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Raspberry Layer Cake

This layer cake is moist, soft, and light, and has wonderful raspberry flavor from the raspberry puree reduction mixed into the cake batter. We love the combination of soft raspberry layers with homemade raspberry filling and cream cheese frosting! Author Melissa Diamond
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 15 servings
Author Tanya

Ingredients

  • Raspberry Cake Layers
  • 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter softened (170g)
  • 2 cups sugar 400g
  • 3 large eggs room temperature (If in a hurry, place eggs in a bowl of warm water for five minutes.)
  • 3 cups Cake flour 342g
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder 8g
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda 3g
  • ½ teaspoon salt 3g
  • 1 cup sour cream 227g
  • 10 oz frozen raspberries thawed approximately 1 ½ cups thawed. Puree them in blender, and strain through fine strainer (to remove the seeds). **Then cook with ¼ cup water and 2T sugar over medium heat until reduced to ¾ cup (180g). Cool before using.
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil I use canola oil (54g)
  • * Pink Coloring Gel - Optional. We used a small amount to brighten up the color.

Raspberry Filling:

  • *You can also substitute seedless Raspberry Jam for the cooked Raspberry Filling if you'd like.
  • 12 ounce package frozen raspberries 340g
  • ½ cup sugar 100g
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch 26g
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice 4g

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter slightly softened (226g)
  • 16 oz cream cheese softened. ( I use full fat cream cheese. Using reduced fat or the spreadable cream cheese will cause the frosting to be too soft. )
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 8g
  • ½ teaspoon salt 2g
  • 6 to 6 ½ cups powdered sugar 690g-747g

Decoration:

  • We used fresh raspberries for the top of the cake. Star tip 21 was used to pipe top border of stars shells, and rosettes. Texture was added with a small offset spatula around the sides of the cake

Instructions

  • Preparing the Raspberry Puree/Filling
  • It is good to prepare the raspberry puree for the batter first.
  • Thaw raspberries (if using frozen).
  • If in a hurry, and your raspberries are in a plastic bag you can thaw them more quickly by placing the bag in a bowl of hot water.
  • Pour thawed raspberries into blender and puree.
  • Place a fine wire strainer over a bowl.
  • Pour the raspberry puree into the strainer.
  • Using the back of a spoon, press the raspberry puree through the strainer- Don't forget to scrape the other side of the strainer for additional juices.
  • We are doing this step to remove the seeds. It will take several minutes.
  • When finished be sure to scrape off raspberry pulp that will be clinging to the bottom of the strainer into the bowl.
  • Discard the remaining seeds and pulp that would not go through the strainer.
  • You should get about ¾ cup of strained puree.
  • Add the strained puree to a saucepan along with ¼ cup water a 2 Tablespoons sugar.
  • Cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and is reduced to ¾ cup (180g).
  • This may take about 10-15 minutes. If you happen to reduce too much, just add water to reach the ¾ cup mark.
  • Remove from heat and allow the raspberry puree to cool before using.
  • This can be made in advance and refrigerated in a covered container for a week.
  • Preparing the Batter
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour three 8 inch x 2 inch round cake pans.
  • We like to line our pans with circles of parchment paper also.
  • In a medium sized bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Whisk to blend for 30 seconds. Set aside.
  • In another bowl, combine the sour cream, raspberry puree and oil. Blend with fork and set aside.
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the butter until smooth,
  • Gradually add the sugar and mix on medium speed 3 to 5 minutes or until lightened in color and fluffy.
  • If using a hand mixer, you may need to mix a bit longer.
  • Add the eggs 1 at a time mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
  • Add the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture (3 additions of dry ingredients, 2 additions of wet ingredients).
  • Add pink coloring gel at this time (optional). I added just a small amount to brighten the color.
  • Mix until combined and smooth. Do not mix above medium speed or mix too long.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
  • Keep an eye on it, ovens can bake differently.
  • Let cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes, then turn out.
  • For the Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Cut the butter into slices and add to the bowl of your mixer.
  • Beat on low to medium speed until the butter is softened and smooth.
  • Cut the softened cream cheese into pieces and add to the butter, beating at low to medium speed until incorporated.
  • If you are using a hand mixer you may need to soften the cream cheese a bit more.
  • Add the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar beating on low speed until blended.
  • Cover the bowl with a towel to keep down the cloud of powdered sugar.
  • Increase mixing speed and beat until fluffy. Don't over beat or it will become too soft.
  • If it becomes too soft, just refrigerate a short while to firm it up a bit.
  • This frosting will pipe best if used while still chilled.
  • You can make it in advance, refrigerate and when ready to use let it soften slightly (do not microwave) and remix.
  • Will frost a 3 layer 8 or 9 inch cake.
  • Assembly of Cake
  • Place first raspberry cake layer on pedestal or cake plate.
  • Pipe a dam of cream cheese frosting about ½ inch from the edge of the layer.
  • Fill with a thin layer of cooled raspberry filling (or jam), pipe on a layer of cream cheese frosting.
  • Top with second cake layer.
  • Repeat steps. End with final cake layer.
  • Fill in any gaps between cake layers with frosting.
  • Apply thin crumb coat. At this point I like to chill the cake for about 15 minutes in the freezer to firm up the frosting.
  • Apply final layer of frosting and decorate.
  • I textured the frosting around the sides of the cake.
  • I piped a border of miscellaneous shells, stars, and rosettes around the top of the cake.
  • I filled with fresh raspberries.

Notes

If you would like to use seedless raspberry jam instead of the cooked raspberry puree/filling, that would be delicious also (and faster)!
If using frozen raspberries, thaw the raspberries. We used about 10 oz or approximately 1 ½ cups of thawed raspberries.
We baked three cake layers because we like the extra layer of filling that this allows. However, the layers are not super thick-- they will bake up to approximately 1 ¼ inches.
SUBSTITUTION FOR CAKE FLOUR:
Using all purpose flour (plain in the UK) for each cup of flour in a recipe, remove 2 Tablespoons of flour replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour in the UK). This recipe has 3 cups of flour so you will measure out 3 cups of all purpose flour, remove 6 Tablespoons and replace with 6 Tablespoons cornstarch, whisk to blend.
Note on Assembling the Raspberry Cake:
To assemble the raspberry layer cake, place the first raspberry cake layer on a cake pedestal or cake plate.
Next, pipe a dam of cream cheese frosting about ½ inch from the edge of the cake layer. (I do this using a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away).
Spread inside of the dam with a layer of raspberry filling/puree- I do a fairly thin layer.
The purpose of the dam is to keep the raspberry filling/puree from escaping from the sides of the cake as you stack your cake layers.
Pipe over the top of the raspberry filling/puree with cream cheese frosting. (Or if you would rather, you could spread the next cake layer with cream cheese frosting and apply to first layer frosting-side-down- this option is easier if the layers are partially frozen and less fragile.)
Repeat these steps for the next cake layer and top with the final cake layer.