Lemon, Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake

If you’re looking for a showstopping bake that’s fresh, fruity and full of zesty flavour, this Lemon, Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake is the one! It’s the kind of cake you bring out for birthdays, bake sales or summer gatherings. We’re talking moist lemon sponges, fluffy white chocolate buttercream, a tangy raspberry coulis filling, and a scattering of fresh fruit and chocolate curls to finish. It’s light, bright and full of flavour!

Your Ingredients List

• Margarine or unsalted butter: Used in the sponge for a soft, buttery crumb. I like to use Stork margarine for light and fluffy cakes, but real butter works just as well.
• White caster sugar: Adds sweetness to both the sponge and the lemon syrup. It dissolves easily, giving a smooth texture and a sweet flavour.
• Vanilla extract: Adds a lovely warmth and depth of flavour to the sponge.
• Eggs: Essential for structure and richness. This recipe uses 5 medium eggs, make sure they’re at room temperature so everything mixes smoothly.
• Self-raising flour: Gives the sponge its rise and light texture. If you only have plain flour, just add 2.5 teaspoons of baking powder.
• Milk: A splash of milk loosens up the sponge mixture and is also used to soften the buttercream.
• Lemons: You’ll need three in total for this recipe. One for the sponge, one for the lemon syrup, and one to slice up for decoration. The juice adds zing and moisture, while the zest brings loads of flavour.
• Raspberries: You’ll need about 300g altogether, some for the homemade coulis, some for the filling, and a handful to decorate the top.
• Cornflour: Also known as cornstarch, it helps thicken the coulis so it’s not too runny.
• Salted butter: Used in the buttercream for that perfect balance of salty-sweet. Make sure it’s soft before you start mixing.
• White chocolate: Melted and folded into the buttercream for creamy richness, plus for the chocolate curls on top.
• Icing sugar: Gives the buttercream its sweetness and smooth texture. Sift it first to avoid lumps.

RECIPE AT A GLANCE

TASTE

Buttery zingy sponge cake, tangy raspberry coulis and fresh berries, balanced perfectly with the creamy white chocolate buttercream. Every bite gives you that dreamy mix of sweet, sharp and rich.

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TEXTURE

The sponge is brushed with a lemon syrup keeping it soft and moist. The coulis and fresh raspberries add a jammy fruityness, while the buttercream is smooth and velvety.

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SKILL

This recipe has a few steps, but none of them are too tricky. No fancy equipment needed, just a bit of patience and a love of baking!

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SERVES

Makes one two-layer 8-inch cake, enough for 12 generous slices or more if you’re serving smaller portions.

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How To Make Lemon, Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake

This bake has a few simple elements that come together beautifully; soft lemon sponges soaked in lemon syrup, a tangy raspberry coulis, creamy white chocolate buttercream, and a handful of fresh berries and curls for the final flourish. Nothing too fancy, just layered up for maximum flavour.

Step 1: Bake the lemon sponges

To get started, you’ll want to grease and line two 8-inch round tins and get your oven preheating. The sponge mixture comes together in a flash – just beat the margarine, sugar and vanilla until nice and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time with a little flour to keep things from curdling. Once everything’s smooth, fold in the rest of the flour, along with some milk and the lemon zest and juice for that bright, citrusy flavour. Divide the mixture between your tins and pop them in the oven.

While they’re baking, you can make a simple lemon syrup. Just heat lemon juice, sugar and a splash of water until dissolved and just starting to bubble. Once the cakes are out of the oven and have cooled in their tins for about 20 minutes, prick the tops with a skewer and brush over a couple of tablespoons of syrup. It soaks in beautifully and gives the sponge an extra boost of moisture and zing. Leave to cakes to cool completely in the tins.

Step 2: Make the raspberry coulis filling

The raspberry coulis is super simple to make, just pour your leftover lemon syrup (you should have around 100ml) into a small saucepan with the raspberries and cornflour. Cook the mixture over medium heat for 5–10 minutes, stirring now and then until the raspberries have broken down and the mixture has thickened. The cornflour gives the coulis a jammy, spreadable consistency that won’t ooze out of the cake. Once thickened, strain the coulis through a sieve to remove the seeds, then pop it in the fridge to cool completely. If it ends up a little too thick, simply stir in a teaspoon of water to loosen it slightly.

Step 3: Whip up the white chocolate buttercream

Here’s how I make a smooth and creamy white chocolate buttercream. It’s super easy and the perfect soft consistency for layering and coating this Lemon, Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake.

1. Melt the chocolate. Break the white chocolate into small, even pieces and pop it into a heatproof bowl. White chocolate is more delicate than dark or milk chocolate, so it needs a bit of TLC! Gently melt it in the microwave in short 15–20 second bursts, stirring well between each go. Alternatively, you can melt it over a bowl of steaming (not boiling) water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir constantly to help it melt evenly, and remove it from the heat as soon as it’s nearly melted – the residual heat will do the rest.
2. Beat the butter. In a large bowl, beat the softened salted butter until it’s really pale and fluffy, this helps create a light, creamy buttercream. I recommend using Lurpak for a whiter buttercream.
3. Add icing sugar. Sift in the icing sugar in two batches, beating well after each. Add a splash of milk if the mixture feels too stiff.
4. Mix in the melted chocolate. Once the melted chocolate is cool (but still liquid), pour it into the buttercream and beat again until smooth and creamy.
5. Check the consistency. Too soft? Pop in the fridge for 30 mins to firm up. Too hard? Mix in a tablespoon of milk to loosen it up.

How To Assemble this Lemon, Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake

First, gather all your decorating bits-and-bobs: the lemon sponge cakes, your raspberry coulis, white chocolate buttercream and fresh raspberries. Along with a piping bag, icing spatulas, & a sharp knife, then follow these steps:

1. First level the cakes: If needed, use a knife to trim the domed cake tops so they’re flat and even. This helps the layers sit nicely.
2. Spread buttercream on top: Spread a thick layer (~1cm) of white chocolate buttercream on top of one sponge.
3. Pipe a border: Spoon about a third of the buttercream into a piping bag and snip off the tip to create an opening that’s roughly 1 inch wide. Pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake. This will hold the raspberry filling in place and stop the top sponge from sliding off!
4. Fill with raspberries and the coulis: Slice the raspberries in half and arrange in the middle, pressing them into the buttercream. Then spoon over the raspberry coulis until it’s level with the buttercream.
5. Add the next layer: Carefully place the second sponge on top, pressing gently at the edges to sandwich the cake together.
6. Coat with buttercream: Cover the whole cake, top and sides, with a generous layer of buttercream. The easiest way to do this is with a large icing spatula, dragging the buttercream upwards on the sides and then smoothing it out.

Add the Decorative Touches

To finish off, decorate your cake by dotting fresh raspberries around the edge for a pop of colour and freshness. Then, tuck in a few small lemon wedges between the raspberries to add a zesty, bright touch. Finally, use a potato peeler or sharp knife to shave curls or shards from your white chocolate and sprinkle them generously over the top. It adds a lovely textural contrast and makes the cake look extra special.

Ta-dah! Your Lemon, Raspberry & White Chocolate is complete 😍 amazing job!

Recipe FAQ’s

Lemon, Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake

This cake is the perfect balance of fresh, fruity and indulgent – with its zingy lemon sponge, tangy raspberry filling, and creamy white chocolate buttercream!

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Prep: 2 hours hours

Cook: 40 minutes minutes

Total: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 people

Equipment

• 8-inch round baking tins

Ingredients

For the lemon sponge cakes:

• 325 grams Margarine or unsalted butter I use Stork baking spread
• 350 grams White caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
• 5 medium Eggs Room temperature
• 350 grams Self-raising flour or 350 grams plain flour + 2.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoons Milk
• 1 Lemon zest and juice

For the lemon sugar syrup:

• 60 millilitres water
• 60 grams White caster sugar
• 1 Lemon jucie only

For the raspberry coulis:

• 150 grams Raspberries
• 2 teaspoons Cornflour

For the white chocolate buttercream and fresh raspberry filling:

• 200 grams White chocolate
• 400 grams Salted butter soft at room temperature
• 700 grams Icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons Milk
• 50 grams Raspberries

For the decoration:

• 100 grams Raspberries to dot around the edge
• 1 Lemon cut into small wedges
• 50 grams White chocolate use a potato peel or knife to make chocolate curls/shards

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Start by baking the lemon cakes:

• Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake tins with baking paper.
• Beat the margarine (or butter), caster sugar and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy.
  325 grams Margarine or unsalted butter, 350 grams White caster sugar, 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
• Beat in the eggs one at a time. TIP: Add a spoonful of the 350g flour with each egg to stop the mixture from curdling.
  5 medium Eggs
• Fold in the flour and milk until combined.
  350 grams Self-raising flour, 1 tablespoons Milk
• Fold in the lemon zest and juice. The cake mixture should be smooth and combined.
  1 Lemon
  
• Divide the mixture evenly between the cake tins. Bake on the middle shelf of your oven for 40-45 minutes until risen, golden and the sponge springs back when pressed in the middle. Whilst the cakes are baking, make the lemon sugar syrup (steps below).
  

Meanwhile, prepare the lemon sugar syrup and soak the cakes:

• In a small saucepan combine the water and sugar. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolved and the liquid is clear. Squeeze in the lemon juice and continue to heat until the mixture reaches a boiling point. Remove and leave to cool.
  60 millilitres water, 60 grams White caster sugar, 1 Lemon
• Leave the baked cakes to cool in the tins for 20 minutes. Then prick the top of the sponges all over with a toothpick or skewer, and brush or spoon the syrup over them (only use roughly 1-2 tablespoons of syrup). The syrup will sink into the sponge, making it super soft and full of lemon flavour. Leave the cakes in the tins to cool completely.
  

Prepare the raspberry coulis:

• In a saucepan, combine the raspberries, the remaining sugar syrup (roughly 100ml) and cornflour. Cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the raspberries have softened, the liquid is bubbling up and has thickened. Strain through a sieve into a bowl to remove the seeds, then place in the fridge to cool.
  150 grams Raspberries, 2 teaspoons Cornflour
  

Prepare the white chocolate buttercream:

• Break the chocolate into a bowl and melt in the microwave in 15-20 second bursts until smooth. Be careful not to overheat as white chocolate can burn very quickly. Allow the heat of the bowl to melt any remaining chunks. Set aside to cool.
  200 grams White chocolate
• Beat the butter until soft and pale in colour. Sift in the icing sugar in two stages and mix until smooth. If the buttercream feels a little stiff, add the milk a tablespoon at a time.
  400 grams Salted butter, 700 grams Icing sugar, 2 tablespoons Milk
• Pour in the cooled melted chocolate and mix until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.
  

Assemble the cake:

• If the cakes have domed on top, level them off with a sharp knife. You want to get them as flat and level as possible.
• Place one sponge layer on a cake stand or plate and spread a thick layer of buttercream on top.
• Pipe a ring of buttercream around the outside. Slice the raspberries in half and arrange them in the middle in an even layer.
  50 grams Raspberries
  
• Spoon over the raspberry coulis until it's level with the buttercream ring.
  
• Carefully place the second layer on top and press down at the edges to sandwich the cakes together. Coat the top and sides of the cake with buttercream. Use the back of a spoon or icing palette knife to create a swirly finish.
  
• Decorate the top of the cake with raspberries, lemon wedges and chocolate curls.
  100 grams Raspberries, 1 Lemon, 50 grams White chocolate
  

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