Plus, this lemon raspberry cake is deceptively easy to make! I mentioned in my easy homemade lemon curd post from earlier that lemon desserts make for fantastic summer recipes! Like these no bake lemon cheesecake bars, super creamy lemon ice cream, and even this delicious lemon syrup recipe. So when we were invited for a BBQ last week, I knew I wanted to take something lemony. The result? This incredible Lemon Raspberry Cake (with lemon curd)! And in case you guys missed my butterscotch ice cream recipe from last week, we have a new addition to our family! Zuko, our little beagle puppy is turning 11 weeks this week. Because of that hell raiser, I wanted to make a lemon cake that was easy, and didn’t require me in the kitchen for long periods of time. If you’d like a Zuko update, just scroll to the end of this post! 🙂 I also made a homemade dog cake (meatloaf dog cake) for him, but that’s for another day! This soft, moist, and very summery lemon raspberry cake couldn’t be easier to make. Simply measure out the wet and dry ingredients and mix ’em all together! No creaming butter and sugar, or adding flour to eggs a little at a time. This cake works well as a vanilla cake too, but I’ll share that recipe another time. If you’re looking for a vanilla cake however, you can check out my classic vanilla cake recipe here. This lemon cake is made with lemon zest processed with sugar and lemon juice, for a deliciously refreshing and summer-worthy dessert! I made several batches of my homemade lemon curd for this lemon cake to perfect the recipe. And with the bounty of raspberries available in summer, I knew I wanted to incorporate that into the cake as well.
How to add lemon flavor to any cake
Just like in my lemon curd recipe, I processed lemon peel and sugar together until finely processed to get a robust lemon flavor in the cake. I use the lemon zest of 2 lemons, although I only use the juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup). Mostly because I prefer using zest over lemon juice when baking cakes, because the zest adds a more fragrant flavor in baked goods. However, if you’d like an even stronger lemon flavor in your cake, you can make a lemon syrup (1 cup lemon juice + 1/2 cup sugar, then boiled) and drizzle it over the cake. Since I use lemon curd as filling here, I didn’t need the lemon syrup.
Which lemon curd to use for this lemon raspberry cake?
In my homemade lemon curd post, I talk about spoonable lemon curd that’s thick and luscious, but still soft. If you cook this further, then you get a lemon curd that’s even thicker and pipeable. If you’re planning on storing this lemon cake with raspberry buttercream in the fridge, then it won’t really matter which version of lemon curd you use. However, if the cake is going to be sitting outside and it’s a hot day, then use the thicker, pipeable lemon curd. It’ll be more stable, and not seep out out when you cut the cake into slices.
How to bake this lemon raspberry cake
Can I make a sheet cake instead of a layer cake?
I bake this cake in two, 8 inch, round cake pans. This takes about 20 -25 minutes. It’s important to make sure the cake is baked though before removing it from the oven, because if the cake is underdone in the middle, then it can collapse as it cools down. You can also bake this lemon raspberry cake in a 9 x 13 inch sheet pan. This would take about 30 – 35 minutes. If you do bake this cake in round pans, you can serve it as two single layer cakes, OR sandwich it with lemon curd like I have done here. See my cake pan conversion chat and guide for more information on how to do these conversions and calculations. With the 9 x 13 inch pan, you can serve this cake as a sheet pan lemon cake, or cut the cake in half and stack them for a square layer cake. For a layer cake – fill the middle (sandwich the two cake layers) with lemon curd and fresh raspberries, and then frost the entire cake with raspberry frosting. For a single layer sheet cake – you can either create a lemon poke cake (poke holes while the cake is still hot and spread the lemon curd over the surface so that it’s absorbed into the cake), OR you can just soak the cake with lemon syrup. Then when it cools down, top it with raspberry frosting.
How to make the raspberry frosting
My raspberry frosting is based on my classic vanilla buttercream. Instead of the cream in that recipe, I add raspberries here. If you add both, the buttercream would be too soft, and may split. I also mainly use the raspberry buttercream to frost the outside of this cake. This lemon raspberry cake also has fresh raspberries in the filling. This is optional, but it does add a nice fruity flavor to the cake.
How to prevent the raspberry frosting from splitting
Always start with cool butter (not chilled or cold or really soft butter). Whisk the butter well, until nice and fluffy. Reduce the amount of liquid as much as possible. Do not add cream. And the raspberries should be the only soft (juicy) addition. Fresh vs frozen raspberries – You can use either. Fresh raspberries can be added just as they are. Frozen raspberries need to be prepped. Place the frozen raspberries on a paper towel and let them thaw overnight. As the raspberries thaw out, excess water will be absorbed by the paper towel. Next, mix a little cornstarch with the softened raspberries. The cornstarch also helps absorb excess moisture. This can then be added to the frosting.
How to frost this lemon raspberry cake
Since this lemon cake with lemon curd has a softer filling than buttercream, it’s important to frost it the right way to keep it nice and level and stable. Thankfully, that’s super easy to do!
The first tip is pretty obvious – make sure the cakes are baked evenly.
I like to evenly divide the cake batter between cake pans by weighing the cake batter into each pan. For this lemon cake, it’s usually about 520 g per pan. Remember to rotate the cake pans once in the oven to ensure that they bake evenly. You can also use bake even strips to make this process even more foolproof. I didn’t do that here, only because I still have one unpacked cake equipment box from our move to Canada, which has my bake even strips. 🙂 If the cakes aren’t even, don’t worry. You can slice the top of the cake to make it even. I do this most of the time when I don’t use bake even strips.
Second tip – create a buttercream “wall” for your cake filling.
The problem with a soft filling is that when you use it to fill cake layers, it can leak out from the middle and create uneven layers. To make sure the lemon curd stays between the cake layers and is evenly spread, pipe a border of raspberry buttercream along the edge of the bottom cake layer (as you can see in the pictures in this post). This creates a sturdy buttercream wall, and then you can fill the middle with lemon curd.
Third tip – don’t forget the crumb coating.
I always add a crumb coating to my layer cakes. The only time I won’t do this is if I make a naked cake. The crumb coating is a thin coating of buttercream spread on the cake, which traps loose crumbs and keep them from ruining the outer frosting layer. Plus, if there are any dips, gaps or holes on the surface of the cake, applying a crumb coating can help achieve a smooth surface.
Fourth tip – extra buttercream is better than running out of buttercream.
Extra buttercream can fix most cakes. Your cake doesn’t look even? Just add an extra layer of buttercream on that side. The edges don’t look nice? Use extra buttercream to pipe decorations along the edges. I like big swirls of buttercream on top, so I make sure to make extra buttercream for that. This lemon raspberry cake is a slice of summer, with refreshing lemon and fruity raspberry flavors. The raspberry frosting is buttery and has just the right amount of fruity sweetness, which perfectly complements the tangy lemon filling!
Zuko update!
Zuko is a handful and needs constant supervision and attention, but luckily, house training is going pretty smoothly, with just the odd bump here and there! He now knows how to “sit down” and “shake” like a pro! He even does lie down and roll over, but only if the treat is worth the effort… he’s a cheeky bastard for sure. And speaking of cakes, here’s my homemade dog cake recipe that I’ve been making for Zuko for his birthday!
Other recipes you may like
Raspberry Cake with Pistachio and Rose Water Buttercream Fudgiest One Bowl Chocolate Cake Classic Chocolate Cake Best Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Butter Pecan Cake with Maple Frosting Banana Layer Cake Coffee Layer Cake (Espresso Cake)
EQUIPMENT I USED FOR THIS RECIPE
Two 8 inch round cake pans – These Wilton pans are great! I also love these non stick pans too (but I always line any cake pan I use) Stand Mixer – I use my trusty Kitchen Aid Mixer. In the past I have also used a KMix Kenwood mixer that I loved (when living in Australia) Frosting smoother or bench scraper – To create a smooth frosted cake. A bench scraper will have a dual purpose, so I really like it. Round frosting tip – Wilton tip or Ateco tips work fine. A snipped ziploc bag will work in a pinch too. Piping bags – I like buying disposable piping bags, but reusable piping bags will work great too.
