You’ll fall in love with this Raspberry and Lemon Layer Cake. It’s bursting with sweet flavors that are perfect for any celebration.
Raspberry Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Curd and Buttercream Frosting
I made another cake that I am very proud of. This raspberry and lemon layer cake is filled with lemon curd and fresh raspberries, and it made me so happy when I sliced into it! Three layers of sponge cake sprinkled with lemon simple syrup, and then there is more lemon flavor along with the sweet contrast of the fresh raspberries. This cake does have a few extra steps, but they are all worth it and they add outstanding flavor to the cake!
The frosting that I made was new to me. This buttercream is similar to the Swiss Meringue Buttercream that I made for my birthday cake, however, this frosting used whole eggs and not just the egg whites. The egg yolks gave the frosting a beautiful pale yellow color that I loved!
It was just the perfect shade of happiness!
And then to top that happiness with the bright lemon curd on top, was like watching the sunrise while on vacation.
You know that feeling? You’re on vacation and anything is possible for the day. There are no plans, no times to be anywhere, no restrictions, just limitless possibilities… like going back to bed to snuggle with your better half.
Man… I really, really need a vacation like that. But I digress….
Slicing into this beauty was fun. I thought I had added a lot of raspberries to the layers, but I guess I could have added a few more.
I would like to point out the middle layer to you. In the post with the cake recipe, here, I discussed using the baking strips and pointed out the domed top of the third cake. Well, while preparing the cake, I had to make the cakes all the same diameter. I used a serrated knife to trim off the hard edge of the cake and make the other two cakes the same size. This also removed a lot of the nibble marks; not perfect, just reduced.
In the photo above, you can see a noticeable slope to the middle cake and how much frosting I had to use to build up that layer to make a level area for the third cake to rest on. You can also see the darker line at the bottom of the middle cake. This is just from the darkening of the cake baked without the bake strips.
I hope that you try this cake. I ended up giving it to my lemon loving friend and he loved it! I think his family polished off this cake in one evening.
This recipe is part three of a three part series including a White Lemon Sponge Cake and Homemade Lemon Curd.
Raspberry and Lemon Layer Cake
A light lemon cake with lemon curd and fresh raspberries scream spring to me!
Ingredients
- 3 White Lemon Sponge Cakes
- Lemon Curd
- Lemon Simple Syrup
For the Buttercream Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 4 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 cups butter (6 sticks)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the buttercream
- Stir the water and sugar together in a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil and do not stir again. Heat the sugar to 238℉ (soft ball stage).
- While the syrup is cooking, whip your eggs and egg yolks until they are pale and light.
- When the syrup is ready, turn the mixer to low and very, very slowly add the syrup to the eggs. Allow it to drip down the sides of the bowl into the eggs.
- Increase the speed to medium and whip the mixture until the bowl is cool to the touch. This may take 5 minutes. Do not rush it.
- Reduce the speed of the mixer back to low and slowly add in the butter one tablespoon at a time. Once all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and whip for another 5 minutes. It'll get pretty ugly before it gets beautiful.
- Finally add the salt and get the rest of the cake ready to be frosted.
To assemble the cake
- Divide the buttercream into two 3 cup bowls. Cover one bowl and set to the side; add ½ cup of the lemon curd to the second one. Mix the lemon curd and frosting together. Add ½ cup of the lemon buttercream into a pastry bag.
- Place one of the cakes on a cake round or directly on to a cake platter. Brush on, or use a squirt bottle, about ⅓ cup of the lemon simple syrup. Be generous.
- Spoon 1 cup of the lemon buttercream onto the cake and smooth out. Add a frosting dam around the cake then fill in with ½ cup of lemon curd. Add in a few raspberries. Top with second cake.
- Repeat with the syrup, frosting, dam, curd, and more raspberries. Top with the third cake upside down so that the edges are squared off. Add the simple syrup to the cake then add a thin crumb coating with any lemon buttercream remaining. Place into the fridge to firm up for 1 hour.
- Once it has firmed up, frost the cake with the reserved plain frosting. You may have to beat it with a wooden spoon to smooth it out again if it separates. Frost and decorate as desired. I kept it basic and simple.
- Top the cake with ⅓ cup of lemon curd and a few pretty raspberries.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days (if it lasts that long).
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