Ever since I shared my Raspberry & White Chocolate Cupcake recipe I've been asked many times for a cake version. It's such a popular flavour combination - sweet and creamy white chocolate mixed with fruity fresh raspberries. They belong together! This Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake combines these flavours in three stunning layers, filled and topped with a silky white chocolate buttercream. There's three different kinds of raspberry flavour in this cake - fresh in the cake and on top, freeze dried for decoration and raspberry jam between the cake layers. You're not short of white chocolate either with white chocolate chips mixed into the sponge, melted white chocolate in the buttercream and white chocolate curls for decoration on top. I have packed the flavours in everywhere I could! This is such an amazing showstopper cake!
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake
To make the cake, mix the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Next, mix in the self raising flour, then fold in the raspberries and white chocolate chips and divide the mixture between the cake tins.
To decorate, make a white chocolate buttercream. Pipe the buttercream on the bottom sponge around the edge and fill the centre with jam.
Can this cake be made with two layers?
Yes! I love three layer cakes for special occasions. They are so tall and impressive, and they make a great centerpiece! However, if you want to make a smaller version for other events, check the recipe notes for details on how to do this. It can also be made with one layer.
Can this cake be made in different size cake tins?
Yes! If you would like to make this cake in different size tins, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the recipe.
Can you make the cake with plain/all purpose flour?
Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 5 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.
Can this recipe be made into cupcakes?
Yes! Please head to my Raspberry & White Chocolate Cupcakes post for the recipe.
How should the Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake be stored and can it be frozen?
The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3 days in a cool place. You can freeze the sponges either alone, or decorated (but do not freeze the raspberries and other decoration). Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. You can freeze the buttercream on it’s own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container. Or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don’t it could damage the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.
Can this cake be made gluten free?
Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additonal baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 5 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add 1 tsp Xanthan Gum for better texture. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cake if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
Can this cake be made dairy free?
For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for both the cake and buttercream. I recommend Flora Plant or the Stork Baking Block for the buttercream, as they give the best texture. You will also need to use dairy free white chocolate. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cake if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?
While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cake will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. The buttercream will also be smoother. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!
More tips for making the Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake:
- I get my freeze dried raspberries in bulk from Amazon, but I have also seen them in Sainsburys and Waitrose in smaller pots.
- The white chocolate curls I used to decorate the cake were from Lemon Vanilla (they were a gift from the company).
- I used an Ateco 828 nozzle to pipe the buttercream on the cake - you can use any nozzle you prefer.
- You can spread the buttercream onto the cake if you don't want to pipe it.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
- 8″ cake tins
- Mixing bowls
- Cooling rack
- Kitchen scales
- Electric hand mixer
- Piping bags
- Freeze dried raspberries
- Ateco 828 piping nozzle
*I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!
More raspberry & white chocolate recipes...
Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 500 g Butter or baking spread
- 500 g Caster sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 9 Eggs large
- 500 g Self raising flour
- 300 g Fresh raspberries
- 150 g White chocolate chips
For the buttercream
- 350 g Butter
- 700 g Icing sugar
- 175 g White chocolate melted
- 2 tbsp Milk
For the filling and decoration
- 100 g Raspberry jam
- 16 Fresh raspberries
- 2 tbsp Freeze dried raspberries
- White chocolate curls or grated white chocolate
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and grease and line three 8" cake tins that are at least 2" deep
- Make the sponge by mixing the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl, ideally with an electric mixer, until fluffy and pale
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract, and whisk until fully incorporated
- Add the self raising flour and whisk in gently until you can't see any flour anymore
- Toss the fresh raspberries and white chocolate chips in a little flour, just enough to lightly coat them (this will help them stop sinking), then fold them in gently with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon
- Divide the mixture between the tins, use scales for accuracy
- Bake them for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave them to fully cool either in the tins or on cooling racks
- Make the buttercream by mixing together the butter and icing sugar, then add the melted white chocolate and mix until smooth. You can do this by hand or with an electric whisk. Add the milk a little at a time
- If the cakes have domed on top, level them off with a cake leveller or a serrated knife
- Put one of the sponges on your plate or cake stand, and pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the sponge. Fill the centre with more buttercream and then the raspberry jam
- Add the second layer and do the same
- Add the final layer, pipe larger rosettes all around the edge and smaller ones in the centre, then decorate with the fresh raspberries around the edge, and sprinkle the freeze dried raspberries and white chocolate curls all over
- Serve immediately, store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 3 days
Notes
Nutrition
If you like this, check out more of my Cake recipes!
I'm linking this recipe up with Cook Blog Share.
Cat | Curly's Cooking
Really beautiful cake and I love the flavours.
Paula Curley
Hi Cat, Curlys Cooking. I've baked 2 of your recipes Rainbow cake and easy jam flap jacks thank you
Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook
You always amazing me with your beautiful creations, Kat! I would like to have a slice of this yummy cake, please. 😀
Sisley White
Your bakes are always so gorgeous Kat! Thank you for linking up to #CookBlogShare x
Paula
Hi, can I use frozen raspberries?
This is a great site, thanks
thebakingexplorer
Hi Paula, I think I already answered you on Facebook but I'll just say it again incase it helps another reader. I wouldn't advise using frozen fruit as it releases more water than fresh fruit and could make the cake soggy.
Paula Curley
Hi, yes you did thank you. Went to shop and they had no raspberries 🙄
Go again tomorrow as baking tomorrow evening. Using a 7" pan though and will use your conversion. Brilliant. Thanks 😘
Megan
What type of white choc do you suggest I use? Also would it be okay to cut chunks of a white choc bar instead of chips??
Thanks
thebakingexplorer
Hi Megan, you can use any regular white chocolate (avoid cooking/baking chocolate) and yes you can chop up a bar instad of using chips. Just make sure to chop it up to a similar size to chips as bigger chunks could all sink to the bottom. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Chloe
I made this yesterday and it was so delicious!! Really lovely flavour! My raspberries sort of sunk to the bottom of the cake, have you any tips to help keep them distributed more evenly? Thanks! X
thebakingexplorer
Hi Chloe, I'm so happy you liked it! You can toss them in a small amount of flour before adding them to the batter to reduce sinking. I hope that helps! 🙂
Claire Gert
Loved this! Really moist and delicious. Got lots of compliments! Thank you for sharing 🙂 will defo make again! I used leftover buttercream to do a light buttercream topping around the outside of cake, worked a treat!
Sophie
I made the 2 layer version for my birthday cake and it was so easy to make! The step by step guide is really easy to follow plus the photos also help. This has quickly become the favourite recipe in our house. Will definitely make again and again!
Martina
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Made it yesterday for my boyfriend’s birthday and it turned out exactly like on the picture! The cake is so moist and it tasted delicious! Will definitely try more of your recipes! X
thebakingexplorer
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback Martina, I'm so pleased you liked it!
Catriona Lewis
Are these really the correct quantities? I made a single layer just to try out the recipe but it rose above the sides of the tin and required a much longer cooking time - at least another 25 minutes.
thebakingexplorer
Hi Catriona, yes they certainly are 🙂 I am sorry however to hear that it went wrong for you, I understand how frustrating this can be. How deep was the tin you used? I recommend using one that is at least 2" deep. Can I check, did you use the single layer quantities I provided in the recipe notes for your test version? And did you do anything differently?
Catriona
Just measured my tin and it is 1 1/2 inches deep so that must be the reason it spilled over. I have to say the cake is absolutely delicious so I am going to do it as the top tier for my sons wedding cake but will just use less mixture in each tin. I have tried another recipe before but yours is better!
thebakingexplorer
I'm so pleased that you like the cake despite the spillage! I'm very excited that you've deemed it suitable for your son's wedding cake, what a honour! Thank you Catriona! 😀
Kim kozlowski
Hello.
Is it OK to use loose bottom cake tins for this recipe?
Thank you 😊
thebakingexplorer
Hi, yes if that's what you normally bake cakes in 🙂
Katie Bor
I made this cake for my Nan's birthday and it was AMAZING! The flavours were great and the cake was so moist and looked just like the picture - will defo be making it again!
Helen
Hi
I’m hoping to use this recipe as a bottom tier of a wedding cake do you think the sponge will hold ??
Of course I ll be strengthening the cake with dowels
Any tips please ?
Thanks
Helen
thebakingexplorer
Hi Helen, I can't say for certain as I've never used the sponge in this way, but I don't see why not (providing dowels etc are used like you mentioned). You could try using freeze dried raspberries instead of fresh ones in the sponge so there's less moisture in the sponge as that would give them more stability. I hope that helps!
Christine
Hello.
I too am hoping to make this as a tier of a wedding cake. Because I don't want it to be too soggy, you suggested using freeze dried raspberries in the sponge. Could you let me know the quantity please? Would I use 300g freeze dried if your recipe says 300g fresh raspberries? I've read that you do't need as many and freeze-dried do seem very expensive. Many thanks for any help you can offer.
thebakingexplorer
Hi Christine, freeze dried raspberries are extremely light so you definitely don't want to use the same amount as that would be far too much. I would suggest around 30-40g per layer of cake. You can get them for decent prices online, check the recommend equipment section for a link to the ones I use. I hope that helps!
Ellie Letheren
I made this cake for my Dad's birthday and I went down really well. I loved it and it was so easy to make and tasted great definitely recommend. 🙂
Amanda
Fantastic recipe! The flavours are amazing, it had a perfectly balanced combination of the raspberries and white chocolate. I made a six inch cake with the conversions stated on the website and it turned out beautifully! I didn’t have the Ateco 828 tip so I used the Wilton 4B and it looked just as nice! I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone that wants to try it ☺️ The white chocolate buttercream was also amazing, I will definitely be making more for future cakes and cupcakes!
Danielle Rowe
Hello lovely, I’ve made this cake for my daughters first birthday. Unfortunately I took one of the sponges out too early thinking it was done, and it has broken in half. If I were to divide the ingredients above by 3, would that enable me to make one extra sponge? The broken one tastes delicious! Xx
thebakingexplorer
Hi Danielle, ah I'm so sorry that happened! Yes that's right, divide by three to get the amount for one sponge layer. I'm glad it still tasted good!
Cathy
Hi! Do you think this recipe would need any adjustments if made without raspberries in the sponge? I have been trying to make a white chocolate following an American recipe and it is always dense! Thanks!
thebakingexplorer
Hi Cathy, I'm not 100% sure as I've not tried it, but I'm pretty sure it'd be absolutely fine! Let me know if you try it 😀
Sasha
Hi, is it possible to make this ahead of time and freeze it. Then ice with buttercream whilst frozen and keep in the fridge until defrosted and ready to serve?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Sasha, yes I think this would be ok, let me know how you get on!
Northie1416
I made this as a two tier birthday cake and covered it with buttercream. I added some fresh lemon zest to the sponge and it came out really nice. The cake was a big hit, got a lot of comments saying it looked professional so chuffed with this. Think al defo use this recipe again and try cupcakes next time xxx
Jacqui
Hi could I use strawberries instead of raspberries?
thebakingexplorer
Yes, I've never tried it but think that would be ok, let me know how it goes!
Meg
Hi!
What would the recipe amounts change to for a 10” cake?
Thanks
thebakingexplorer
Hi Meg, if you would like to make this cake in different size tins, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the recipe: https://thebakingexplorer.com/ingredients-conversions/
Holly Burton
Hiya, I am going to be making this recipe but just wanted to confirm the type of butter used for the cake? Is it 500g of unsalted butter? Or Stork? I will be using unsalted butter for the buttercream as this is common with other recipes but having not used this recipe before I wanted to double check. Thank you.
thebakingexplorer
Hi Holly, you can use either butter or baking spread for the cake. I prefer to use a baking spread (like Stork). Yes for the buttercream I would advise using unsalted butter. Let me know how the cake turns out!
Pamela Gordon
Hi can you tell me if the 2 layer cooking time is the same as the 3 layer?
Could you use the 3 layer ingredients and split it into two tins and change the cooking time?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Pamela, yes the cooking time is the same. I wouldn't recommend doing that as the layers will be far too thick and may not cook fully on the inside before burning on the outside. I hope that helps and do let me know if you make the cake!
Holly Dimond
Hello,
I’m planning on trying this recipe for my daughter’s christening cake. I’m planning on stacking 3 cakes (8”, 6”, 4”). My 8” cake tins are 3” deep. In the past with various recipes I’ve experienced dramatic shrinkage from the sides of my tins - I’ve read that this could be because my tins are too deep? Your recipe says at least 2” deep so I’m hoping my 3” tins will be ok?
Secondly, I’ll use your conversion chart to reduce quantities for the smaller cakes - should I reduce the oven temp or just the cooking time, or both? Thank you x
thebakingexplorer
Hi Holly, I've never heard of deep tins causing cake shrinkage before. There are lots of reasons this can happen though. When reducing the cake sizes you do not need to reduce the oven temp, but yes you do need to reduce the cooking time. I hope that helps!
Jo
This cake was very heavy. The white chocolate buttercream was good and it did look good but the sponge was not light and quite greasy.
thebakingexplorer
Hi Jo, I'm sorry to hear that! There could be a few reasons this happened! Was your self raising flour (or baking powder if you used plain flour) in date? These products can loose their rising powder if they are not fresh, which would result in a heavier cake. This could also have been caused by over mixing, or a too hot oven. Can I also check if you changed anything at all about the recipe? Hopefully we can figure out the issue together!
Pam
I made this for my daughters first birthday and it was delicious! I would highly recommend this recipe! I did the buttercream to cover the outside.
thebakingexplorer
I'm so happy to hear this Pam, thank you for letting me know!