This light summer raspberry cake has fresh raspberries and a splash of lemon juice to make it a dessert that’s packed full of flavor.
And for us, nothing goes better with a lemon raspberry cake than a creamy filling and mini meringue toppings.
Enjoy it as a summer dessert, after school treat or even birthday cake, that the whole family can enjoy.
Summary
Time: 55 minutes
Ages: Toddlers to Teens
Difficulty: Medium
Makes: 1 summer raspberry cake
How to make summer raspberry cake?
This cake uses whole, fresh raspberries in the batter which is what gives it it’s amazingly fresh, summery taste.
As raspberries can burst in the oven with the heat (which can lead to soggy patches of cake) we recommend sprinkling them a bit with some flour first before adding them to the batter.
We also separate the egg whites from the egg yolks and beat the whites until stiff before gently adding them to the batter also. This is to make sure our cake is as light and airy as possible.
Otherwise the batter itself is very simple to make.
First you mix your butter with vegetable oil and sugar until light and fluffy.
Then you add the rest of your wet ingredients, like your milk, egg yolks, vanilla essence, yoghurt and lemon juice. When it’s all blended together add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
How to make the two layers?
We have chosen to use two round cake tins to make the two layers of our lemon cake as we felt it was the simplest way. Our round cake tins were about 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter.
However another way to cook the cake into two layers is to cook the batter in one deeper cake tin. You then let it cool and remove it from the cake tin. Using a piece of wire or dental floss you carefully cut the cake down the middle to make it into two separate layers.
If you want to do it this way just remember to adjust the cooking time as the cake will need a bit longer to cook through.
Otherwise if the two layers is making you too nervous you can always keep this cake as one layer and add the cream as topping. It will be just as delicious in a single layer!
Summer Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
Raspberry lemon cake:
- 330 grams plain flour plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling raspberries
- 80 grams cornflour
- 400 grams Caster sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 200 grams fresh raspberries
- 240 grams unsalted butter
- 240 mls whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 40 mls vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons natural yoghurt (60 grams)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Cream filling:
- 600mls double cream
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 240 grams cream cheese (1 packet)
Toppings:
- Fresh raspberries
- Mini meringues (about 1 inch in size)
- Whipped cream ‘kisses’
Instructions
Raspberry lemon cake
- Preheat your oven to 170°C fan setting.
- Take 2 round baking tins (about 10 inch diameter) and line them with parchment paper. We recommend parchment paper to prevent the cake from sticking but you can also try greasing them well with butter or oil spray.
- Take your eggs and separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Set them aside.
- Place your softened butter in a mixer and beat for 1 minute until nice and fluffy.
- Add in the vegetable oil and beat for another minute or so.
- Add in the sugar half at a time, and blend together. The mixture should become slightly lighter in colour and airy.
- Add in the egg yolks and mix together.
- Add in the milk, vanilla extract, lemon juice and yoghurt to the mixer. Blend for a minute or so to combine all the wet ingredients.
- Then start adding in the dry ingredients to the mixer. Start with the plain flour and then add the corn flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until just combined.
- Empty the batter into a large mixing bowl.
- Take the egg whites that you set aside earlier and beat them until they form stiff peaks. Add them to the bowl with the batter and stir very gently until they are just mixed in.
- Take your washed raspberries and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour over them until coated.
- Gently add them to the bowl of batter as well, stirring until evenly distributed.
- Pour the mixture evenly into each of your prepared round cake tins and place them in the middle shelf of the oven.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
- Remove your cake layers from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the tins. It’s very important that it does cool completely to stop the cake from sticking and crumbling.
Cream filling
- In a mixer, beat the double cream for a minute or two until it starts to thicken.
- Add in the icing sugar and the vanilla extract. Beat until firmer.
- Add in the cream cheese and beat again until the mixture is tight.
Layering the cake
- Wait for the 2 cake layers to cool completely and then remove them from the cake tins.
- Place the first cake onto a flat serving dish or plate.
- Spread about 1 cup of your cream filling over the top of this first cake. Leave about 1/2 inch around the edges.
- Carefully place the second cake layer on top of the first.
- Spread the remaining cream filling around the top of the cake and down the sides. Smooth it over with a spatula until it’s even.
- Then add on your favourite toppings. We loved the taste of this cake with mini meringues and fresh raspberries with a squirt of whipped cream.
Summer raspberry cake – our step by step guide:
Prepare the oven by heating to 170°C fan setting.
Take 2 round baking tins, ours were 10 inch (25 cm) in diameter.
Either line them with parchment paper or grease well with butter or oil spray.
Next prepare your eggs by separating the yolks from the whites.
Put them to one side.
In a mixer or using a handheld blender, beat your softened butter until soft and fluffy.
Add in your vegetable oil and sugar and beat together until it becomes light and airy.
Blend in the egg yolks only (leave the egg whites for now).
Add the milk, vanilla extract, lemon juice and yoghurt and blend together to combine.
Add in your dry ingredients: plain flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Mix until it’s just combined. If you’re using a mixer then empty the batter into a mixing bowl.
Return to your egg whites and whisk together until stiff peaks form.
Gently pour them into the batter and mix until just combined.
Sprinkle a tablespoon of plain flour over your fresh raspberries until coated.
Carefully mix the raspberries into the batter until evenly distributed.
Empty your batter into your layer cake tins splitting evenly.
Cook in the middle shelf of the oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a stick comes out clean.
Take out of the oven and let the cake layers cool down entirely in the cake tins before assembling it.
Make the cream filling
Whisk the double cream until it becomes thick. Add your icing sugar and vanilla extract and beat a little more.
Finally add in the cream cheese and whisk again until it becomes a firm mixture.
After both cake layers have cooled down completely, take them out from the cake tins.
Place your base layer onto a round serving plate.
Take your prepared cream filling. Carefully spread out about 1 cup of the filling over the top of your base cake layer.
Gently balance the remaining cake layer onto the base layer.
Using a spatula or spoon, spread out the remaining cream filling mixture on top of the cake layers and down the sides.
Smooth it all down.
Then you can add whatever your favourite toppings are. Ours are little meringues and fresh raspberries along with dashes of whipped cream.
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Perfect Summer Raspberry Cake
Perfect Summer Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
Raspberry lemon cake
- 330 grams plain flour plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling raspberries
- 80 grams cornflour
- 400 grams Caster sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 200 grams fresh raspberries
- 240 grams unsalted butter
- 240 mls whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 40 mls vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp natural yoghurt (60 grams)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Cream filling
- 600 mls double cream
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 240 grams cream cheese
Toppings
- mini meringues
- whipped cream
- fresh raspberries
Instructions
Raspberry lemon cake
-
Preheat your oven to 170°C fan setting.
-
Take 2 round baking tins (about 10 inch diameter) and line them with parchment paper.
-
Take your eggs and separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Set them aside.
-
Place your softened butter in a mixer and beat for 1 minute until nice and fluffy.
-
Add in the vegetable oil and beat for another minute or so.
-
Add in the sugar half at a time, and blend together. The mixture should become slightly lighter in colour and airy.
-
Add in the egg yolks and mix together.
-
Add in the milk, vanilla extract, lemon juice and yoghurt to the mixer. Blend for a minute or so to combine all the wet ingredients.
-
Then start adding in the dry ingredients to the mixer. Start with the plain flour and then add the corn flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until just combined.
-
Empty the batter into a large mixing bowl.
-
Take the egg whites that you set aside earlier and beat them until they form stiff peaks. Add them to the bowl with the batter and stir very gently until they are just mixed in.
-
Take your washed raspberries and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour over them until coated.
-
Gently add them to the bowl of batter as well, stirring until evenly distributed.
-
Pour the mixture evenly into each of your prepared round cake tins and place them in the middle shelf of the oven.
-
Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
-
Remove your cake layers from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the tins. It’s very important that it does cool completely to stop the cake from sticking and crumbling.
Cream filling
-
In a mixer, beat the double cream for a minute or two until it starts to thicken.
-
Add in the icing sugar and the vanilla extract. Beat until firmer.
-
Add in the cream cheese and beat again until the mixture is tight.
Layering the cake
-
Wait for the 2 cake layers to cool completely and then remove them from the cake tins.
-
Place the first cake onto a flat serving dish or plate.
-
Spread about 1 cup of your cream filling over the top of this first cake. Leave about 1/2 inch around the edges.
-
Carefully place the second cake layer on top of the first.
-
Spread the remaining cream filling around the top of the cake and down the sides. Smooth it over with a spatula until it’s even.
-
Then add on your favourite toppings. We loved the taste of this cake with mini meringues and fresh raspberries with a squirt of whipped cream.
