Moist Lemon Cake with Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This lemon raspberry cake is a beautiful, bakery-worthy dessert that’s surprisingly easy to make at home! With moist, fluffy lemon cake, fresh lemon zest, and juice, and a homemade raspberry filling made with frozen raspberries, every bite bursts with flavor. Finished with an irresistible raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream, the cake only gets better with time, making it the perfect make-ahead treat for birthdays, holidays, or any special occasion!
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.
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.
- On low speed, mix in the butter until it has a sandy texture.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, oil, lemon juice, and 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.
- 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.
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.
Video
Notes
*Measure your dry ingredients properly. This is my #1 baking tip! Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour, as this always leads to using too much flour. Instead, use the spoon-level method. This means fluffing the flour first, then spooning it into your measuring cup/spoon. For the BEST results, use a kitchen scale!*
Make ahead: This cake is actually 10x better the second day! Overnight, the cake soaks in extra moisture from the buttercream and filling, making it even more moist.
Storage: Keep leftover slices of cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let the cake sit out at room temperature before serving!
Freezing: Wrap individual cake slices in plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight container for up to one month. You can let the defrost in the fridge overnight or at room temperature before serving.
Notes on making a Swiss meringue buttercream: After adding the butter if your frosting is thin or not thickening, it means the butter or the meringue was too warm. Stick your bowl in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and then whip again until thick.
Substitutions: This recipe must be made with store-bought cake flour, otherwise the cake texture will very dry and crumbly!
