This homemade raspberry cake has a moist, springy sponge infused with fresh raspberry puree. It looks like it came from a bakery, but is a surprisingly simple cake to make at home. Made from scratch with real raspberries for a flavor packed dessert. The two 8-inch layers are filled, topped and decorated with a white chocolate frosting. It is exploding with raspberry and white chocolate flavor and is perfect for birthdays, celebrations or Sunday dinner.
This post was originally published in September of 2018 and has been updated with helpful information and new photos. The recipe remains the same.
Clarissa commented, “I wanted to make a raspberry cake to use up some of the black raspberries we grow every summer. I was a little unsure clicking on this recipe because google showed it had only been rated twice. This cake was totally worth it.”
Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Jump to:
This raspberry cake recipe is for a day when you have time to spend several hours baking and decorating a cake. If you need a busy day raspberry cake, try my raspberry almond cake, raspberry cupcakes or lemon raspberry cupcakes.
In 2018 when I developed this recipe, a Google search for raspberry cake left me wanting for more. White cake with raspberries folded in, a Jell-O version, lots of lemon and raspberry and cakes layered with a raspberry puree. Not one made- with-real-raspberries raspberry cake.
While all of these are good options, they are not what I was looking for. So, I set out to make my own and let me tell you, if you love raspberries like I do, you are going to love this homemade cake recipe!
💬 why can raspberry cake turn grey or bluish?
Recipe testing mistake #1. While the puree was a gorgeous, deep, rich red, the puree turned the batter a strange bluish green. Hmmmmm.....is that where the blue raspberry flavor was born???
Real raspberries contain anthocyanins, which have a chemical reaction with baking soda when baked. This reaction turns them grey or blue. Lesson learned, add some red or pink gel coloring to the batter.
🛒 ingredient and testing notes
I started with my favorite vanilla cake and decided to reduce fresh raspberries into a puree to mix into the batter. The first test was good, but it had room for improvement. The layers were a bit heavy and it did not impart as much raspberry flavor as I had hoped. So, I swapped the all-purpose flour for cake flour and whole eggs for egg whites. I also increased the amount of the raspberry puree and let it reduce on the stove for 15 minutes longer. Those extra 15 minutes really added depth to the real raspberry flavor!
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
Raspberries ~ the raspberry puree can be made with frozen or fresh raspberries. You will want fresh raspberries between the layers as frozen will get too soggy. I prefer to push the raspberry puree through a fine mesh strainer once it’s cooked to remove all the seeds.
Egg whites ~ the yolk and white will separate easier when the eggs are cold. Then allow the whites to come to room temperature along with the butter and milk.
Milk ~ I’ve made this raspberry cake with 1% milk, buttermilk and kefir. All work.
Almond extract ~ just a touch adds a nice extra flavor. If you don’t have or don’t care for almond extract you can eliminate it.
🍰 how to make step by step in photos
Make raspberry puree by placing raspberries and granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Place over low heat and allow to reduce for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
I like to push the reduced berries through a sieve to remove the seeds, but this step is optional. Set aside to cool.
Preheat your oven to 325° F.
Prepare two 8-inch round baking pans and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and a drop or two of pink or red food coloring (if using) until light and fluffy.
Scrape up and down the sides of the bowl and add half of your egg whites and mix until incorporated.
Scrape up and down the sides of your bowl and add the remaining egg whites and the vanilla and almond extracts and mix until well combined.
With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and milk in three alternating additions, beginning and ending with the dry. Then add the raspberry puree being careful not to over mix your batter.
Divide your batter equally between the two prepared pans and bake until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick or cake tester comes out mostly clean.
Cool cake layers in pans placed on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before turning them onto the wire rack to cool completely.
The recipe card includes a white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream (my favorite!). If you need help with making swiss meringue buttercream, see this chocolate buttercream post.
💗🌱 simple decoration for this real raspberry cake
Once the cakes are cool, level with a large serrated knife or cake leveler, if needed.
Place one layer on a serving plate, cake stand or a cardboard cake round, topside up. Spread about 1 cup of white chocolate buttercream evenly over the cake. Then sprinkle some fresh raspberries over the buttercream, if using, and gently press into the frosting.
Place the second layer, topside down, on top of the filling. Lightly frost the cake to create a crumb coat. This does not have to be perfect, it is meant to lock all the crumbs into the thin layer of frosting. Chill cake for 30 minutes to set the crumb coat.
Frost with remaining buttercream, smoothing evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with swirls of frosting around the top edge of the cake, if desired. Wilton 1M is my favorite tip. You can also garnish with extra fresh raspberries.
The results? A lovely, moist, springy cake infused with real raspberry flavor. When combined with a white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream and more fresh raspberries between the layers, this cake became exactly what I was looking for.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make this Simple Homemade Fresh Raspberry Cake. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
📖 recipe
Simple Homemade Fresh Raspberry Cake
recipe created and tested by:
I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Please note
When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.
Ingredients
Raspberry Puree
- 12 oz raspberries fresh or frozen
- 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar 25-37g
Raspberry Cake
- 2 cups cake flour sifted, 236g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature, 226g
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar 267g
- 3 extra large egg whites (or 4 large egg whites) room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ⅔ cup milk room temperature, 158mL
White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 8 ounces quality white chocolate melted and cooled, 226g
- 5 extra large egg whites or 6 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature*, 339g
- 6 ounces fresh raspberries for between the layers and garnish if desired
Instructions
For the cake:
- Make raspberry puree by placing 12 ounces of raspberries and 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar (use to your own taste and based on the sweetness of berries) in a small saucepan. Place over low heat and allow to reduce for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. I like to push the reduced berries through a sieve to remove the seeds, but this step is optional. Set aside to cool. Can be made up to three days ahead, store covered in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before adding to the cake batter.
- Preheat your oven to 325° F.
- Prepare two 8-inch round baking pans; butter the pans, line the bottom of each pan with a parchment paper round, butter again and dust lightly with flour. Set aside.
- Measure your 2 cups/236g of cake flour, and then sift it. In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder (2 teaspoons), baking soda (½ teaspoon) and kosher salt (½ teaspoon). Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter 1 cup/226g), sugar (1 ⅓ cups/267g) and a drop or two of pink or red food coloring (if using) on medium-high (speed 6 on KitchenAid) until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Scrape up and down the sides of the bowl and add half of your egg whites and mix until incorporated. Scrape up and down the sides of your bowl and add the remaining egg whites and the vanilla (1 teaspoon) and almond extracts (1 teaspoon) and mix until well combined.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and milk (⅔ cup/158mL) in three alternating additions, beginning and ending with the dry. Then add the raspberry puree being careful not to over mix your batter.
- Divide your batter equally between the two prepared pans and bake 30-35 minutes, until tops are lightly browned and a toothpick or cake tester comes out mostly clean. Cool cake layers in pans placed on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before turning them onto the wire rack to cool completely. Be sure to leave them topside up.
For the buttercream:
- Wipe the bowl and whisk of your stand mixer with vinegar or lemon juice to make sure it is grease free or your egg whites may not stiffen.
- Melt your white chocolate (8 ounces/226g). I use a double boiler by placing the white chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Once the chocolate is fully melted, remove the bowl from the saucepan, wipe the bottom of the bowl dry and set it aside to cool.
- Whisk egg whites (5 extra large or 6 large egg whites), sugar (1 cup/200g) and kosher salt (½ teaspoon) in the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk and heat mixture over a saucepan of simmering water until hot to touch, sugar is fully dissolved (you should not feel any granules when rubbed between your fingers) and it’s a bit frothy, approximately 3 minutes. (if you would like to ensure the eggs are hot enough, they should be 160°F).
- Remove the bowl from the saucepan and wipe the bottom dry. Place on your stand mixer and whisk on high (speed 8 on KitcheAid) until the mixture is cool and the meringue holds a stiff peak (the bottom of your bowl should also be cooled), approximately 10 minutes.
- Switch to the paddle attachment, reduce the speed to medium (speed 4 on KitchenAid) and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, letting the butter fully incorporate before adding more (1 ½ cups/339g total). ** Once all butter is incorporated, scrape down sides of the bowl and add the cooled white chocolate and whip until a thick, whipped consistency is reached.
Assemble the cake:
- Once the cakes are cool, level with a large serrated knife or cake leveler, if needed.
- Place one layer on a serving plate, cake stand or a cardboard cake round, topside up. Spread about 1 cup of buttercream evenly over the cake. Then sprinkle the some fresh raspberries over the buttercream, if using, and gently press into the frosting.
- Place the second layer, topside down, on top of the filling. Lightly frost the cake to create a crumb coat. This does not have to be perfect, it is meant to lock all the crumbs into the thin layer of frosting. Chill cake for 30 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Frost with remaining buttercream, smoothing evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Decorate with swirls of frosting around the top edge of cake, if desired. Wilton 1M is my favorite tip. You can also embellish with extra fresh raspberries.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
Sarah Smith says
Hi!
I’m rather new to baking, and would like some advice. I’m making this cake for my sister’s birthday today, and I’d like to make it a little bigger (lots of people will want to try it). If I wanted to use 3 8 in pans, instead of 2, how much more batter should I make? Increase recipe by a half? Would love your suggestion!
Tasia says
Hi Sarah! Yes, I think if you 1.5x the recipe you should have enough batter to make a three layer 8" cake. I love that you are baking this for your sister! Good luck, she's going to love it!
Amanda says
Can the buttercream be made the day before? Can it be refrigerated? My sons birthday isn’t until tomorrow but I made the cake tonight because I wouldn’t have time tomorrow 😅 please tell me it will work
Tasia says
Yes! You can leave the buttercream at room temperature for a day or two. Store it well covered. If your kitchen is on the cooler side (like mine!), it will be just fine until tomorrow. If you prefer to refrigerate it, be sure to bring it completely to room temperature before rewhipping it. Sometimes if the buttercream is too cold, it will separate when you go to rewhip it. I just slightly warm it over a double boiler, if needed. I'm sure your son is going to love it!
Belle says
Hello,
If I am making only one cake, then should I have the recipe? What about the purée?
Tasia says
Hi Belle, do you mean you are only making one of the two layers? If so, then yes, half the recipe. If you don't have a scale to half the egg whites, I would use two. For the puree, you can half that as well.
Belle says
Hello
If I wanted to make half of the cake, would I also have the purée? And how much granulated sugar would I add?
Tasia says
Yes, I would half the puree. I would use 1-2 tablespoons of sugar.
Belle says
Hello
If I wanted to make half of the cake, would I also have the purée? And how much granulated sugar would I add to the purée?
Belle says
Oops, I didn’t mean to say that twice.
Tasia says
No worries! I can't wait to hear how it goes!
Belle says
Oops, I didn’t mean to say that twice And I meant halve the purée?
Jess says
Hello, is there an alternative to 3 extra large eggs? Would it be about 4 normal sized eggs? Thank you!
Tasia says
Hi Jess, you could use three large eggs or four medium eggs. Enjoy!
Samantha says
I've been looking for a recipe for actual raspberry cake not vanilla cake with raspberries in it or raspberry filling. So happy to find this recipe. If I wanted to make cupcakes instead how long would I bake them?
Tasia says
Hi Samantha, I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! I would guess cupcakes would take around 20 minutes to bake. Let me know how it goes!
Samantha says
20 mins was perfect for cupcakes. I cut the recipe in half and made half a recipe of lemon cake and used a wilton cupcake divider to mix them. They turned out great. Thanks for the recipe
Tasia says
Thank you for letting me know how it went Samantha! I am so happy to hear that the timing worked great for cupcakes. The addition of lemon sounds fantastic!
Stephanie says
How many cupcakes did this recipe make?
Tasia says
Hi Stephanie, I've not made this recipe into cupcakes, but I'm guessing the full recipe would yield about 24-30 cupcakes. I'd try about 20 minutes for the bake time. Please let me know how it goes!
Stefani says
Hi, i am going to try this recipe, but I have pre-made raspberry puree from the store ( I am going to thicken it on the stove first) How many ounces should I add to replace your homemade version?
Tasia says
Hi Stefani, sorry for the delay in getting back to you.😔. I've not made the recipe with a pre-made puree, but I would think you could do a direct substitute of 12 ounces. Please let me know how it goes!
Willow says
Hi!
I’ve been looking for this cake! Thank you for making it and I will be making it soon😊
Willow
Tasia says
Thank you Willow! I hope you love it as much as I do!
Alyssa says
I am in the process of making this for my 5 year old. She sp critically wanted a raspberry cake. Not vanilla with raspberries in it. I'll reply back when it's done.
Tasia says
Thank you! I hope she loves it as much as my little bugs love it!
Alyssa says
She absolutely loves it. It turned out thinner than we expected but that could be because we use coconut sugar which is heavier. The cake itself is extremely raspberry flavored. We did end up doing a chocolate frosting instead which pairs well with the raspberry. This was such a huge risk for me because I read the comments but didn't see any reviews AFTER it was made or any stars in the page anywhere so I'm happy it turned out so good. Awesome recipe.
Tasia says
Yay! I am so glad your daughter loved the cake for her birthday! Thank you for coming back to leave a review.
Alyssa Sampson says
I reloaded the page and it doesn't look like my reply posted. Anyways in short, she loved it.
Tasia says
Thank you Alyssa! So happy to hear that this cake recipe was loved!
Clarissa says
I wanted to make a raspberry cake to use up some of the black raspberries we grow every summer. I was a little unsure clicking on this recipe because google showed it had only been rated twice. This cake was totally worth it.
I used black raspberries instead of red, so I didn't use any food coloring. I wanted to see what color the cake would be on its own. The batter was a dark purple, but after it was baked the cake was navy blue. I used cream cheese frosting and it tasted great.
Tasia says
Thank you for making this recipe and for coming back to comment and leave a review; it's so helpful for others! Isn't it funny how the color changes when it's baked? I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this raspberry cake and now I want to go find some black raspberries to bake it with. 🙂
C says
Definitely a 5 star recipe, but there is an issue with the instructions. A Swiss meringue needs to be heated to 160-175F. This is hotter than "hot to the touch." A thermometer should be used if one is available, otherwise you are at risk of serving uncooked/undercooked eggs which some people may not be comfortable with consuming. Otherwise, this recipe is fantastic. The cake is delicious and moist (I subbed goat milk kefir in for the milk), if a bit heavy on the almond. I would use 1/2 tsp next time. The buttercream was absolutely delectable. Thank you so much for this recipe for a hard to find cake.
Tasia says
Thank you, I am glad to hear you enjoyed the raspberry cake and white chocolate buttercream! It's still one of our favorites at my house. Yes, if you want to be absolutely sure the egg whites have been cooked enough, a thermometer is the way to go.
Bugg says
Hi I was wondering if you could make this without the almond extract?
Tasia says
Yes, just replace the almond extract with vanilla.😊
Rachel says
Can raspberry preserves purchased at a store be used instead of the raspberry puree in the cake? Thanks.
Tasia says
Hi Rachel, I haven't tested this recipe with a store bought raspberry puree. Is it nice and thick? If so, I think it should work. Please let me know how it goes! {I recently made this cake per my little e's birthday cake request and forgot how good it is!}
Rachel says
Thank you so much!
GG says
Can you use strawberries instead of raspberries?
The raspberry cake was delicious! Thanks
Tasia says
Hi GG, I'm so happy you enjoyed this raspberry cake! I think you could substitute strawberries for the raspberries. You may want to puree the strawberries first as they don't break down as easily as raspberries. Please let me know how it works for you.