Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake – Deliciously moist and fluffy lemon infused cake frosted with a creamy raspberry buttercream, and topped with fresh raspberries and lemon slices!
Lemon and raspberry together just scream spring and summer time, and I’m craving some warm sunshine. So today, I bring you my Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake.
This lemon raspberry cake is made up of three thick layers that are infused with lemon, and filled and frosted with a creamy raspberry buttercream. Topped with buttercream swirls, fresh raspberries, and lemon slices, this is the perfect spring/summer dessert to serve to a crowd.
Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake is:
- deliciously light, moist, and fluffy
- bursting with flavours from the lemon and raspberries
- filled and topped with a creamy raspberry-infused buttercream
- the best lemon raspberry cake that is perfect for Summer!
This moist and fluffy lemon raspberry layer cake uses melted butter, which means no mixer required (only for the frosting), making this recipe super quick and easy to throw together. The cake layers can be made a day in advance, wrapped in clingfilm ready to be frosted the next day.
The frosting can also be kept refrigerated overnight – convenient for when you’re busy or in a rush!
Check out more layer cakes!
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Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 4 ½ cups (562g) cake flour*
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups (450g) caster/granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 3 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups (367g) Greek-style yogurt
For the Frosting
- 2 cups (250g) fresh raspberries
- 3 cups (680g) unsalted butter, softened
- 12 cups (1500g) icing/powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Grease three 8-inch cake pans and line the bases with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs. Add the sugar, and whisk until combined. Add the lemon zest, extract, butter, and yogurt, and whisk until combined. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients.
- Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans, and bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pans on a wire rack.
- Once cooled, invert the cakes onto the wire rack and remove the parchment paper.
For the Frosting
- Using a food processor, process the raspberries until smooth. Drain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl, discarding the pulp and seeds. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter until pale and creamy – about 5 – 10 minutes. Add half of the icing sugar, and beat for about 3 minutes until light and smooth.
- Add the remaining icing sugar, and salt, and beat for another 3 minutes until smooth. Add the raspberry sauce, and milk, and beat until light and fluffy.
- To assemble, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate, and spread on a layer of frosting. Top with the 2nd layer of cake and repeat.
- Top with the final layer, and cover the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting to lock in the crumbs. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until the frosting is firm, then spread with the remaining frosting, leaving some for piping swirls on top if desired.
- Garnish with raspberries and lemon slices.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Beautiful cake. Thanks for sharing the recipe. My daughter and I made it for her 13th birthday. We used half oil and half butter like you mentioned. The lemon flavor in the cake was a very strong. We would probably 1/2 the amount of extract next time for our taste buds. Also, i would recommend adding the salt in the frosting a bit at a time and tasting it as you go. We halved the frosting recipe and still had some leftover. Frosting was easy to pipe and such a beautiful color. This frosting would be delicious on vanilla cake/cupcakes too!
Will the recipe work with nonfat Greek yogurt as opposed to full fat? Also, can I substitute lemon juice for the extract?
Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Allison! Yes, you can use non-fat yogurt. I wouldn’t use lemon juice in place of lemon extract because it will not be strong enough, and the acidity can alter the overall results in this recipe.
I made this last night for a friend’s birthday! the FROSTING WAS AMAZING!!! However, the only thing I am wondering is if we did something wrong with the cake, because it was super dry. We followed everything pretty well, leveled off all ingredients. Did we cook the cake too long? we let the cakes cool then frosted them, then put it in the fridge overnight. I did not cover it when i put it in the fridge, maybe that is why?
Hi Summer! Sorry to hear the cake was too dry. It could be because you refrigerated it overnight. The oven temp being too high can also cause this, which is why I always recommend using an oven thermometer. You can also try using half butter and half vegetable oil, for extra moisture. 🙂
Hello!
This is a really nice recipe. However, I only have 9 inch pans at home, so i ask, can I make this recipe with 2 pans of 9 inch, instead of 3/8 inch.
Thank you!!
Aida
Hi Aida, you can use two or three 9-inch pans for this recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
Although your recipe is great but I’m allergic to fresh raspberries, is there anything else that can replace fresh raspberries?
You can use any other type of berries 🙂
Perfect timing ! Perfect photos ! Thank you so much !
This cake is absolutely stunning, I love the soft pastel colour of the frosting. My little niece is turning 10 this weekend, I think that I found the perfect cake to bake for her. Thank you for a stunning recipe.
Thanks, Ashika! I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Lemon and raspberry totally scream summertime! And in the most delicious way possible, too! Marsha, I have to say, you’ve truly outdone yourself! This cake is beyond breathtakingly gorgeous. I could stare at it for days! Can’t wait to see what other summer & spring treats you bring to us! Happy Monday!
Thanks so much, Demeter! 🙂