Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake (Printable)
Moist layers bursting with lemon and raspberry, finished with silky lemon buttercream for special moments.
# Ingredient List:
→ Lemon Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
05 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
06 - 2 cups granulated sugar
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
08 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
09 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Raspberry Filling
12 - 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
13 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
14 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
15 - 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons cold water
→ Lemon Buttercream
16 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
17 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
19 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
20 - 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk or cream
21 - Pinch of salt
→ Decoration (Optional)
22 - Fresh raspberries
23 - Lemon zest curls
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
03 - Using an electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each. Stir in lemon zest and vanilla extract.
05 - Mix in fresh lemon juice; batter may appear curdled, which is normal.
06 - Add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.
07 - Distribute batter evenly into prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.
09 - In a small saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until raspberries break down, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool completely.
10 - Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and enough milk or cream to reach a smooth, spreadable consistency.
11 - Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread half of the raspberry filling over the top, avoiding edges. Add a thin layer of buttercream. Repeat with second cake layer and remaining filling. Top with final cake layer.
12 - Cover top and sides of cake with buttercream. Decorate with fresh raspberries and lemon zest curls as desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The tartness of fresh lemon cuts through the sweetness in a way that makes people pause mid-bite, surprised at how balanced it feels.
- Baking three layers means the assembled cake looks showstopping, even though the steps are straightforward enough to feel manageable.
- Raspberries suspended between cake layers create these little pockets of jammy tartness that make every slice different.
02 -
- Every ingredient should be at room temperature—cold eggs and milk won't incorporate smoothly and will make the batter break, resulting in a denser, drier cake.
- Resist the urge to open the oven door while the cakes bake; the sudden temperature drop can make them sink in the middle.
- The raspberry filling must cool completely before assembly or it will melt the buttercream and make the cake unstable.
03 -
- Use a microplane zester for lemon zest; it captures the bright oils in the skin without the bitter white pith underneath.
- If you're nervous about the batter looking curdled after adding lemon juice, that's normal—it comes back together completely once you add the flour, and no one will know the difference in the finished cake.