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
Deliciously moist and fluffy lemon infused cake frosted with a creamy raspberry buttercream, and topped with fresh raspberries and lemon slices!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 4 and 1/2 cups (562g) cake flour*
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 and 1/4 cups (450g) caster/granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 3 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 and 1/2 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
- 1/2 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.
Notes
*Make your own cake flour! Measure out 4 and 1/2 cups (562g) of plain/all-purpose flour, remove 9 tablespoons, and replace with 9 tablespoons of cornflour/cornstarch. Sift well.
After the cake layers have cooled completely, they can be wrapped in clingfilm and kept at room temperature or refrigerated/frozen overnight, ready to be frosted the next day. The frosting can also be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated overnight.
Frosted cake freezes well for up to 2 months.
You may have some frosting left over, save it for cupcakes or cookies!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
14 slicesServing Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 1224Total Fat: 49gSaturated Fat: 30gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 203mgSodium: 413mgCarbohydrates: 199gFiber: 2gSugar: 181gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Amy
Friday 10th of July 2020
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!
Allison
Saturday 27th of April 2019
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!
Marsha
Sunday 28th of April 2019
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.
Summer
Friday 15th of March 2019
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?
Marsha
Saturday 16th of March 2019
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. :)
Aida
Monday 14th of August 2017
Yay!! Thanks sooo much!!
Aida
Sunday 13th of August 2017
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
Marsha
Sunday 13th of August 2017
Hi Aida, you can use two or three 9-inch pans for this recipe. Enjoy! :)