This White Chocolate Raspberry Cake combines white chocolate cake layers with a white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream, fresh raspberries, and raspberry jam. A perfect flavour combination!
Hi everyone! Sorry it’s been so long since my last post/recipe — this was not intended. For those of you who don’t know, we got a puppy at the end of June and it’s been pure chaos ever since. I knew that puppies were a lot of work, but this is a whole ‘nother level of craziness.
I actually made this White Chocolate Raspberry Cake weeks (months?) ago with the intent to post it in July. That obviously didn’t happen.
In addition to the puppy (who we named Zelda, after our mutual love of the video game franchise), we were also dealing with some unplanned renos due to a water leak in a neighbor’s unit that flooded our basement in early June.
I exaggerate a bit when I say flooded — it was a slow leak in a cracked pipe that cause water to seep up from under the floorboards. But still, one wall and the entire floor had to be ripped up and replaced which finally just happened last week, so we were living in a construction zone for 2 months.
This might not seem like that big of a deal, but the basement is actually where we hang out the most. It’s a walkout with huge windows and a view — it’s where we have our tv, and it’s generally the coziest room in the house. If we had a fireplace down here, I’m convinced we’ve never leave! It’s also the main puppy space, so the whole reno was really disruptive.
Ryan and I opted to do the demo and move all our furniture to save a bit of time/money. We have some rather large pieces of furniture down here that we had to move (giant sectional + chaise, book cases, tv, etc). It was a lot of work! Poor Zelda was confined to her pen for the better part of a weekend, and then got shuffled upstairs while the work was being done.
I’m complaining. I tend to do that. In the grand scheme of things, it could have been a lot worse. None of our stuff was damaged, insurance paid for the whole thing, and we have a nice new floor down here now (the old one was terrible).
Zelda though, she’s a handful omg. Potty training has been a nightmare. I think (hope) that’s mostly due to all the disruption we’ve had with the unplanned renos (literally the worst timing for that to happen). She’s been moved around from downstairs to upstairs and back again. Hoping things calm down a bit in that regard since the renos are officially done (YAY!). Now that that’s settled, I’m hoping to get a bit more consistency for her with everything.
The worst part, though, has been the biting. I know that puppies bite. But she BITES. Like, draws blood if you let her (and sometimes even if you try not to), with those razor sharp puppy teeth. I know it’s her way of playing/teething, but omg, it is brutal. My arms and hands are just shredded and bruised from those puppy teeth. It’s SO painful. Literally nothing we try has worked. We’ve tried redirecting her to toys, disengaging, yelping (which only gets her more hyper). There was honestly a point this weekend where I was like, this is hell. Wtf did we do??
But then there are times where she’s so cute and adorable I can’t imagine that I was ever mad/frustrated with her. My friend Eva said to me yesterday, “Puppies are as cute as they are for survival purposes – otherwise you’d kill them.” There has never been a more accurate statement.
Anyhow, let’s talk about this White Chocolate Raspberry Cake, because it’s crazy delicious.
I’m actually not a fan of white chocolate. It’s not really chocolate after all. It contains no cocoa solids and is made up strictly of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk. But I had a request in my Facebook Group for a White Chocolate Raspberry Cake, and who am I to turn that down? It makes perfect use of those summer berries, too.
Honestly, this cake is now one of my favourites. The white chocolate flavour is there, but it’s not overpowering like straight up white chocolate can be. And the sweet/tart fresh raspberries are a perfect compliment.
How to make this White Chocolate Raspberry Cake
To make this white chocolate cake, I modified the recipe from my White Chocolate Candy Cane Cake. Technically the ratio of sugar in this recipe is too high, because the white chocolate also has sugar in it. I didn’t find it overly sweet though, and I loved the texture, so I’m leaving the recipe as-is. Note that the cake will bake up with a darker golden crust due to the extra sugar. If you like, you can reduce the granulated sugar in the recipe to 1 1/2 cups instead.
This is considered a mud cake due to the chocolate in the cake batter. Mud cakes are dense, moist, and almost fudgy in texture. If you’re looking for a light and fluffy cake, this is not it!
I used raspberry jam between the layers along with fresh raspberries for an extra hit, but you can leave the jam out if you like. I used store-bought seeded jam (I like the seeds), but you can use any you like, or even homemade if you prefer!
The decorating style of this White Chocolate Raspberry Cake is very simple. I kept the sides semi-naked and did a design on top similar to my Lemon Elderflower Cake. I piled some fresh raspberries on top, and added some thyme sprigs for a pop of green.
This truly is a delicious flavour combination, and the fresh berries make it so perfect for summer!
Looking for more berry desserts?
- Strawberry Cake with Mascarpone Buttercream
- Vanilla Custard Cookie Cups
- Raspberry Mango Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Blueberry Shortcake
Tips for making this White Chocolate Cake with Raspberries
- This is considered a mud cake due to the chocolate in the cake batter. Mud cakes are dense, moist, and almost fudgy in texture. If you’re looking for a light and fluffy cake, this is not it!
- The ratio of sugar in this recipe is high due to the addition of the white chocolate. This will give a darker crust. I did not find it overly sweet, but you can reduce the sugar to 1 1/2 cups instead.
- Try to use the best quality white chocolate you can find. White chocolate chips will do, but the flavour will be better with good quality white chocolate.
- If you don’t like raspberries, this white chocolate cake would be just as delicious with blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my Flat Top Cakes post!
White Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Ingredients
White Chocolate Cake:
- 6 oz white chocolate chopped (or white chocolate chips)
- 2 cups milk
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 oz white chocolate chopped, melted, cooled
Assembly:
- 500 g fresh raspberries divided
- 6 Tbsp raspberry jam seeded or seedless (optional)
Instructions
White Chocolate Cake:
- Heat milk and chocolate until melted and combined, cool to room temperature.*
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 8" cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins). Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour (4 additions of flour and 3 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Bake for approx. 40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.
White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.**
- Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins). Or registers 160F on a candy thermometer.
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.***
- Add white chocolate and whip until smooth.
Assembly:
- Reserve 1/3rd of the prettiest raspberries (160g) for the top of the cake. Very roughly chop remaining 2/3rds of the raspberries (330g). I basically just made sure each was cut in half.
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread approx. 3 Tbsp of raspberry jam evenly across the layer, right to the edges. Top with 1 cup of buttercream and spread evenly. Press half of the chopped raspberries evenly into the frosting. Repeat with next layer.
- Top with final layer of cake and crumb coat. Add 1 cup of buttercream to the very top and smooth until it hangs over the sides. Use an icing smoother to smooth the sides and create a lip on the top with the frosting.
- Dollop a bit of frosting on the top and spread out in a rustic manner. Top with fresh raspberries and thyme sprigs if desired.
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Notes
** Wipe your mixer bowl and whisk down with lemon juice or vinegar to make sure it is completely grease free and make sure there is no trace of yolk in your whites or your meringue will not stiffen.
*** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth. If it looks soupy, place it in the fridge for 20mins and rewhip.
Catherine says
Hi Olivia!
First off, I’ve baked that cake before and I just wanna say, it was absolutely amazing. So amazing in fact, that I’m thinking of baking it again for a work get together.
I’d like to have your opinion on the whole thing if you don’t mind.
I’d like to make single portion trifles in cute little verrines with it instead of bringing in a big cake, partly for safety reasons, partly for transportation reasons and mostly to make it less of a hassle to serve and all of that. For that reason, I’m wondering if it would be fine to bake the cakes in sheet pans instead so that my cakes are already pretty thin instead of having to slice it? I will definitely double the batter recipe (or at the very least 1.5x it) to make sure I have enough cake for the 30-ish portions I need to make, each with 2 layers of cake in them, but I don’t know what’s the size of my pan’s gonna be yet 😂 But is there anything I should take into consideration? Obviously baking time is going to be much shorter, but y’know. Imma keep an eye on the cakes to make sure they don’t burn 😂
TLDR:
1. Will it work fine in a 1″ sheet pan?
2. Should I lower the oven temperature?
3. Last time I’ve used the baking strips method to ensure the cakes didn’t rise too much, are they going to rise in a sheet pan? Is there anything I can do to ensure they don’t in a sheet pan or should I just cross my fingers and hope for the best?
4. Should I rise the grill of my oven a bit to ensure the bottom doesn’t burn especially since there’s more sugar in that cake recipe than usual?
Thank you so much for your help!
Olivia says
Hi Catherine! I’m so happy you love this recipe. I haven’t baked this or other recipes in a sheet pan but here are my thoughts:
1. It should be fine, but don’t fill it too full so that it doesn’t overflow. 3/4 full at most.
2. There is no harm in lowering the temp to 325. It will take longer to bake but may bake more evenly.
3. Lowering the temperature should help the cake bake more flat. You can also gently press down on any domes right after the cake comes out of the oven (https://livforcake.com/flat-top-cakes/).
4. I would bake it in the center of the oven.
Let me know how it turns out!!
Adiine says
Fabulous cake! Absolutely loved it. I made it for my son’s birthday and used strawberries and strawberry jam instead of raspberries as he loves strawberries. My other three kids now want this cake for their next birthdays!. YUM!
Olivia says
Hi Adiine! So happy you all loved it. Thank you!
Rachel says
I want to make white chocolate SMB, but I want it to be as white as possible. In the pictures here your SMB looks pretty white. Would you say the white chocolate SMB is the same color as regular SMB? I have also read your tips on getting SMB super white ☺️
Olivia says
Hi Rachel! It should be a similar color since white chocolate is sort of the color of butter. Definitely use those tips on getting it white and if you start with a whiter butter/chocolate that would be best!
Nev says
Amazing cake! My whole family loved it too! Thanks 🙂
Olivia says
So glad to hear that! 🙂
Brityn says
Hi,
I was just wondering if “bakers” white chocolate would work or should I go buy some Lindt?
Also is it possible to make the components in stages ? Make the cakes one day then refrigerate, then make buttercream the next and assemble the third day?
Thanks so much
Olivia says
Hi Brityn! I don’t use Bakers chocolate so I can’t say for sure how it would go/taste. I always opt for the highest quality you can find since it’s such a prominent component. If you like the taste of it though then that’s what’s important 🙂
You can definitely make things in advance, here are my tips:
For the Cake: Cool the layers, double wrap in plastic wrap, freeze for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
For the Buttercream: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 1 week for freeze for 3 months. Bring to room temperature and rewhip before using.
If you’re making the buttercream just the day before, leave it on the counter overnight. It will get too firm in the fridge and take too long to come to room temp again. Be sure to rewhip it.
Chris Emsley says
Hi I live in the UK and have been asked to make this cake for a wedding. Here in the UK in cakes we normally use caster sugar, but notice your recipe uses granulated sugar. Can I use caster sugar, it is a finer sugar than granulated. Also I need to make a 10” cake .is it 1.5 times your recipe for 8” cake. Many Thanks Chris
Olivia says
Hi Chris! You can use caster sugar instead, no problem. Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
Based on that I think 1.5x is the best way to go. For ease you can change the Servings to 24 to get the amounts.
Rina Kone says
Hello there! Looking forward to trying this 🙂
Do you know about how many cups of batter this recipe makes?
Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Rina! I’ve never measured it, no. What size cake are you wanting to make?
Jennifer DN says
Hi, what pan size did you use? And how many layers does this recipe produce. Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Jennifer! All of the details are in the post and recipe. I used three 8″ pans 🙂
Melissa says
Could this amount of batter be ok for two 10” pans as is? What would the baking time be?
Olivia says
Hi Melissa! I think it would be too thin. Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here are some sites I use as a guideline:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
https://www.cookipedia.co.uk/recipes_wiki/Cake_tin_conversion_charts
EmiJean says
Would I be able to make this batter in (2) 8″ pans by lowering the temperature and increasing the bake time?
I made the recipe as is with 3 pans and it was excellent! I have now been requested to make this with just 2 thicker layers and I’m not even sure if that’s possible.
Thanks!!
Olivia says
Hi EmiJean! I worry that there would be too much cake batter for two 8″ pans and that it would spill over (unless they are 3″ tall). If they are 3″ tall then you should just need to increase the baking time. Otherwise I recommend this recipe for two 8″ layers that are about 2″ tall each: https://livforcake.com/white-chocolate-cake/
EmiJean says
Perfect! Thank you for the feedback! I will definitely use this other recipe for the 2 pans.
Ana B says
This cake was amazing! I cooked it for a little less time probably more around 25 to 30 minutes and it came out really great. The icing was not bad but was a little too buttery to my taste even when I cut it down to only one stick. Besides that the recipe was fantastic! I will definitely have this again.. 😊
Olivia says
Hi Ana! I’m so happy you loved it!
Duyen says
This cake sounds and looks so delicious. I’m just wondering if you can somehow substitute eggs since a member of my family is allergic to eggs.
Olivia says
Hi Duyen! You should be able to use an egg substitute for the cake without issue, but not so much for the frosting. I would try this frosting recipe instead: https://livforcake.com/ermine-frosting/
Olivia says
This cake was WONDERFUL! I ended up reducing the sugar to 1 1/2 cups like you suggested in your notes, and it was the perfect amount of sweetness. I forgot to add the fresh raspberries between layers but just got to throw extra fresh raspberries on top. Perfect for Christmas!
Olivia says
Hi Olivia! So happy you loved it 🙂
Trisha Garud says
I don’t know what I did but it turned absolutely disgusting texture-wise. It was soggy. Like a wet sock in the rain. Like mush. Really confused as to why this happened.
Olivia says
Hi Trisha! It sounds like something went very wrong somewhere. Did you make any substitutions at all? Did it seem underbaked? The cake should be moist and quite dense due to the white chocolate (it’s a mud cake). Was it the juice from the raspberries that maybe made the cake a little mushy or was this before you added them?
Sarah Elizabeth Johnston says
Is it possible to color the buttercream? I am hesitant because of the white chocolate in it. An inexperienced baker here. I want to make this for my daughter’s birthday!
Olivia says
Hi Sarah! You can color it, but Swiss meringue buttercream doesn’t take color as well as an American buttercream would. I recently had success coloring my buttercream red in my most recent post (https://livforcake.com/chocolate-peppermint-cake/) by adding a bit of powdered sugar to the frosting. Worked like a charm and you couldn’t feel any grittiness at all. I talk about it a bit in that post.