This lemon raspberry cake is a moist lemon layer cake filled with fresh raspberries, rich mascarpone whipped cream, and sweet-tart lemon curd. It’s the perfect cake for a birthday, bridal shower, or any spring or summer occasion.
I’ve never been one to wait until summer to make my favorite lemon dessert recipes. But now that it’s here, I can’t wait to share today’s lemon raspberry layer cake.
This lemon raspberry cake is my spongy lemon buttermilk cake with fresh raspberries folded in. I’ve used my lemon cake recipe as a base for a lemon curd cake, lemon coconut cake, and lemon cupcakes. It’s moist, full of fresh lemon juice and zest, and a bit denser, perfect for stacking and decorating.
If you love the combination of sweet-tart raspberries and tangy lemon in this cake recipe, try it in poke cake form next.
My Favorite Things About This Lemon Raspberry Cake Recipe
- Fresh lemon flavor. The lemon flavor in this cake comes from lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon curd. The lemon curd packs a tangy punch. If you prefer a more subtle lemon taste, you can leave it out or sprinkle extra lemon zest in between the layers instead.
- Ultra-moist. Buttermilk and sour cream are my secrets to bakery-style cake layers. This combination works in everything from yellow cake to red velvet cake, and it makes this lemon cake super-moist and tender.
- Hands down, the best frosting ever. For this cake, it’s covered with my very favorite mascarpone whipped cream, which is less sweet than buttercream and a lot lighter. It’s perfect for summer.
Ingredient Notes for Lemon Raspberry Cake
These are the key ingredients in this raspberry lemon layer cake recipe, along with notes and substitutions in case you need them. See the recipe card for the full ingredient list, including measurements.
- Lemons – Both the zest and juice are used to create the lemon flavor. Zest the lemon first using a microplane or citrus zester, then squeeze it for juice. See how to zest a lemon.
- Sour Cream – You can substitute plain Greek yogurt or full-fat sour cream.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk creates a rich, tender crumb. In a pinch, you can swap it with regular milk. Or, make a buttermilk substitute. Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup measure, and fill the rest up with regular milk to make 1 cup. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, then stir, and it’s ready to use as directed in the recipe.
- Raspberries – I’ve only tested this cake with fresh raspberries, but frozen raspberries should also work. Frozen raspberries contain more liquid than fresh ones. I recommend tossing the frozen berries with 1-2 tablespoons of flour before adding them to the batter. This will absorb some of the excess moisture so they don’t bleed color and liquid into the cake.
- Mascarpone Cheese – This is a soft Italian cream cheese that lends a subtle savoriness to the cake frosting. It should still be cold from the fridge. If mascarpone isn’t available, you can make whipped cream cheese frosting instead. For an alternative frosting, try Swiss meringue buttercream.
- Lemon Curd – Buy a jar from the store for ease, or make your own following my homemade lemon curd recipe.
Can I Substitute the Raspberries in This Cake?
Yes. Any type of berry can be used instead of raspberries in this lemon cake. In fact, I’ve made this recipe as a lemon blackberry cake and lemon blueberry cake, where I’ve switched out the raspberries for alternatives. You can also use strawberries, cherries, or a mix of berries.
How to Make Lemon Raspberry Cake
Preparing and assembling this lemon raspberry cake is surprisingly easy. Just be sure to allow plenty of time for the cake layers to cool before assembling. This is a great dessert to make a day in advance!
- Mix the wet ingredients. Start by creaming the sugar, oil, eggs, and lemon extract together until light in color. Meanwhile, zest two lemons, and stir the zest into the batter along with 1/4 cup of lemon juice as well as the sour cream.
- Add the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Fold half of the dry ingredients into the wet batter, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk. Do not overmix the batter.
- Add the raspberries. Next, gently toss the raspberries with flour and fold them into the batter. Reserve a few to add later.
- Bake the cakes. Divide the cake batter evenly into three greased and lined 8-inch baking pans, about 1 ⅔ cups of batter per pan. Scatter the reserved raspberries over the batter. Lastly, bake the cakes at 350ºF for 20 to 23 minutes, rotating halfway through.
Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting
Mascarpone whipped cream is thicker, richer, and more stable than regular whipped cream. I chose it for this lemon raspberry cake and strawberry mascarpone cake because of this, and the fact that it’s less sweet than traditional vanilla buttercream.
While it’s a stabilized whipped cream, mascarpone whipped cream should be prepared and used right away for best results.
- Make the frosting. Beat cold mascarpone cheese on medium-low, slowly pouring in the heavy cream. Beat until the mixture forms a peak that gently flops over when you lift the whisk (i.e., soft peaks). Then, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Adjust the consistency. If you find that your frosting is wilting quickly, it’s likely because you did not whip it long enough. Return it to the bowl to mix it again, and add a touch more powdered sugar, if needed, to achieve a better consistency.
Julianne’s Tip: Keep Your Tools and Ingredients Cold
My most important tip? Start with very cold ingredients. I recommend placing your metal mixer bowl and whisk in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before starting. Also, keep the ingredients (mascarpone, heavy cream) refrigerated up until you’re ready to use them.
Assemble the Cake
Once you have your frosting, you’ll fill a piping bag (see how to use a piping bag) and stack, fill, and frost your cake. Afterward, you can decorate this lemon raspberry cake using piping tips.
- Assemble the cake. Before stacking the cakes, use a cake leveler or serrated knife to cut any rounded domes off the cakes. Place a dollop of frosting on your cake board and top with the first cake layer. Pipe a layer of frosting on top, then spread half of the lemon curd over it. Add the second cake layer and repeat the process. Top with the final cake layer. See the recipe card and my separate tutorial, How to Make a Layer Cake, for a detailed step-by-step.
- Frost the cake. Finally, use the remaining whipped mascarpone to fill in any gaps between layers and create a crumb coat. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the offset spatula.
- Decorate. To decorate, pipe florets on the top with any remaining frosting, then garnish with lemon slices and raspberries. Refrigerate your raspberry lemon cake until serving.
Troubleshooting: Why Are My Cake Layers Sliding?
If the lemon raspberry cake and frosting are prepared as written, you should not struggle with sliding cake layers while assembling the cake. However, the most common causes for an unstable layer cake are uneven cake layers, too much frosting between layers, or whipped cream that’s not stiff enough.
How to fix it: To fix a stubbornly wobbly layer cake, my recommendation is to use straws or dowels to hold the layers in place after stacking them. For this lemon cake, press 3-4 dowels (cut so they’re flush with the top of the cake) into the cake after the crumb coat and before adding the final layer of frosting.
Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes, then remove the dowels and frost the cake as usual. No one will ever know. If you’re still worried about the cake sliding, you can even leave the supports inside the cake. Just remember they’re in there when cutting and serving!
Tips for Baking This Cake
- Keep the raspberries from sinking. Toss the berries in flour before adding them to the batter. Fresh or frozen, this helps absorb some of the moisture and keeps the berries suspended in the batter.
- Use fresh lemon zest and juice. Since you’ll already have fresh lemons for zesting, you might as well use them for juice! Fresh lemon juice is much tastier than bottled juice or an extract. You’ll notice the difference in flavor.
- Always line the pans. You must line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper or 8-inch silicone baking liners. This ensures you can easily remove the cakes from the pan.
- Level the cake layers. The cake layers will occasionally rise in the center while they bake. These “domes” need to be trimmed to make the cakes nice and even for stacking. I prefer to use a cake leveler since the cake is very moist; it’s harder to use a knife.
- Prevent doming. To help prevent the cakes from doming, I like to use bake-even stripes to help my cakes bake flatter. They prevent the edges of the cake from baking too quickly, which forces the batter to pool up and dome in the center.
- Place the thickest cake on the bottom. If your layers are not all the same thickness, place your thickest and flattest layer on the bottom.
How to Store
- Refrigerate the frosted cake. Once frosted, this raspberry lemon cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. I always keep my cakes covered in a cake carrier. It’s the easiest way to keep them airtight without messing up the frosting!
- Make the cake layers ahead. Without the frosting, the cake layers themselves can be kept for a few extra days. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap once they cool, with layers of parchment paper on the top and bottom. Then just uncover and add the frosting the day you want to enjoy the cake.
More Lemon Dessert Recipes
Lemon Raspberry Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Total Time: 53 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 slices
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
This lemon raspberry cake is a moist lemon layer cake with fresh raspberries and rich mascarpone whipped cream layered with sweet-tangy lemon curd. The perfect dessert for all of your spring and summer occasions.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups (380g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced (see below)
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) lemon (or vanilla) extract
- ½ cup (118 ml) sour cream (or Greek or plain yogurt)
- 2 ½ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons (11.2 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
- 1 cup buttermilk (236 ml) (or milk)
- 1/4 cup (59ml) fresh lemon juice
- 9 ounces raspberries
- 2 tablespoons (15.6g) all-purpose flour
For the Frosting:
- 2 ¼ cups (532ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup (130g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla (or lemon) extract
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese, cold
- 1 jar (10 ounces) lemon curd, or homemade lemon curd
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch round baking pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and grease the sides. Prepare your bake with even stripes if desired.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and lemon extract. Beat on medium speed until the well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as needed
- Next, zest 2 lemons into the batter and then juice the lemons to get 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and sour cream to the batter, and beat until well combined.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add half the dry ingredients to the batter, beat on low speed while pouring in half of the buttermilk, and mix just until the flour starts to incorporate. Add the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk and mix to combine. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.
- Toss the raspberries with 2 tablespoons of flour. Then gently fold the raspberries into the batter, saving a small handful to drop on top of the cake batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three pans, about 1 2/3 cups of batter per pan. Drop the remaining raspberries on top. Bake at 350°F for 20-23 minutes. Rotate your pans in the oven halfway through baking. Test the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill.
- Spoon the cold mascarpone cream into the bowl and beat on a medium-low speed (speed 3 on your stand mixer). Slowly pour in the heavy cream, about 1/4-1/2 cup, allowing the mascarpone cheese to turn to a liquid consistency. Then, add the remaining heavy cream. Increase the mixing speed to high (speed 8-10) and beat it until soft peaks form.
- Next, add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beating on low until sugar is incorporated. Then continue beating at a high speed until stiff peaks form.
To Assemble the Cake:
- Use a cake leveler to cut the domes off the top of the cake. Place a dollop of frosting on your cake board and place the bottom layer of cake on top of that.
- Place half of the whipped cream in a large piping bag fitted with a large open round tip, or simply cut off the end of the piping bag. Pipe a layer of frosting and spread evenly. Then spread half of the lemon curd over the mascarpone filling. Add the second layer of cake and repeat the above steps using all of the remaining lemon curd. Next, add the final layer of cake on top.
- Use your piping bag to fill in any gaps between your layers and to create a crumb coat. Using an offset spatula or icing smoother, wipe away the excess frosting, leaving you just enough to coat the outside of the cake. Do not mix your crumb coating frosting back into your icing if it has cake debris in it.
- Proceed to frost the top and sides of the cake using your offset spatula. Once the sides of the cake are covered, use your icing smoother to remove any excess frosting. You can take the end of your offset spatula and gently place it against the sides of the cake as you rotate your cake to add a little texture.
- Use remaining frosting to pipe the florets on the top of the cake using an Ateco 809 tip (large open round). Garnish with lemon slices and leftover raspberries. This cake must be refrigerated.
Notes
Substitutions
- To make a homemade buttermilk substitute, combine 1 scant cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the mixture rest for 5-10 minutes, then stir. See my tutorial on how to make buttermilk.
- See my detailed tutorial for mascarpone whipped cream.
- Blueberries can be substituted with raspberries or blackberries.
Frozen berries: Note that I have not tested this cake with frozen blueberries, but it should work. Frozen berries may have more moisture than fresh ones. Toss in the batter when frozen, and do not coat in flour.
Storing
- Make-ahead and storage instructions: Once frosted, this cake can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container such as a cake carrier. To make the layers ahead of time, cool completely, line the top and bottom with parchment paper, and tightly wrap in plastic wrap.
- Make the cake layers ahead. Without the frosting, the cake layers themselves can be kept for a few extra days. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap once they cool, with layers of parchment paper on the top and bottom. Then just uncover and add the frosting the day you want to enjoy the cake.
- Frosting preparation: I do not recommend making the frosting in advance and storing it separately. Make the frosting and frost the cake immediately. Then store the frosted cake in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate the frosted cake. Once frosted, this raspberry lemon cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days. I always keep my cakes covered in a cake carrier. It’s the easiest way to keep them airtight without messing up the frosting!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 682
- Sugar: 60g
- Sodium: 370.2mg
- Fat: 32.8g
- Saturated Fat: 21.1g
- Carbohydrates: 91.8g
- Fiber: 4.5g
- Protein: 8.7g
- Cholesterol: 112.6mg
I made this cake for my daughters birthday and it was very moist and totally delicious and completely moorish and it has really good lemon flavours in the cake.
I did make a couple of small changes, I made a lemon butter cream instead of the frosting and also made a lemon curd to add between the layers.
Thank you Melinda for sharing! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I made this cake for my sisters birthday.
It was excellent, everyone loved it. The frosting is excellent., but you can eat the cake w/o it.
This was the first homemade cake I’ve ever made. Ty for a well instructed & delicious recipe
Thank you Darcie!
Hello do you think I could do this cake in a
10 x15x2 & cut it in half or in thirds?
Hi Darcie, I’ve never baked in that size pan, I’ve done a 9×13 inch cake without issue. The cake will be thinner in that size. I recommend testing it, maybe without the berries to see if it suites your needs
My cake layers did not rise much and seemed a little dense with a slight bit of gumminess even though tested the cake centre for doneness. Maybe I overmixed? Or check my baking powder. I used frozen berries and dropped them in after the batter was in the pan so I could distribute evenly, but perhaps this stopped the layers from rising? Overall it was delicious and I loved the mascarpone icing! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Kelly, thank you so much for your feedback. I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe even though your layers did not rise as much. I do recommend taking a look at your baking powder. Thanks again!
Wow!! I’m always a little hesitant to try a new recipe that doesn’t have very many reviews but boy was I glad I did!! I made this for a friend’s birthday party and wow!! It was a showstopper! Everyone absolutely loved it and it was GONE at the end! I made the lemon curd myself (following Sally’s recipe here —> https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/how-to-make-lemon-curd/), so that was really fresh and yummy, and the whole cake was just so light and fresh and not too sweet! Perfect for spring! Only thing of note was that with all the chilling time, etc, it did take me several hours to put this cake together! But man it was a top 5 for cakes I have ever made!
Hi Laura, thank you so much for trying my Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake recipe. I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it and that it was a hit at your friend’s party! Thanks again!
Excellent! Best lemon raspberry cake ever! It has a bright lemon taste with the tart, sweet raspberries. I used my own lemon buttercream frosting. So good!
I love that Carol, thank you so much!
I made this into cupcakes for an 80th birthday party and it was a hit! I used frozen berries. I drizzled the lemon curd on top of the frosting and then topped this with a fresh raspberry. Everyone loved them. Tasted like a cheesecake.
I love that! Thank you so much for leaving this review so it can inspire others to try cupcakes as well!
Do the raspberries include the seeds when you put them in the batter? I just always debate whether I want to go to the trouble of deseeding them or leaving the seeds in.
Oh I never deseed them!
Made this formy daughter’s 18 th birthday and followed recipe exactly. Outstanding results! I’ve never made or had ‘frosting’ like this. It was fabulous!!
Thank you so much Mary, that is amazing!
Enjoyed reading the instructions. And seeing the pics, I think I’m going to make this for my dad and his wife, she loves lemon and he loves desserts! I’m wondering is there a way to cut down on the sugar at all? I cant have the sugar as I have reactive hypoglycemia…some I could handle but would love to get the sugars lower!
Hi Lorra, I have not tested the recipe with reduced sugar, so I can’t make a recommendation. Sorry!
Absolutely delicious!!! I personally dont like whipped frosting, so I was weary about this recipe. But I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did!!! It’s so good, and I was impressed with how well it paired with the lemon curd. My new favorite cake recipe! I highly reccomend and will be making it again and again!
I love this Tiffany! You’re right, the frosting is amazing!! Thank you for sharing.
Do you have any lemon dairy free cake recipes please
Sorry Gail, I don’t.
This looks very delicious. I am wondering if you can assemble and ice cake then freeze it for later.
Hi Diana, I’ve never froze this cake before, so I can’t say how it will be once thawed.
Awww, I’m back to find the same recipe for Finn’s fifth birthday cake and am so delighted you’ve made the lemon raspberry official Beyond Frosting version! I am thinking of using your buttercream icing with lemon curd instead of the mascarpone as I suspect it may be a little easier to handle… a rainbow cake was the request and I’m no frosting queen! I might use some lemon extract in the icing instead of vanilla.
Wonderful Jean! I think this would also be great with buttercream!
It was fabulous. Thank you. Xx
Awesome Jean!
Oh wow, this sounds simply delicious! I just had to pin it. I love how fluffy it looks. Whenever I make layer cakes, my layers never look this defined. I have to try this xo
Thanks Gemma- it’s actually a little more dense but still fluffy!
Yum! I love lemon and raspberry, especially together ♡ Oh, and I love that you’re including pictures of the batter/stacking process/frosting now; I like seeing all the different components as I read.
Yeah! Thanks Erin!
Our beloved family birthday cake! Made a dinosaur version for my 3yo twins’ birthday yesterday. A great success. Two different people asked me to make their wedding and birthday cakes! Thank you again.
Omg Jean I love that! The dinosaur version, I need to see it! Thank you so much for including my recipes in your birthday celebrations.
I’m going to try a chocolate and black cherry version, keeping everything else the same.
Let me know how it goes!