet… but really, either give a disclaimer about the process or put every detail into the recipes please. I still plan on making it again =) it was just annoying to have to keep looking up videos on what things should look like and how to do certain steps.
Hi Emily. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! And I’m sorry you had trouble following the recipe. I do have notes in the recipe on how you should cream the butter (beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes) as well as how to incorporate the dry ingredients (Add the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until everything is just barely combined. You should still see some lumps and dry streaks.).
Using salted butter wouldn’t effect the creaming process, but the butter being at the wrong temperature would. Was your butter at room temperature? Butter that’s too soft or too hard has a hard time creaming. Please let me know if I can help with anything else! -Ashley
Has anyone tried this in a bundt pan yet? Can’t wait to try it!
Hello. Great recipe. Thank you. Could you tell em the shelf kifenifthis cake please
Sorry I meant shelf life!!
This cake will keep, in the fridge, for 3 days 🙂
Thank you
Thank you for sharing. This looks amazing.
This cake is absolutely fantastic! my daughter made this for someone’s birthday and the cake was the life of the party! I was wondering if you could substitute the raspberry and lemon for something different let me know I am definitely looking forward to making another delicious cake!
Thanks xoxo
Made this cake for my daughter’s 21st birthday, as she requested something with raspberry and lemon. I was so happy to find this recipe . Followed it exactly as written, including using the lemon extract in both the cake and the frosting. The cake turned out just like the photo, i.e., BEAUTIFUL!! The cake was SO moist, and SO delicious (past tense, because her birthday was yesterday, and the cake is totally gone already!). The tartness of the lemon and raspberry balanced out the sweetness of the cake perfectly, and the fresh flavors and colors were such a welcome treat in the middle of winter. The cream cheese frosting was rich and decadent without being too sweet. My only comment is that I ended up with about twice as much frosting as I actually needed and sadly had to throw out the extra. I will definitely be making this cake again soon!
Fantastic. Followed the recipe to a Tee. Willl make again and again
Looks great and I can’t wait to make this. Wondering if it is possible to make the cake layers ahead of time and freeze for a few days before taking them out to ice? I usually do this with my cakes so that I am not rushed but haven’t done it with cakes that have fresh fruit in them. I need for an event on a weekend and with the shelf life of 3 days, this may be a problem if I need to bake early in the week. Thanks!
I’d like to do the same thing. Have you tried it?
I was wondering how many calories this has. I want to make this for mothers day, but my siblings would help make ih t as well as eat some, and I don’t want a sugar rush.
It was yummy and turned out great! Thanks for the recipe
hello- I am really looking forward to making this cake for my husband. I have been reading through all of the previous comments, I will keep them in mind, ie, unsalted butter, room temp items, not to over mix. I am looking forward to making it!!!
This cake turned out amazing!! Delicious lemony perfection.
I typically don’t leave replies on these sites, but feel inclined to leave one here…
My daughter requested a lemon raspberry cake for her 9th birthday. Typically when I make cakes, I like to stick the base recipes I’m familiar with and modify them slightly. This time I decided to try something new and I’m SO glad I did! My daughter (and other adult guests) were so impressed and thought it was store-bought.
The only change I made was that I increased all ingredients by 150% and made a three tier cake. It worked perfectly and was gorgeous!! This cake is amazing! Thank you for sharing it with us!
P.S. I recommend using homemade raspberry preserves. It’s a very sweet cake and needs the balance. Typically store-bought ones are very sweet.
Making for Easter on Sunday. Can I make it on Friday afternoon/evening and will it be good until Sunday?
Your photo of this cake sold me! I,like some others who have commented, wanted to make the cake on Friday for Easter dinner on Sunday. It is wrapped and in the freezer now. Fingers crossed for tomorrow!! Plus, it came out of the oven looking so amazingly delicious that the freezer is the only place to keep it where I will stay out of it!
Lemon & Raspberries, two of my most favorite things. Followed the recipe exactly- except I used 3-6” round pans instead of 2-9” pans. Baked according to directions, took about 43 minutes. Definitely a denser cake then I’m used to, but it was moist. Wish I had fresh raspberries to decorate the iced cake with, but all the stores were sold out so I ended up piping rosettes to dress up the cake for Easter Dessert. It was a huge hit!
Following up on my recent post: I froze the layers Friday night and took them out this morning (Sunday) to decorate. Home run. Came out perfectly! ThNks so much for this delicious recipe. Will most definitely make it again
I made this cake the other week and absolutely loved it. I wanted to make it again, but this time for a co-worker’s birthday. So instead of bringing a cake into the office I was thinking about turning this cake into cupcake for instead. Do you think that’s possible? How long would they bake for?
I made this cake yesterday and it turned out absolutely delicious! I made the following substitutions because of some guests dietary restrictions and they worked perfectly!
In the cake:
Subbed unsweetened vanilla almond milk for whole milk
Subbed coconut cream (the solid from the top of a can of coconut milk) for the sour cream
Frosting:
Made a simple buttercream with 2-3 T unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 stick unsalted butter, 3.5 cups powdered sugar, and 1/3 cup raspberry preserves and a pinch of salt.
This cake is sooooo pretty!! I might have to try it:)
I made this cake for my daughters first birthday party. To say it was a hit would be an understatement. I followed the recipe to a tee (just omitting the lemon extract) and it came out perfectly. The fresh lemon really balances out the sweetness of the raspberries and the frosting. Definitely will be making this cake again. Everyone could not stop raving about it. Absolutely delicious!
I baked this cake for my mother’s bday. I did not have two cake pans of the same size so I baked it in one pan and skipped the rasberry jam. Big success. Worked fine. Had some icing left over for homemade muffins. Icing is very good.
I used this recipe today – but made cupcakes instead – wow, just wow.
My family can’t get enough of this recipe, it’s to die for!
I also added blueberries to the mix for the sake of adding color.
Can’t wait to use more of your recipes!
Amazing! Great recipe, awesome Flavor. It was a huge hit. Will definitely re-make it.
Do you have metric conversions for this recipe? I find it’s much easier to use the right amount of ingredients if I weigh them on a scale. Help please! I really want to make this cake for my baby shower!!
I have just made the cake and I can’t wait to try it. The only thing I struggle with is the amount of sugar in the cream. What other option can I use that won’t require that much sugar? I’ve tried to cut it by half and use gelatin to thicken but it’s not working. Personally I just don’t like the taste of sugar in that concentration. With that being said, the cream I made right now is tasty but runny obviously as I keep praying for the gelatin to work . Thanks for this recipe.
You need to reduce the amount of liquid to the frosting.
This cake was wonderful. I followed the recipe exactly but made it as a sheet cake. Frosted the cake with the icing then spread the preserves almost to the edge. (I did not put preserves in the middle as I was afraid of ruining the 13″x9″ cake while trying to slice it through the middle.) I then piped frosting around the edge to cover the edges of the preserves.
Made it for a party and people I didn’t even know said it was the best cake they’ve ever had! Will definitely be making this many more times!
Hi Carla…I want to make this cake in a 9X 13 pan too…can you tell me about how much longer or less time wise I need to bake it than if I used the 2 9″rounds?
Thank you much
Hello, this recipe looks awesome. I want to try it but what is the 1/4 light brown sugar, packed?
Thank you.
It just means you want to pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup 🙂
ah ok. Thank you so much ! x
Thank you…. I was wondering if it was a cup or teaspoon also!
I made this exactly per the recipe with the one exception of dialing back the sugar and upping the lemon in the frosting. It looked EXACTLY like the pictures and tasted exactly as I hoped. Swanky bakery quality!!! Thank you!!
This cake is absolutely fantastic!! I made it for the first time for my mother-in-laws 80th birthday party. Everyone loved it. There was not one piece left over, so I am making another one just for my family today.
I made this for my mother’s birthday and now whenever I’m discussing a dessert I should make she suggests this. As a joke, but seriously. I liked that you could actually taste both raspberry and lemon.
I have been making cakes most of my adult life, including wedding cakes — one of which was lemon and rasberry. So I was excited to see this recipe and made it today for a birthday celebration. I have to say, I really struggled with this! It took a long time to make (much longer than the 20-60 minutes mentioned) and the cake just didn’t seem to be baking through. In fact, after I removed them from the pans, I saw raw spots on the bottom so returned them to the oven sans pans and upside down to bake further. I kept coming back to this site to read the comments to see what I may have done wrong. This is not an inexpensive cake to make but I was almost ready to throw in the towel and head to the bakery. But I forged ahead and just made apologies to the group that, with the amount of fruit, I wasn’t sure that the cake had baked through. Well, I’ll tell you — just like most of these comments here — everyone LOVED it!!! Loved. It. Yes, it was dense and, yes, undercooked in spots, but folks went nuts over it!! I’ll definitely make this again but will need to figure out why the cakes did not cook through. A wonderful surprise ending to a somewhat stressful baking day.
I seriously could have written this exact comment. Baking history and all. The bake was very stressful and I was not confident that the finished product would be suitable. Luckily I found this comment and proceeded onward with decorating and filling the cake. I did this for a baby shower. I made a 9″ 3 layer cake with cheese cake filling between the layers(per request of mommy to be) and man it was a HUGE hit. My picky brother in law who usually let’s me know if a recipe is too sweet, dry, dense, ect.. was beyond belief. Nothing but praises from all the party. Thank you for such a great recipe! And all the comments for helping me through a hard night of baking!
Turned out great! My 12 year old and I made it for her birthday. We did over stir just slightly but otherwise it was delicious.
I made this cake this morning. It is a delicious cake. It did take some time. A lot more than the 1 hr. But I did enjoy the cake and so did my friends!
I substituted raspberries with strawberries and it turned out wonderful! I kind of want to try this recipe again and add blueberries to the lemon! Thank you so much for the perfect summer cake!
Hi Kaitlin,
Hopefully there’s a chance you’ll see this, but did you happen to follow the exact steps and sub in strawberries? Or did you adjust in any way?
I followed this recipe to a T and it was absolute PERFECTION. This is an elegant summer dessert and will blow your dinner guests away!
i’m adding this one to my favorite recipes… Thank you so much for sharing it ❤️
Aww I’m so happy to hear it! <3
Thank you very much for sharing this Recipe. It was indeed a very lovely moist yummy cake.
Yay!
I made this and though it wasn’t as pretty as yours, damn was it good. I used the kitchen aid. Thank goodness bc it took time. Lots of it for the batter and esp the frosting which was the most perfect frosting I have ever made thanks to you. It was a huge hit. Def don’t use bottled lemon joins. Use fresh. I didn’t use the essence and it was perfect. I also used fresh raspberries. Again it was tdf. Thank you!
I made this for a birthday earlier this year and everyone loved it. Do you think it would work to do chocolate rather than lemon and change it to a chocolate decadence cake?
Hi Sam! I think you might enjoy this chocolate raspberry cake 🙂 https://bakerbynature.com/chocolate-raspberry-cake/
I have a Kitchenaid mixer that does not have a paddle attachment. Can I use the regular beaters? I keep telling people I am not a baker &, sadly,my results usually back up this claim.
However I may have to give this a try just to eat myself!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this cake. It’s amazing!! Thank you❤️. I may try to make into cupcakes. Could you suggest a time to bake for cupcakes?
Thanks for sharing, the flavor of this cake is amazing. One thing I want to point out, the steps do not include when to add the lemon juice, milk or sour cream to the cake batter so I added it to the other wet ingredients before adding the dry (between steps 2 and 3). I don’t know if this will change the density because I tried to not over stir and it was still pretty dense. When do you add them and what consistency should you mix to?
Hi! Thanks for the recipe! It tasted good, at least I think so.
Question. Does the texture of this cake change over time? I felt like it got kind of chewy the longer it was refrigerated.
this cake looks amaaazing. id love to make it but is it possible to bake it in a 7 or 8 inch pans? if i were to do a 7 inch cake could i divide the batter in three 7 inch pans? if so how long would i have to bake them for? also would i need to change the amounts in the recipe? id really appreciate your answer. id love to make it for christmas 🙂
I made this cake and I used the frozen raspberries, my cake was a gross purple/pink color. But it does taste great. And the lemon icing is addicting. I wish it would have turned out better looking but my family loves it. I also put candied lemon peels on top as a garnish instead of scrapping the lemons I juiced.
Overall a great cake. I definitely recommend it.
I made this cake for Christmas dessert. It tasted great but was very heavy and dense. I thought I followed the recipe but was not light & fluffy. Where did I go wrong?
Made this cake up for my husband who didn’t know if he wanted a lemon cake or a berry tart for his Birthday, so obviously I combined the 2 and made this wonderful raspberry lemon cake. It’s just the two of us so I halved the recipe and used two small round 5″ pans. I accidentally thawed my raspberries so I hurried up and threw them in the freezer for an hour, drained them, floured them, and they stayed put in the cake (no sinking, yay!). I also totally forgot to buy raspberry preserves so I took the juice from the frozen/half thawed berries, stole some fresh berries from the garnish/topping pile, threw them on the stove top with some confectioners until boiled, threw it in the freezer to thicken even more and wallah! So good. I think my favorite part of this recipe was the lemon frosting and the incorporation of sour cream with not only the mix but the frosting also. It made everything so fluffy and dialed down the over sweetness of the sugar, berries, and lemon. I wish i could share pictures, I’ve never been so proud of a cake before. It turned out picture perfect, I had zero issues with this recipe. If i could give it more than 5 stars I would! THANK YOU!
This turned out great. As good as the stew i did yesterday. I sent a pic but Instagram isnt my strong point……..looking forward to eating it tonight after dinner.
I followed this recipe to a tee!! It was tedious and came out amazing!!!! People could not believe it was homemade…..I wish I could post a Pic!!!
Loved it, came out perfect! Thank you for such detailed instructions! I made it for my husbands birthday and it looks exactly like yours. Delicious.
I’ve made this twice so far! I’m making it tonight for the 3rd time at my daughters request for her birthday cake. That’s a huge compliment.
This is one of the only cakes I prefer cold. It’s like a dreamy flavorful cheesecake.
I do have some pictures of the ones I’ve made on my phone but I don’t know how to post them here :/
Thanks for such a great recipe. It’s a keeper.
I made this cake for the first time today, following the instructions and was quite pleased with the first attempt! I usually need to do fine tuning after a first try, overall I was very happy with the results. The cake (I had to make my own cake flour) came it great, used my home grown raspberries (frozen) and a local raspberry jam. My only comment was the icing. I ended up with far more than necessary and it wasn’t lemony enough by a long shot for me. I added like two small lemon’s juice and at least twice the lemon rind to get the flavor I was after. Next time I’d cut down on the sugar by a good 30%. So other than needing to change the icing recipe by adding a lot more lemon this recipe is a real winner!
I made this for a co-workers birthday and it was a huge hit. It turned out perfect following your ingredients and instructions exactly. It was so moist and delicious. Looking forward to making it again.
Beautiful, wish I could post a photo! I made it for a bake sale and it went within 10min! Only comment is that there is too much batter for two tiers, overflowed into my oven. Luckily I was watching, immediately took them out and distributed into a third pan. I followed the ingredients exactly.
Can this icing be piped?
I don’t see why not. The icing is absolutely delicious and made exactly as specified mine would have been able to be piped. If it is a little too runny when you make it just add some powered sugar a little at a time until it thickens up.
Can I just use regular all purpose instead of cake flour? I understand the texture difference I just don’t need another type pf flour in my pantry.
Cat, Cake flour has a lower protein content than all purpose flour and yields a lighter cake. Fret not! If you have corn starch simply measure out 1c of AP flour and remove 2 Tablespoons of four then add 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Sift that together two or three times and Voila cake flour! -James
I have made this cake twice now and it is truly something out of this world! Worth all the calories!!
Thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe!
Is it alright to use lemon juice instead of lemon extract? Can’t wait to try baking this cake! 🙂
I wish this recipe were in grams as well. The rest of the world uses grams!
This is a lovely cake. All my favorite flavors!
Incredible freaking cake!
This cake so yummy! I didn’t wait until my butter was fully room temperature (ugh, I’ll be more patient next time) so my frosting with a little lumpy, but it still turned out great! I’m new to cake making so it looked a bit messy, but the cake was moist and delicious. I will certainly be making this again.
Would it work just as well with blueberries or blackberries? Thank you for the recipe!
Just made this after browsing for a recipe with these
Flavor profiles and OMG – SO good! Our new family favorite! Thanks for sharing!
I made this cake for my mother’s birthday, and it is as delicious as it is beautiful! Thank you for the recipe, I will keep it forever!
Hi, I’d like to make this cake for my son’s 1st Birthday and I am expecting about 17 guests. I am planning on cutting the slices thinner so I can have at least 16 slices. Do you think this 9″ cake would be too small? I am also thinking to add a third layer to this if I need to, would this be a wise choice or will the cake not stand well with the filling and fall? Do you think I should just get bigger pans all together?
Thank you
Great recipe. Thanks!
Oh my!! I made this cake for my church Life Group and it was a big, BIG hit!! Everyone raved!! I followed the recipe and the suggestions to the letter and, I gotta tell ya, it’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever made and I’ve baked a few in my 70 years. Kudos to you, BbN! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Already eyeballing a few.
This cake was delicious! I baked it in 8″ pans as we didn’t have 9″ – I was worried at first whether it would cook through in the middle before browning too much on top, but it worked out. I kept adding ~7 minutes to the cook time and then checking it again, it probably baked around 50, 55 minutes total. I did lower the baking temp to 325 later on, as well.
I used 3 large lemons and that was the perfect amount, minus decorations.
Thanks for the recipe!
just wondering if I can substitute white sugar for brown…would like to lighten up color a bit
Made this cake for a birthday party and it was a huge hit.
I have made this cake several times. It was a big hit.
I have two questions: Can I freeze the cake and then do the filling and icing just before our family event? Also, can it be baked in z 9×13″ pan and if so for how long? I was thinking of doing two 9×13 cakes to make a large rectangular layer cake.
Thank you
I’m so sad!!! Didn’t come out!!!
Terri how very sad indeed. Can you tell us what went wrong and maybe we can help?
I made this cake yesterday and it turned out absolutely amazing! The lemon and raspberry pair perfectly together and the frosting I could eat right form the bowl! Thanks!
I would love to try this recipe but I need to know whether I can bake this in a 9×13 baking dish. If so, would I need to adjust the recipe in any way? Thank you.
Ashley,
Great recipe. I’m a baking novice but the instructions were complete and coherent. It made my job easy because all I had to do was follow the step by step recipe. The quality of the cake? Fantastic. My wife and I made a meal of shrimp risotto, chili-lime butter seared fish and roasted roots with this as the dessert. I served the cake with a dry semi-sweet Muscato wine. Fantastic. Really, really good. I’d been craving a lemon raspberry dessert to go with the the Muscato wine I had found and this definitely fit the bill. Thank you for sharing
Hi! What size pans are you using? 🙂
9″ cake pans.
I want to make this and take it into work for my birthday. With regards to the frosting I would reduce the sugar so it’s not too sweet. Has anyone else done this and how much sugar did they use?
I made this cake as a possibility for my daughter’s wedding. Everyone loved it! However my daughter’s wedding is at 5000 feet above sea level. Has anyone made this recipe at a higher altitude and did you make any changes so the cake won’t sink?
Made the cake for my daughter’s 30th! It was absolutely delicious. Your directions were perfec. I will be makbg this one again.
ABSOLUTELY TO-DIE-FOR!!!!!!!!!! One of the most incredible, moist & delicious cakes I have ever eaten!! Everyone who devoured the cake agreed its the best cake ever! Its already been requested for birthdays and now I will bring it to Easter dinner! ! It did take 4 hrs. to make but it was totally worth it!! Ya’ all have to make this cake!!!!
oh yes, I forgot to add……..my DD added about 1/2 c. or so of extra frozen raspberries for an extra punch of berries in between the raspberry layers. mmmmmm…..so yummmeee….
Hello! Can I use just all purpose flour instead?
Thank you for the recipe. I added a layer of lemon curd with the raspberry preserves. Perfect treat for these crazy times.
This cake was prefect as-is! However, for frosting, I decided to use a really light, tart raspberry buttercream that was actually meant as a macaron filling from Natasha’s Kitchen:
I added a teaspoon of lemon zest and a quarter teaspoon of lemon extract to the frosting, and tripled the recipe so that I would have enough to frost the cake. DELICIOUS! And makes the most naturally vibrant pink hue. Perfect if the cake is for Valentines’ Day or whatnot.
I once had this cake baked by a friend and I swear I salivate every time I think about it. I would like to make it too, but I am bad at ounces and cups. If you could put grams on your recipes, it would be great. If anyone can tell me these recipes in gram exactly, I will be forever grateful.
This cake is so delicious and beautiful! The sour cream really adds an amazing tangy taste to counter the sweetness. My husband, who doesn’t have a sweet tooth, ate two huge slices and gave it two thumbs up.
Hello! I am wondering how can I make it without eggs?
Thank you for your reply!
I like this cake a lot! I didn’t have enough raspberries so I added some fresh blueberries, and it came out yummy.
My only comment is that I found the frosting MUCH too sweet. The flavors of the lemon and berries are so fresh, the super sugary frosting overwhelmed it. Next time I think I’ll use a stabilized whipped cream, or maybe even just jam. Otherwise a winner.
Hi, I’m worried the cake will be too sweet for me if I follow the sugar specified for the cake but I’m not sure how much to reduce. Is the cake sweet or is there room to cut back?
Terrific! Especially the moistness of the cake and brightness of the frosting!
OMG seriously the best cake i have made in a long time. I probably added too much preserve in the middle but i didn’t measure, so that is my bad. I would recommend to anyone and everyone. If you love lemon and raspberry this is your cake and a MUST bake! (I am also not a baker…if i can do it…anyone can do it!)
Sooooo good. My son-in-law, with a little help, made this for Mother’s Day. It was a huge hit. Scrumptious! The frosting is so good I could have just eaten it with a spoon, but the cake was fantastic also. It is a must have again soon.
can i use frozen raspberries rather than normal raspberries?
can i use frozen raspberries rather than normal raspberries?
Made it for my husband and I for our 21st Wedding Anniversary. He loves lemon things, I love raspberry things. It was the best cake I’ve ever made! what a beautiful batter, I knew it was going to be light and moist at the same time. Thank you!
Made it tonight for my husbands birthday! It is so beautiful and tasty: I will say it takes a long time to make and a lot of planning. But I am grateful for the detailed notes!
Hello. What is the purpose of the brown sugar. Cant wait to try it.
This was absolutely amazing!! I actually read the entire intro and all tips!! Never used “cake” flour so I used the cornstarch tip and this cake is amazing!! I will be making this again for sure and will make it 4 layers next time by splitting the 2 layers!! Thanks again!
This cake is fantastic! I had been watching too many episodes of “Great British Baking Show” and decided that I was above box mix cakes the first time in my life. I came across this recipe and crossed my fingers. It went amazingly! The directions and helpful hints made it so an amateur like me could create a showstopping cake that tastes as good as it looks. Thank you!
Hello. I admire your work. It’s super what you do. I would like to make this cake too . Can you help me with the quantities in grams?
Totally love it <3
it’s a very delicious cake, made it for the 4th of July and my family loved it. The recipe looks daunting because it was so long but once I had it down to the nitty-gritty it was very easy to make. I used lemon curd instead of raspberry jelly and it was spectacular.
Very special. New family favorite.
Came out perfect. I did include the extract.
Much thanks!
Made this cake for the 4 th of July and was it a hit! Everyone was amazed how good, pretty too! I will make it again soon. Thank you!
I made this cake for my Birthday and it tasted so good. I can finally say I have a favorite cake and it’s this one! Thank you for a detailed and lovely recipe I can make for many birthday to come.
I have read all the comments and noticed that a few people have asked this question already but there hasn’t been an answer.
Can this be made in a 9×13 pan? What would be the cook time be approximately?
Delicious!! I made it for my daughter’s 18th birthday and it was perfect!
I made this cake today, exactly as directed and it was amazing! I’ve been searching for a lemon raspberry cake for years and this is it! Thank you Ashley, I love this cake and it looks so beautiful when you serve it and my guests loved it!
I’m thinking of making this cake for my mom’s birthday. Are there any high altitude revisions?
I made this cake today and it was amazing!! I put less sugar in the cake and in the frosting I only put 2 cups instead of 4 which was more than enough, everyone loved it! Will definitely be keeping this recipe, Thankyou
This recipe looks amazing and just perfect for what I’ve been looking for! I’ve been searching for a recipe that I can substitute in Prickly Pear for; I have tons of juice from this season and it’s delicious and sweet! Has anyone substituted different fruits in, or have good suggestions for adding in the fruit (freezing, just adding it, too mushy, etc.)? Thanks!
This cake has been instrumental in my relationship with my in-laws (no joke!). My father-in-law is a renowned French chef (reigning from the south of France, and went on to have an incredible career in NYC and NJ), and a very intimidating man to feed. My MIL has an excellent sense of humor and asked me to make the dessert for our Father’s Day get together (one day’s notice!). I frantically looked for desserts and had a few great contenders, but they had flaws (availability of ingredients/seasons/etc.). Frantic, I landed on this recipe, which turned out to be very, very well received. They ended up eating the entire cake between Father’s Day dinner and the subsequent days. The only critique was that my flour tasted not super fresh (fair, I prefer savory over pastry, so ingredient turnover isn’t great).
If that isn’t great feedback, I’m not sure what is!
I made this cake for a wedding! A two tiered cake and 90 cupcakes! It was a huge hit! So delicious!
Did you happen to freeze your cakes? I would like this make this cake for my daughter’s wedding.
Wonder if this could be made into cupcakes??
Made this cake today for my hubby’s birthday, followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly! We like lemon flavour so I did use the lemon extract. All of the family LOVED it! 5 stars for sure! ❤️❤️❤️
This cake looks absolutely delicious until I saw the amount of sugar that goes in. The cake + frosting requires 6 cups of sugar which is 1,5kg. I can’t believe this is correct. I don’t see anyone commenting on this. I would use not more than one cup of sugar for this size of cake. Any comments?
Hi Igor. The amount of sugar called for is correct. You may try decreasing it, but it will definitely change the taste and texture of the cake.
Hi Ashley I just had to make a comment because the cake was CRAZY DELICIOUS. I made one for my mom’s birthday last Saturday and everybody absolutely loved it. I didn’t change a thing, although some of my raspberries weren’t as fresh as I would like them to be (hard to get them here in Indonesia). What really surprised me was how flavorful it was! I love cakes, but to be honest most layer cakes are always overwhelmed by the sweetness or buttery taste on them that it doesn’t have that much distinction between one another. But this one was not! it was so bursting with flavour, that my husband’s eyes literally went up the moment he took the first bite. I used the lemon extract too so the lemon flavor really came through but subtle enough to let the raspberries stand out. Thank you sooo much for the recipe, definitely will be making them again!!
If i half the recipe will it be ok for 6 inch pans please?
Also how will the baking time change
This cake is wonderful. Tastes even better than from a bakery. Its a huge hit with my fiance and family.
Delicious! I don’t make many cakes so I learned a lot with this one.
Super fluffy batter, bad time to find out my cake pans are defn not 9” — it expanded a lot and baked all over the oven!! Lol, my roommate got a cake and a show for her birthday. Put a cookie sheet under your cake pans if they look really full going in the oven.
Because it’s hard to suspend the raspberries nicely, next time I’ll make it in a Bundt pan or omit the raspberries from the batter and use them in the center in place of the preserves! I think that would look really pretty and cut the sweetness even more.
It’s delicious and also a bit eggy, I wonder if you could get away with just 3 eggs.
Cut the frosting recipe in half and it was the perfect amount. Ended up tripling the amount of lemon juice to increase the flavor and that was a big hit. I don’t usually like cream cheese containing frostings but this was nice and balanced. Loved the addition of the sour cream!
I made this cake and it was REALLY dense. I followed everything exactly and didn’t turn it a lot and it still came out so dense. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Is there anything else I can do?
Can you make cupcakes with this recipe? If so, about how long will I need to bake it?
I made this cake for a friend’s birthday this weekend. It was tasty and beautiful, but really sweet. I cut 1/4 cup of sugar from the cake and a 1/4 cup of sugar from the frosting. Frankly, I think the frosting needs more cream cheese and less sugar and if I ever make it again I will adjust the cream cheese – I only bought 8 ounces per the recipe.. I also used store bought preserves and they were *really* sweet on top of an already oversweet cake. I think in the future I might make my own jam.
This cake is absolutely divine! The batter is light and fluffy and the recipe is quite easy to follow. I bake a lot of cakes and usually something needs to be tweaked, but this batter really is perfect.
I baked it yesterday and my husband and I both agree that the cake is so decadent and delicious you just want to keep eating it. The tangy flavor in the frosting ties in well with the raspberries in the cake.
This recipe is one to hold on to, it is going straight to the top of my list. Well done Ashley!
Tried to read through the comments but there are so many! I really want to try this recipe but I have the urge to make cupcakes instead of a layer cake. Will it translate well? Thinking I’ll use the preserve as a filling. Thanks!
Hi Sara. I would suggest making these, and then scooping out a small portion of the cupcake center and piping in raspberry preserves https://bakerbynature.com/lemon-raspberry-cupcakes/
I made it without the lemon extract and it came out beautifully
Just wondering how long it takes to cook the cake enough to ice it?
*cool, not cook!
I made this to bring to an Easter dinner. It was a disaster. It came out heavy and wet as if it was not cooked, but the toothpicks came out clean and I had it in the oven an extra 13 minutes until it did. It was an expensive cake to make so I followed every detail in the recipe. I wonder if it was the frozen raspberries. There were too many crumbles of berries in the bag and not as many whole berries, but I used them anyway since it was all I had and stores were closed.
Hi Jane. So sorry to hear this! Hmm, it could have been the frozen berries, but I’ve made this with frozen berries dozens of times. I’m wondering if maybe the “berry crumbs” had a lot of ice on them? That could have added excess moisture causing the cake to be wet.
This cake looks super yummy! But, in the recipe, it says “1/4 brown sugar.” I’m assuming this is 1/4 of a cup?
Oh. My. Gosh! This was soooooo good! I wanted to make something different for Easter because we had a beautiful day to have family together outside. Everyone raved about it. I am definitely making it again!
I recently have gotten into baking, so I asked my mother what dessert she wanted for Mother’s Day. She said a lemon raspberry cake. I thought to myself “mmhm… alright”. and started the fun journey of looking for the perfect recipe! After going through the ingredients and the process of many different recipes – I chose this one. It turned out so well! would definitely make it again! I would; however, not use the lemon cream cheese frosting.. It was tougher to work with than buttercream frosting and I found myself having to chill the frosting and cake so I could spread the frosting more easily. Other than that, it was great! the family loved eating it and I enjoyed baking it!
When decorating with fresh raspberries, do you use them plain or must they be pretreated somehow?
I made this cake and it’s a keeper. However, I did not use 4 cups of sugar for the frosting. Honestly, I added little by little. My guess is I used about 1/2 a cup or even less and it was perfect. Many people think you need a whole lot of sugar to thicken the cream but that’s not true. The Cake ended up being light and tangy.
How much raspberry preserves do you use? I don’t see them in the recipe ingredients.
Never mind! I was blinded by the awesomeness of it all!
Hi,
I’m exited to try this next weekend for my moms bday. I’m not seeing any details on the correct baking pans to use aside from them being 9 inches, how deep do they need to be? They don’t need to be release pans where the bottom can be removed, correct?
I can’t have all the seeds in raspberries do you think this recipe would be good with blueberries instead?? It sounds so good.
Great cake! I followed the instructions and made sure not to overmix, and the cake came out moist and fluffy from the oven!
The only things I would point out are: 1) It took me longer than 1 hr to make, so I would plan ahead with more time than that, and 2) The frosting quantities are on the generous side, so if you prefer light frosting, I would consider reducing the amount (I love frosting so I made it all, covered the cake very generously with it, and still had some leftover).
Overall, this is an amazing sweet and refreshing cake, and I’ll definitely make it again!
This cake looks delicious, however, I’d like to reduce the sugar. Can you suggest some optional amounts of sugar for the cake and frosting?
Hi,
Trying your recipe today.
I’m thinking you meant four TBSNS sugar in the frosting
Not four cups and add more if needed
Right?
No, it’s 4 cups!
Is there any way this could be adjusted for 2 – 6” round cake pans instead of the 9”?
Thanks
Pat
I started making this cake about a year and a half ago because it’s my wife’s favorite cake flavor, and it’s always been scrumptious. I’ve only ever had some trouble with the frosting, but that’s more due to my novice cake baking abilities I’m sure. Nonetheless we really enjoy this cake. I even made it leading up to our backyard wedding last spring and it was better than the semi-professional cake that a family friend prepared (shhh!). Now I need to find more recipes here! Thank you Baker by Nature!
How much butter goes in the cake?
Can you use gluten free flour?? Will it cook and taste the same
I made this for a family party this past weekend and it was excellent! I ended up needing 5 lemons for the zest and maybe 3-4 for the juice. The frosting is very runny so don’t plan to do any crazy decorating with it, just slather it on and call it a day. It was enjoyed straight out of the fridge. My husband said it was the best cake I’ve ever made! Definitely making this again it was amazing! I did not use any lemon extract and thought it was great as is. Followed the recipe to a T including having all cold ingredients room temperature before I started! The frosting is not overpowering or too sweet, it is so good! Thank you thank you for this amazing recipe!
This recipe looks promising, I’ll be making it this weekend for my birthday 🙂
Great recipe. The actual cake was awesome! It was very lemony (as advertised) and I think I wont use the lemon extract next time.
The frosting was also a bit too sweet for me. But balanced the lemon and raspberries of the cake very well. The real downside is you really can’t decorate with this icing. I’m new to baking, but not decorating. I still have yet to make a good stiff icing.
Overall I loved this recipe and will be making again with slight modifications to my own family’s tastes.
We have a big family Sunday lunch weekly and they really aren’t cake eaters but this cake got obliterated! Thank you!
Can this cake be made up ahead of time (uncrossed) and freeze until ready to make it with frosting?
Cake is in the oven. Hope it turns out. I’m baking it for my wife’s 55th birthday. She loves loves loves lemon and raspberries are some of her favourites too!
Does the round cake rise to make the layers uneven? Like do I need to cut the tops with a serrated knife to level them? It doesn’t mention it in the recipe
I’ve made this cake for my grandmother’s birthday the past three years! She looks forward to it so much and everyone absolutely loves it
Beautiful + delicious!
This was by far an amazing cake! My husband who loves to bake cakes was my food tester and he loved it. Joined your newsletter looking forward to learning and trying more recipes!
I made this and served it at a birthday party this evening. It was a huge hit! I even had people requesting that I make it for their birthdays.
This recipe did not disappoint! Made this for my husbands birthday and it was a huge hit. Turned out perfectly! I will absolutely make this again.
I made this cake yesterday for my mother in law’s 92nd family birthday party. It was a hit! Everyone loved it and there was none left. This cake is delicious.
I made this cake it was not only beautiful but delicious! I decorated with fresh raspberries and candied lemon slices.
Delicious!
I’m wondering if anyone has tried a gluten free version? If yes please let me know what exactly you swapped. I will make one of these cakes according to the recipe but would also like to make some gluten free cupcakes for those that can’t dig in quite the same. Thanks!
I actually substituted blueberries and blackberries and used a raspberry jam in between layers So it was more of a lemon berry cake Garnished it with lemon slices, blueberries and fresh basil leaves . To say it was was a delicious hit would be an understatement ! I’ve made it with raspberries too and it was just as amazing
What to do if I live at 4200 ft above sea level?
This is the kind of cake we had at our wedding. I just made it for our 15th wedding anniversary at it brought back so many good memories of that day. Many compliments from our family. This one is a winner!
Happy anniversary, Rachel! I’m so glad this cake could be a part of your celebration.
Do you think in order to cut down on the butter, I could replace half of it with buttermilk?
Hi Kris. I don’t suggest making that change!
This is a great recipe, cake is delicious w’out being too sweet. I used frozen raspberries in the cake and fresh raspberries between layers and to decorate the top. I’m serving it again tomorrow for a friend’s b’day
I made this cake over the weekend for a neighbor’s dinner party. Everyone raved. The flavor was excellent. Mine was a little dense/heavy. Possibly my room temperature wasn’t warm enough as my butter and sugars didn’t get fluffy or perhaps I should have beaten them more. I used square pans and they baked evenly.
The frosting was plentiful so don’t scrimp on the first layer.
(I don’t see a place to add a photo.)
Can you use all purpose flour for your lemon raspberry cake
OMG ! Mots perfect cake ever. Instructions were very clear. It is just delicious, moist and well balanced!
Hi there!
I really want to make this cake for my MIL’s birthday! Although, it’s her 60th and need to do like a half sheet pan… has anyone had success with this or do you have different measurements?
Thanks!
What a delicious cake! The tartness of the raspberries balances nicely with the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting.
I took a chance and converted the cake to 3 layers and a 6″ cake, and somehow it turnt out totally fine. It is probably a bit dense (I had to bake it almost as long as the standard recipe), but still delicious.
And, if anyone was wondering, I used both fresh and frozen raspberries in the batter, and I think the frozen worked better!
?Can you make this using all purpose flouor
Super delicious flavours! I love how lemony this cake is. I made this for my mother’s birthday and everyone loved it. However, I and a couple others agreed on the cake being too sweet. So if you’re like me and also have a tendency to reduce the sugar in your recipes then this is something you might want to consider for this recipe. I know BbN’s stuff is usually pretty sweet so I reduced the sugar by 1/3. This still produced an incredibly sweet cake to me. Don’t misunderstand me, I’ll be making this cake again! …but I’ll be reducing the sugar at least by half next time. I think this would create a better balance between the cake and icing, which you can’t do anything about sweetness wise haha. Thank you BbN!
Can these be made into mini cupcakes?
Hi there,
Wanting to know if there are any recommendations on baking this recipe at high altitude?
any adjustments need to be made?
Thanks,
I haven’t made this yet but am wondering if you can make this as a sheet cake? I am so looking forward to making this cake it looks delicious!
OMG.. I definitely am going to try this cake. Looks delicious. Thanks
Made this today and awarded myself Star Baker! Fabulous recipe. I did use the optional lemon extract and the amount of lemonr was perfect. I didn’t have soft brown sugar so subbed in the same amount of regular sugar and that didn’t seem to have an adverse effect. I also couldn’t find cake flour so did what was suggested in your notes taking out 2 tbsp per cup of flour and putting in an equal amount of cornstarch instead, that also worked well. Thank you for the great recipe!
Can this cake be frozen?
Could I do raspberry buttercream instead ?
Incredible recipe I love it.
Hi, do you think it is possible to make this a 4-layer cake, diving the batter into 4 cake pans. Would the batter be sturdy enough? The flavor is delicious.
I think its a pretty soft cake, We made it last night you would need to add supports to it if you wanted to do 4 layers. I think if you wanted 9in cakes you would need to double the recipe but I think you could get 4 6 inch cakes…
Good luck
Thanks for a great cake recipe. We really liked the fresh lemony of this and we didn’t use any lemon extract. I appreciate that you gave the amount of time to whip the butter and sugar. It made it super moist and fluffy.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this cake recipe, April! Happy baking 🙂
I assume that you mean ¼ *CUP* of light brown sugar?
Loved the cake but the texture seemed off, granted I ate it cold because I was too impatient to wait for it to get to room temp so maybe that was it. But it had a more sense crumb than a light fluffy cake. I was careful to barely mix it when warned not to over mix but I’m wondering if I did something wrong. Can you put weights in your recipes to ensure accurate measurements? I had a hard time knowing how to measure the raspberries.