WHIMSICAL RASPBERRY CREAM CAKE RECIPE
This cake consists of light and airy slightly lemony cake layers filled with a delicious and decadent creamy raspberry filling. It’s my husband’s absolute favourite cake and an all-time favourite for birthdays. I’ve made this cake in all kinds of shapes and sizes over the years. This recipe is for a smaller 6” inch cake and you can use fresh or frozen raspberries or any other berries you have on hand.
You can decorate it simply with cream and fresh raspberries on top or go a little crazy like I did this time. I used some freeze-dried beetroot powder in the cream and used whatever edible flowers I could find in my backyard. I ended up decorating my cake with wild roses, strawberry flowers, chamomile, nasturtiums, borage, fennel and oregano flowers, and fresh raspberries.
I have to admit I’m not a huge berry fan, but raspberries are probably my favourite fruit ever and in combination with sweet vanilla cream they make this whimsical cake a real summer delight. Make this dreamy cake for any summer celebration or birthday party and keep it cooled until you serve it with your favourite edible flowers.
For more edible flower ideas, make sure to check out my post about MY FAVOURITE EDIBLE FLOWERS AND HOW TO USE THEM and my adorable and delicious EDIBLE FLOWER CREPES RECIPE.
TIPS TO MAKE THE PERFECT
WHIMSICAL RASPBERRY CREAM CAKE
If you don’t have 6-inch cake pans you can also make this recipe for a two layer cake using a springform cake pan or two 9-inch cake pans.
Whip the eggs super fluffy and fold in the flour really gently using a spatula.
If you use fresh raspberries, make sure they are dry to avoid getting too much water into the cream.
Make sure to only use heavy whipping cream for this cake and whip it until stiff peaks form in order for the cream to be firm enough to hold up your layers.
Never leave your cream unattended to avoid over whipping it! If you are not sure at which stage your cream is, stop your mixer and test the cream if it has the desired consistency before it’s too late. For a detailed description on how to make whipped cream, please make sure to read my HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM post.
This cake is best to make and enjoy the same day. You can keep it in the fridge for another day or two, but because it is made with whipped cream instead of a sturdier frosting, I wouldn’t recommend making it ahead of time.
If you use edible flowers, source them organically if possible and make sure they’re food grade and free from pesticides and chemicals. Ideally these would be grown in your own garden or from a farmer’s market, selected grocery store or specialty online vendor for food grade edible flowers.
INGREDIENTS
Sugar - You can use granulated sugar or raw sugar to make this cake.
Flour - I like to use all-purpose flour or white spelt four for this recipe.
Eggs - Make sure to use at least medium sized or large eggs for the cake layers.
Cream - Use heavy 35% whipping cream for the raspberry cream filling.
Raspberries - You can use fresh or frozen raspberries for this cake. I usually use frozen ones in the filling and fresh ones to decorate the top.
Vanilla - I prefer using pure vanilla extract or paste instead of imitation vanilla.
Lemon - For the lemon simple syrup use freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest.
The full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED
Stand or hand mixer
Flour sifter or fine mesh strainer
Three 6-inch cake pans
Parchment paper
Spatula
Small saucepan
Offset spatula or icing spatula
INSTRUCTIONS STEP BY STEP
Prepare the lemon simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes and stir frequently until simple syrup reaches a boil.
Remove from heat and add lemon juice and zest. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool down.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and line three 6” inch cake pans with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment add eggs and sugar and whisk on medium-high speed until really fluffy and pale looking.
Into a medium bowl sift flour and baking powder through a fine mesh strainer.
Very gently fold sifted flour into egg mixture until fully incorporated. You can do this on the lowest speed with your stand mixer or by hand using a spatula or whisk. Be careful not to overmix the batter or it could deflate.
Divide the batter evenly between the three pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool down in the pans for ten minutes. Cut carefully around the sides with a knife and remove cake layers from the pans. Let them cool down completely on a wire rack. Gently remove parchment paper if it sticks to the bottom of the cake.
Once cooled, brush the layers with your lemon syrup.
In the clean and cold bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add chilled, heavy whipping cream on low-medium speed for 1-2 minutes until frothy and bubbly. Add sugar and Vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed 1-2 more minutes until firm peaks form.
Into a medium bowl take out a third of the whipped cream to decorate the outside of your cake, set aside. Gently fold in your raspberries with a spatula into the other 2/3 of whipped cream still remaining.
Assemble the cake by spreading about half of your raspberry cream onto the first layer of the cake. Place the second layer of cake on top and spread the other half of the raspberry cream evenly on the cake. Cover with the top layer.
Cover your cake with the leftover cream using a large offset spatula and decorate with raspberries and edible flowers. If you would like to give it some soft pink colour you can add some beetroot powder. I like to add 1-2 tbsp of powder to 1 cup of whipped cream.
Let your creativity go wild and have fun decorating your cake with fresh raspberries and edible flowers.
Serve your cake right away or keep it chilled in the fridge and enjoy!
WHIMSICAL RASPBERRY CREAM CAKE RECIPE
by Julia
This dreamy 6-inch cake has light and airy slightly lemony layers of cake filled with a delicious and decadent creamy raspberry filling. Make this whimsical cake for any summer celebration or birthday party and keep it cooled until you serve it with your favourite berries and edible flowers.
PREP : 20 minutes BAKE : 20 minutes ASSEMBLE : 15 minutes
YIELD : 6-inch cake
INGREDIENTS
For the sponge cake:
4 medium eggs
100 g sugar
120 g flour
1 tsp baking powder
For the lemon simple syrup (optional):
¼ cup water
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest
2tbsps lemon juice
For the raspberry cream filling:
450 ml/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
250 g/2 cups frozen or fresh raspberries
For the decorations (optional):
1 cup fresh raspberries or other berries
½ cup edible flowers
½ -1 tbsp beetroot powder
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the lemon simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a small saucepan, cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stir frequently until simple syrup reaches a boil.
Remove from heat and add lemon juice and zest. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool down.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
Line three 6” inch cake pans with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment add eggs and sugar and whisk on medium-high speed until really fluffy and pale looking.
Into a medium bowl sift flour and baking powder through a fine mesh strainer.
Very gently fold sifted flour into egg mixture until fully incorporated. You can do this on the lowest speed with your stand mixer or by hand using a spatula or whisk. Be careful not to overmix the batter or it could deflate.
Divide the batter evenly between the three pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool down in the pans for ten minutes. Cut carefully around the sides with a knife and remove cake layers from the pans. Let them cool down completely on a wire rack. Gently remove parchment paper if it sticks to the bottom of the cake.
Once cooled, brush the layers with your lemon syrup.
In the clean and cold bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add chilled, heavy whipping cream on low-medium speed for 1-2 minutes until frothy and bubbly. Add sugar and Vanilla extract and beat on medium-high speed 1-2 more minutes until firm peaks form.
Into a medium bowl take out a third of the whipped cream to decorate the outside of your cake, set aside.
Gently fold in your raspberries with a spatula into the other 2/3 of whipped cream still remaining.
Assemble the cake by spreading about half of your raspberry cream onto the first layer of the cake. Place the second layer of cake on top and spread the other half of the raspberry cream evenly on the cake. Cover with the top layer.
Cover your cake with the leftover cream using a large offset spatula and decorate with raspberries and edible flowers. If you would like to give it some soft pink colour you can add some beetroot powder. I like to add 1-2 tbsp of powder to 1 cup of whipped cream.
Let your creativity go wild and have fun decorating your cake with fresh raspberries and edible flowers.
Serve your cake right away or keep it chilled in the fridge and enjoy!