The Absolute Best Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake Recipe
This lemon raspberry cake screams “summer!” Like a glass of pink lemonade on a hot day, this cake is summery perfection. Made from soft, fluffy layers of lemon cake and a sweet and tangy raspberry whipped mascarpone frosting, it’s great for summer events like birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers, block parties, or backyard cookouts.
With tons of bright, punchy flavor from the lemon, moisture from the sour cream, and sweetness and tang from the raspberries and mascarpone cheese, this lemon cake recipe really delivers on the flavor front. It’ll be a hit with adults and kids alike.
Why We Love This Lemon Cake Recipe
Bright and sunny flavor: With a punchy, citrusy zing from the lemon, this cake is pretty much sunshine in the form of a cake.
A bold flavor combo: Raspberry and lemon go so well together. The raspberry is sweet and tart and the citrus cuts through the richness of the mascarpone cheese. It’s the perfect combination.
A light and fluffy texture: This cake features a delicate, tender, yet moist crumb thanks to the milk, sour cream, and oil.
Rich and creamy frosting: This frosting is a total game-changer. Light as air, not overly sweet, with a little hint of tang, this frosting is straight-up delicious. Plus, it’s super spreadable and pipes like a dream.
It’s a show-stopper: This lemon raspberry cake will get all kinds of compliments. It’s great for just about every celebration.
Ingredients
Lemon Cake:
516g cake flour
18g baking powder
8g salt
600g granulated sugar
345g neutral oil (canola or vegetable oil)
180g whole eggs
25g lemon extract
20g vanilla extract
339g sour cream
117g freshly squeezed lemon juice
117g whole milk
Raspberry Whipped Mascarpone Frosting:
452g cold mascarpone cheese
200g powdered sugar
450g cold heavy cream
5g salt
10g vanilla extract
142g raspberry compote (or high-quality raspberry jam or raspberry preserves)
Instructions
Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Make sure all of your cake ingredients are at room temperature.
Mix the dry ingredients: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar for about 1 minute.
Add the oil: With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the oil. Continue mixing until it’s fully combined, then turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl (and the paddle attachment).
Combine (some of) the wet ingredients: Whisk the eggs, vanilla, lemon extract, and sour cream in a medium bowl until smooth and fully combined.
Mix the batter: Add the wet ingredients into the bowl of the mixer with the flour mixture. Mix the batter on low until it starts to come together, then stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl (and the paddle attachment), then mix again until just combined. (It’s okay if there are some lumps.)
Add the rest of the liquid: Add the milk and pulse the mixer to combine. Then add the lemon juice and mix until just combined.
Mix by hand: Turn off the mixer, remove the bowl, and finish gently mixing with a rubber spatula until the batter is just smooth.
Transfer the batter to the pans: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, turning the pans after 20 minutes. When the cake top springs back to the touch and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, it’s done!
Cool the cake: Cool the cake layers on a wire rack until completely cool. Do not try to frost the cake while the layers are still warm.
Whip the mascarpone cheese: Add the mascarpone cheese to a clean stand mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whip the mascarpone cheese on medium speed until smooth. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides with a (clean) rubber spatula.
Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla: Add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to the mascarpone cheese. Whip the ingredients until soft peaks form. Don’t overmix.
Add the cream: Turn the mixer back on low speed and slowly add the cold heavy cream. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then, turn the mixer back on and whip until stiff peaks form. Do not overmix.
Stir in the compote: Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the raspberry compote into the whipped mascarpone frosting. Transfer to an airtight container and chill until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
How to Assemble Your Raspberry Lemon Cake
Make sure you’re frosting completely cooled cake layers. If you try to rush the process and frost the cake layers while they’re still warm, it’ll melt the frosting and make a whole mess.
Place a small dollop of frosting in the center of a cake plate, serving platter, or cake board. Top with the bottom layer of cake. Add a layer of frosting and repeat with the second cake layer. Using an offset spatula, over the entire cake with the raspberry whipped mascarpone frosting. Use a piping bag fitted with a star tip if you’d like, or add some fresh raspberries to the top.
Once you’re done assembling and decorating, chill the completed cake until you’re ready to serve.
Pull the cake out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you’re going to serve it and let it come to room temperature for the best flavor and texture. Enjoy!
Our Best Cake Decorating Tips
Add extra fresh raspberries between cake layers along with a generous layer of mascarpone frosting. Make sure the cake is fully cooled!
Use an offset spatula for easy, rustic swirls and swoops.
Use a piping bag fitted with a star tip for more complex decorations.
Garnish with additional fresh raspberries or curls of lemon zest or candied lemon peel.
FAQs
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Yes, it can! You can bake the cake layers up to 2-3 days ahead of time. Just wrap them tightly in a layer or two of plastic wrap and store in the fridge. You can freeze the cake too. The layers should stay fresh for up to 2-3 months. Thaw the cake layers overnight in the fridge before using them. If you want to make the frosting ahead of time, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day or so.
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If you don’t want to make raspberry compote yourself, opt for a high-quality raspberry jam or raspberry preserves. Make sure whatever you’re using isn’t too runny or too sweet. Anything like that will ruin the texture or flavor of your frosting—not what you want.
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If you don’t have mascarpone cheese, you can substitute with crème fraîche or cream cheese. If you’re using cream cheese, you should know that it’ll be a little bit tangier than mascarpone, but it’ll still be delish. Add a little bit of extra heavy cream to help lighten it up and mellow things out.
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If you need to make this cake gluten-free, try using a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend (such as Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill) in place of the cake flour. The rest of the ingredients will stay the same (though it’s a good idea to check all of the labels to make sure everything is fully gluten-free, particularly if you have celiac disease or a very serious allergy).
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It happens—you may have overwhipped it. If it happens to you, here’s how to handle things: If your cheese or cream were too warm and not fresh out of the fridge, that could be the reason too, so make sure everything is cold. Put the whole bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes or so to chill everything down and try again. If you can’t save it, you’ll have to start from scratch.
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Store leftover cake in an airtight container (or well-wrapped in plastic wrap) in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to eat, bring the cake to room temperature so that the texture and flavor are right. If you want to freeze your leftover cake, wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and transfer to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw slices overnight in the fridge before eating.
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We wouldn’t recommend that. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is always going to taste the best. You can technically use bottled juice, but you might notice a bit of bitterness that you don’t get from freshly squeezed.
Zingly, punchy, creamy, and slightly sweet, this lemon raspberry cake is the dessert of the summer. Whether you’re a baking newbie or a total pro, you can totally handle this recipe!
Ready to start baking? Take our virtual or in-person cake decorating classes to brush up on your skills, then shop Erin’s favorite baking tools to make sure you’re good to go.
Prefer to leave cakes to the pros? We get it! Shop our Cake Shop or reach out to inquire about custom cakes or wedding cakes. We need at least 5 days’ notice for Cake Shop orders and 2 weeks’ notice for custom cakes. Wedding cakes take even longer, so it’s best to reach out as soon as you can.
