Layers of yellow cake with a creamy raspberry filling, all covered with white chocolate buttercream frosting is a beautiful and delicious cake worthy of any occasion.

raspberry white chocolate cake sliced into

I’ve gone through a few variations of this cake over the years, and each time I bake it I make some small improvement, but I’m now declaring this raspberry white chocolate cake is done. It’s perfect.

It has the most tender and moist vanilla cake layers, and the frosting is my favorite whipped vanilla buttercream folded together with melted white chocolate. For the filling I’ve simply beaten fresh raspberries right into the white chocolate frosting. The combination of white chocolate, fresh raspberries, and vanilla cake is amazing and delicious.

This layer cake is perfect for whenever you can find fresh raspberries in-season, but you can also use frozen raspberries and enjoy this cake year-round!

Two round yellow cake layers cooling on a counter

How to Make this Raspberry White Chocolate Cake

Layer cakes are a labor of love, it’s true. But like all beautiful homemade cakes, it will be worth it in the end!

There are 3 components to this cake:

  1. Vanilla cake layers
  2. Raspberry filling
  3. White chocolate buttercream frosting

The Best Vanilla Cake Layers

This cake starts with my new favorite vanilla cake recipe. I played with this recipe for weeks and happily landed with what you see here.

These cake layers are tender and soft, but still very moist, with great buttery vanilla flavor. I added just a touch of almond extract to give them a little something extra.

assembling raspberry white chocolate layer cake

Raspberry Filling

As I’ve already mentioned, the raspberry filling in between the vanilla cake layers is  just the white chocolate buttercream mixed with fresh raspberries (you can also use frozen) until they’re broken up a bit. This is my favorite way to fill a cake, with a variation on whatever frosting I’m using on top. It keeps things easy!

I also added a few whole raspberries on top of the filling, for a little extra burst of raspberry flavor. Note, if you use frozen raspberries, thaw them first and let them drain in a colander for several hours to remove as much excess liquid as possible.

white chocolate buttercream frosting and a bowl of raspberries

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

This frosting is thick, creamy, and has a distinct white chocolate flavor. You’ll have just enough frosting to make raspberry filling for a three-layer cake and frost the whole thing, but there won’t be much left over for decorating. If you’d like to add any extra frosting decorations, I recommend making 1 ½ of this recipe.

I chose to leave decoration simple and slightly rustic, using fresh raspberries and white chocolate curls on top. If you’d like to make white chocolate curls, here’s the tutorial I used (I adjusted it to use white chocolate instead of dark).

However you decorate this cake, I can promise it will taste amazing! And if making layer cakes is slightly intimidating, read on for my best cake tips.

raspberry white chocolate cake on a cake stand

My Best Cake Tips

  • If you’re new to baking layer cakes or need a little help, be sure to check out my complete guide for how to build a layer cake. It’s got everything you need to know!
  • For the absolute best results, have the sour cream and eggs at room temperature before mixing the cake. This will help the ingredients combine better, which affects rise and texture.
  • You can use either 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans. (These are the pans I have and love.) 8-inch pans will yield a taller cake, 9-inch will yield one that’s wider and shorter. I like to use 3 pans to make 3 layers for this cake but you can also use more or less pans for a 2 or 4 layered cake.
  • Do your cakes tend to stick inside the pan? See how I prepare my cake pans so they come out clean every single time.
  • You can use either fresh or frozen raspberries to make this cake, but if you use frozen, let them thaw in a colander for several hours to drain excess moisture.
  • When shopping for white chocolate look at the label to make sure it has cocoa butter listed as an ingredient. You do not want any kind of oil in place of the cocoa butter or it will not melt smoothly.
  • If you need a little help frosting your cake like a (semi) pro, see my full tutorial.
  • I like to store assembled cakes in the fridge to keep them firm, fresh, and safe from little hands. They will be freshest within 2-3 days of assembly but can be stored for up to a week. Pull the cake out of the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
  • Cake layers can be made ahead! Wrap in plastic and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer (double wrapped) for several months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before assembling.

a slice of raspberry white chocolate cake

More Layer Cakes to Love

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This recipe was originally published July 2015.

a slice of raspberry white chocolate cake
2.80 from 5 reviews

Raspberry White Chocolate Cake

Servings: 12 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Assembly Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Layers of yellow cake and raspberry filling covered in white chocolate buttercream make for a beautiful and delicious cake for any occasion.
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Ingredients
 

For the cake:

  • 2 ½ cups cake flour (283 grams)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup sour cream , at room temperature (240 grams)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature (226 grams)
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar (350 grams)

For the buttercream:

  • 4 ounces quality white chocolate , chopped (113 grams)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (1 lb, 455 grams), sifted after measuring
  • 1 cup unsalted butter  (2 sticks, 226 grams), at room temperature
  • â…› teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries (120 grams), plus more for decorating

Instructions
 

To make the cake layers:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two or three 8 or 9-inch round cake pans (see Notes) with parchment paper and grease with nonstick baking spray.
  • In a bowl sift together the cake flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl whisk together the sour cream, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla and almond extracts.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy, about 3-4 minutes, scraping the bowl down as needed.
  • Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the wet ingredients, mixing after each. Scrape down the bowl between additions as needed. Batter will be thick
  • Divide the batter between the 2 pans, using a spatula to spread it into an even layer. Bake until edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 30 minutes.
  • Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and let cool on a wire rack completely. If making cake layers ahead, wrap in plastic and store in the fridge overnight and up to 3 days.

To make the white chocolate buttercream frosting and raspberry filling:

  • Place the chopped white chocolate in a large bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir frequently as the chocolate melts, removing it from the heat when only a few lumps remain. Stir until smooth and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, mix all of the ingredients on low speed until it starts to come together.
  • Increase speed to high and beat for 4-5 minutes until frosting is fluffy, pausing once or twice to scrape the bowl down.
  • Add melted white chocolate and fold into the frosting by hand.
  • Remove all but about 1 ½ cups of the frosting from the mixer bowl and set aside. Add the fresh raspberries to the mixer and beat on low speed until raspberries have been broken up and incorporated into the buttercream. You can also do this by hand.

To assemble the cake:

  • Place on cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread ½ of raspberry filling onto the top. Cover with another cake layer and repeat.
  • Frost entire cake with the white chocolate buttercream. Decorate as desired with more frosting, raspberries, etc.
  • Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up. If cake is stored in the fridge for an hour or longer, let it come to room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Notes:

  • You can use either 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans. (These are the pans I have and love.) 8-inch pans will yield a taller cake, 9-inch will yield one that’s wider. I like to use 3 pans to make 3 layers for this cake but you can also use more or less pans for a 2, 4 (or more) layered cake.
  • You can use either fresh or frozen raspberries to make this cake, but if you use frozen, let them thaw in a colander for several hours to drain excess moisture.
  • When shopping for white chocolate look at the label to make sure it has cocoa butter listed as an ingredient. You do not want any kind of oil in place of the cocoa butter or it will not melt smoothly.
Calories: 763kcal, Carbohydrates: 96g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 25g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 144mg, Sodium: 210mg, Potassium: 156mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 75g, Vitamin A: 1206IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Annalise Sandberg
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