This Raspberry Lemon Cake With White Chocolate Is the Only Layer Cake You Need for Spring Celebrations
A tender, moist lemon cake studded with raspberries, brushed with lemon syrup, and topped with a creamy white chocolate glaze that comes together in under two hours.
Equipment
- Two 8-inch round cake pans
- Parchment Paper
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 large lemons (zest of 2, juice of all 3)
- 6 oz fresh or frozen raspberries (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 10 oz good-quality white chocolate (4 oz for batter, 6 oz for glaze)
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp flour (for tossing raspberries)
For the Lemon Syrup
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
For the White Chocolate Glaze
- 6 oz white chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper rounds.
- In a large bowl, rub lemon zest into sugar with your fingertips until fragrant and pale yellow (about 60 seconds).
- Add softened butter to sugar mixture. Beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape sides.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape sides again.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together sour cream, milk, and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with sour cream mixture, starting and ending with dry. Mix on low until just combined.
- Melt 4 oz white chocolate in microwave in 30-second intervals. Cool slightly, then fold into batter with rubber spatula.
- Toss raspberries with 1 tablespoon flour. Gently fold into batter with 8-10 folds — do not overmix.
- Divide batter evenly between pans. Smooth tops. Bake for 28-32 minutes until golden and toothpick comes clean. Cool in pans 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack.
- While cakes are warm, whisk lemon juice and powdered sugar for syrup. Brush generously over tops of both layers. Cool completely.
- For glaze: melt remaining 6 oz white chocolate with heavy cream in microwave or double boiler. Stir until smooth. Let sit 5-10 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Place one cake layer on serving plate. Pour half the glaze in center, spread to edges. Top with second layer. Pour remaining glaze over top, letting it drip down sides. Decorate with fresh raspberries and lemon slices if desired.
Notes
Room temperature ingredients are key — set them out an hour before starting. For best results, level cake layers with a serrated knife before glazing. The cake is even better on day two; flavors settle and syrup soaks in. Store glazed cake in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days, or refrigerate up to a week. Bring to room temp before serving. Freeze unglazed layers tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 baking flour blend with xanthan gum. For dairy-free, use dairy-free butter and coconut cream.