Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake (Printable)
Zesty lemon sponge layered with raspberry preserves and topped with lemon cream cheese frosting.
# What You Need:
→ Lemon Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Filling
12 - 3/4 cup raspberry preserves or jam
13 - 1 cup fresh raspberries
→ Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
14 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
15 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
16 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
17 - 1 tablespoon lemon zest
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
19 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
20 - Pinch of salt
→ Garnish (optional)
21 - Fresh raspberries
22 - Lemon slices
23 - Edible flowers
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly mixed.
03 - Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the lemon zest and vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry. Stir in the lemon juice last, mixing just until combined.
06 - Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
08 - Beat together cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Beat until fluffy and well combined.
09 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting, then half the raspberry preserves and scatter half the fresh raspberries. Repeat with the second layer. Top with the last cake layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
10 - Decorate with fresh raspberries, lemon slices, and edible flowers as desired. Chill the assembled cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Three impossibly tender layers that stay moist for days, no dry cake disasters here.
- The tartness of lemon and raspberry creates this perfect balance that makes people ask for the recipe before they finish eating.
- It looks like you spent all day on it, but the method is genuinely straightforward.
02 -
- Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion; they're the difference between a light tender cake and a dense one that feels heavy on your palate.
- Don't overmix the batter once you've added the dry ingredients, as too much mixing develops gluten and makes the cake tough and springy instead of delicate.
- If your frosting looks grainy, your powdered sugar wasn't sifted or your cream cheese was too cold; beat it on low speed for another minute while it warms up and usually it will smooth out.
03 -
- An offset spatula with a slight bend is the secret to spreading frosting between layers without dragging cake crumbs into it; a regular knife will destroy you.
- If the cake layers aren't level and keep sliding around, level them with a serrated knife, or just accept the rustic lean and frost over it generously—it tastes the same.