Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake (Printable)
Moist lemon cake with tangy raspberry filling and smooth lemon cream frosting for spring events.
# What You'll Need:
→ Lemon Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/2 tsp salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
09 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
→ Raspberry Filling
12 - 2 cups fresh raspberries
13 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
14 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
15 - 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water
→ Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
16 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
17 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
18 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
19 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
20 - 1 tbsp lemon zest
21 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
22 - Pinch of salt
→ Decoration
23 - Fresh raspberries
24 - Lemon slices or zest
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat 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.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix in lemon zest and vanilla.
04 - Combine lemon juice and milk. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and lemon-milk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
05 - Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 22–26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
06 - In a saucepan over medium heat, combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring, until raspberries break down, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in cornstarch slurry. Cook 2–3 minutes more, until thickened. Cool completely.
07 - In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually, beating until fluffy. Mix in lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
08 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread half the raspberry filling evenly over the top, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge to contain the filling. Top with second cake layer and repeat. Place third cake layer on top, then frost the top and sides with the lemon cream cheese frosting.
09 - Decorate with fresh raspberries and lemon zest or slices if desired. Chill for 30 minutes before slicing for best results.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The frosting alone is worth the effort, light enough that you can accidentally eat half of it while assembling
- People genuinely gasp when you slice it, revealing those bright raspberry stripes
02 -
- The frosting dam trick prevents raspberry filling from seeping out the sides and creating a sticky mess on your serving plate
- Completely cooled cake layers are not optional, unless you want melty filling sliding everywhere while you're trying to frost
03 -
- Fresh lemon juice really does make a difference compared to the bottled stuff that's been sitting in your refrigerator door for months
- Don't skip the frosting dam around the edge, which is the secret to that neat layer of filling that doesn't escape when you add the next cake layer