White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

White chocolate and raspberry are a classic combination of sweet and tart, and this white chocolate raspberry cake is the perfect way to incorporate both flavors. Every bite of this dessert features light and fluffy almond-scented cake, a pop of raspberry filling and dreamy white chocolate frosting.

Like most homemade cake recipes, this one requires a few steps to assemble, but it’s certainly worth the effort. In return, you’ll end up with an impressive and balanced cake, ideal for any occasion—whether that’s a birthday, anniversary or Valentine’s Day dessert.

White Baking Chocolate vs. White Chocolate Chips?

White chocolate (aka white baking chocolate) is made with cocoa butter and milk solids. Many white chocolate chips don’t contain cocoa butter, which plays a role in the meltability of chocolate. While white chocolate chips are excellent for mixing into bars and cookies, they’re not ideal for melting when making a smooth and flavorful frosting—like the one in this white chocolate raspberry cake recipe.

Ingredients for White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

• Butter: Unsalted butter provides the base for the rich flavor of this white chocolate cake with raspberry. To incorporate it more easily, soften the butter to room temperature before making the batter.
• Sugar: Most cake recipes require granulated sugar to add sweetness. Creaming sugar with softened butter helps create a light, fluffy cake texture.
• Eggs: Two large eggs are key to making the cake layers rise. Room-temperature eggs are best; they’re easier to incorporate into the batter without overmixing.
• Vanilla and almond extracts: Almond extract adds a slightly fruity, sweet flavor, while vanilla extract enhances the cake’s overall flavor.
• Flour: All-purpose flour provides structure as the cake layers rise.
• Baking powder: Baking powder is a key leavening agent that helps the cake layers rise while baking. If you don’t use it often, test your baking powder to ensure it’s still fresh.
• Salt: A small amount of salt goes a long way in helping to balance out the sweetness in this cake.
• Milk: Using 2% milk creates moisture in the batter. If you prefer another type of milk, whole or 1% will also work.
• White chocolate: Chop your white chocolate before melting it. To achieve the best texture, stick with a white chocolate baking bar rather than white chocolate chips.
• Heavy whipping cream: Heavy whipping cream provides moisture and rich flavor in the frosting. It also helps to make a creamier frosting.
• Confectioners’ sugar: Confectioners’ sugar adds sweetness and structure to the creamy white chocolate frosting.
• Raspberry preserves: Raspberry preserves serve as the filling for this layered white chocolate cake recipe. This recipe uses seedless preserves, but you can adjust and use raspberry preserves with seeds if preferred.
• Raspberries: This raspberry white chocolate cake is garnished with fresh raspberries. Wash the berries, let them dry and use them to create a beautiful pattern on top.

Directions

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.

Editor’s Tip: Creaming the butter and sugar for enough time to achieve a fluffy cake texture is important. After five to seven minutes, it should look pale in color instead of yellow.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients

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In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk and beating well after each addition.

Editor’s Tip: Alternate the dry ingredients and milk in three parts, adding a third of the dry mixture, beating well, then a third of the milk, beating well. Repeat two more times, finishing with the milk.

Step 3: Bake the cakes

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Divide the batter between two greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake the cake layers for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing them and transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 4: Make the frosting

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In a small saucepan, combine the butter, white chocolate and cream. Heat and stir them over medium heat until they’re blended. Remove the mixture from the heat and gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and place the bowl in an ice-water bath. Using a hand mixer, beat the frosting on high speed for six to eight minutes or until it’s spreadable.

Step 5: Assemble the cake

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To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a stand or plate. Spread the raspberry preserves on the first layer, then place the second layer on top. Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake.

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Garnish with fresh raspberries if desired before serving.

Editor’s Tip: For the smoothest frosting, use helpful cake decorating tools such as an offset spatula to frost the cake the easy way.

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White Chocolate Raspberry Cake Variations

• Choose another filling: Prefer another fruit to pair with white chocolate? The possibilities are endless. Swap out the raspberry preserves and use strawberry preserves or blueberry preserves instead. You could also make raspberry cake filling or try it with lemon curd.
• Try chocolate cake: This recipe makes two fluffy vanilla-almond cake layers. For a twist, try baking a chocolate cake instead. Assemble the rich chocolate cake layers with the raspberry filling and white chocolate frosting.
• Garnish it with nuts: White chocolate pairs wonderfully with macadamia nuts or pistachios. Consider adding crushed nuts on top to dress up the cake.

How to Store White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Because of its creamy white chocolate frosting and fresh raspberries, this cake should be stored in the fridge. Cover it with a cake dome or storage wrap. It will last up to four days in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze white chocolate raspberry cake?

You can freeze leftover cake, but because of the soft frosting, there are a few steps involved. First, place the cake in the freezer to harden the frosting. Then, wrap the cake in storage wrap and place it in a freezer bag. Store the cake in the freezer for up to two months, and thaw in the fridge overnight before serving it.

Can you make white chocolate raspberry cake in advance?

Hoping to get ahead of cake prep? You can bake the cake layers ahead of time and assemble the cake later. Cool and wrap the cake layers and store them in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw the cake layers in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for two hours before making the frosting and assembling the cake.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cake Tips

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Can you use another baking pan for white chocolate raspberry cake?

Prefer another cake shape other than round? You can certainly make a double-layer square cake or three 6-inch round cakes. Because of the raspberry filling, it’s best to avoid using a 9×13-inch pan.

What’s the secret to a soft, fluffy cake?

The key to a soft, fluffy cake starts with creaming the butter and sugar. The sugar helps to aerate the butter, leading to a lighter, fluffier texture while baking. To achieve this texture, it’s crucial to cream the butter and sugar for several minutes until they’re pale and fluffy.

How do you ensure even layers when baking a cake?

Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and measure as you go. You can use a measuring cup or kitchen scale to ensure each pan has the same amount of batter before baking. If you end up with a bit of a dome on top, it can be fixed! Once the layers have cooled, level the cake for nice, even layers.

How should you serve white chocolate raspberry cake?

A slice of white chocolate raspberry cake is terrific on its own, but you could also pair it with a scoop of fruity ice cream. If you’re serving this cake for a special occasion, pair it with a beverage such as a Kir royal or espresso martini.