When I worked in bakeries, I made a lemon raspberry cake that was so popular it sold out as soon as it hit the case. The combination of fresh lemon zest and juice with sweet, juicy raspberries was so delicious that I knew I had to recreate an even better version.
This cake is truly a show-stopping dessert—moist, light, and bursting with fresh lemon flavor! It’s made completely from scratch with layers of soft, tender lemon cake, homemade raspberry jam, and a dreamy raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream that gives it the best bakery-quality finish.
It’s just as elevated, flavorful, and approachable as my vibrant raspberry filled lemon cupcakes!
Sometimes, I’m in the mood for something less sweet with the same fruity flavors, which is where my super easy raspberry lemon muffins come in. They’re my favorite snack!
How to Make It
1
Make the raspberry jam filling. If you prefer a smooth filling, you can pass it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
2
Rub the lemon zest into the sugar. This releases the natural lemon oils, packing the cake with as much lemon flavor as my bakery-style lemon loaf cake!
3
Mix the butter into the flour mixture with a stand mixer. The butter will coat the flour in fat, resulting in a sandy texture.
4
Mix in the wet ingredients. Mix in half to start, then scrape down the bowl before mixing in the remainder. The batter is thicker than you might be used to—that’s normal!
5
Distribute the cake batter into cake pans and bake! Then, let the pans cool on wire racks—they must be completely cool before frosting!
6
Cook the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until it reaches 165°F. This will be the base of the Swiss meringue buttercream!
7
Whisk the meringue until it cools, then slowly mix in the butter. You should have a thick and fluffy buttercream!
8
Mix the raspberry jam into the frosting. Now you’re ready to assemble the cake!
Also, if you’re like me and you LOVE desserts made with lemon, I have these sweet, tart lemon bar cookies that are basically little lemon bars in cookie form. You gotta try them!
9
Fill the cake layers with the raspberry jam. To keep the jam from spilling out, create a border of frosting around the edges of the layers to hold the filling.
10
Frost and decorate the cake. Use the remaining buttercream to cover the sides and top of the cake.
Then garnish with dollops of frosting, fresh lemon slices, lemon zest, fresh raspberries, and freeze-dried raspberries!
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments; I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Moist Lemon Cake with Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Equipment
Ingredients
Raspberry Jam
- 4 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Cake Batter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest, packed
- 3 cups cake flour, *See notes below for measuring*
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup cubed unsalted European butter, room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cool room temperature, cut into tablespoon sized pieces
- 1/2 cup reserved raspberry jam, from above
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- Fresh raspberries, lemon slices, freeze dried raspberries, for decorating
Instructions
For the Raspberry Jam
- Cook the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat until the berries have released their juices and are boiling, mashing occasionally. Then whisk together the cornstarch and water. Stir the slurry into the pot, and cook 1-2 minutes longer, until thickened. Push the filling through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds, stir in the vanilla, then reserve 1/2 cup of the filling for the frosting. Set both aside to cool.4 1/2 cups (450 g) frozen raspberries, 1/2 cup (66 g) granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease the sides of three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Then add the flour, salt, and baking powder, and whisk to combine.1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest, 3 cups (387 g) cake flour, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder
- On low speed, mix in the butter until it has a sandy texture.1 cup (226 g) cubed unsalted European butter
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, oil, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.3 (150 g) large eggs, 1 1/2 cups (355 g) heavy cream, 1/3 cup (65 g) vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons (36 g) fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in half of the wet ingredients, until all of the flour has been moistened. Then scrape down the bowl. Mix in the remaining wet ingredients, pulsing at first until it starts to combine, then mixing on low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl once to ensure everything is well combined. It is naturally a thicker cake batter!
- Evenly distribute the cake batter into the prepared cake pans (485 grams in each), using a spatula to smooth and tops. Bake for 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out covered in a few moist crumbs. Let the pans cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove them from the pans and allow them to finish cooling on the racks. Be gentle, the cake layers are very delicate!
For the Swiss Meringue Frosting
- In a large bowl over a double boiler with simmering water, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking frequently, until the sugar is dissolved and a thermometer reads 165°F.4 (155 g) large egg whites, 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- Pour the meringue into a stand mixing bowl with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the meringue cools to roughly 90-95°F, about 10-15 minutes.
- Turn the speed down to low and mix in the butter 1-2 tablespoons at a time. When all of the butter is combined, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until it looks light and fluffy. Finally, mix in the reserved raspberry jam and salt.1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, 1/2 cup (95 g) reserved raspberry jam, Pinch of fine sea salt
For Assembly
- Trim a thin layer off the tops of each cake layer with a serrated knife to expose the crumb. Place the first layer on your serving board. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the crumb. Pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the cake, then fill the center with half of the raspberry jam. Place the next layer on top, and continue with the same steps, placing the last cake layer upside down so that the top of the cake is flat.
- Cover the cake in a thin layer of buttercream as a crumb coat, then refrigerate for 20-30 minutes until firm. This can help set the cake so that the filling doesn’t spill out the sides!
- Use the rest of the buttercream to cover the sides and top of the cake. Use any remaining frosting to pipe dollops on top of the cake. Garnish with freeze-dried raspberries, fresh raspberries, lemon slices, or lemon zest. Let the cake marinate in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight for the best flavor and texture! Let it come to room temperature before serving.Fresh raspberries, lemon slices, freeze dried raspberries, for decorating
Notes
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below & tag @cambreabakes on social!
