This White Chocolate Raspberry Cake combines white chocolate cake layers with a white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream, fresh raspberries, and raspberry jam. A perfect flavor 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 favorites. The white chocolate flavor 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 flavor 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 flavor 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 extract
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.
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.
Jess says
Hi Olivia, I love your recipes, they’re my go to cakes for a special occasion, but always find the Swiss meringue buttercream just ends up tasting too buttery. Is it possible to reduce the quantity of butter without compromising the texture?
Thanks
Jess
Olivia says
Hi Jess! Thank you! It is definitely more buttery than an American buttercream would be, but be fire to really give it a good whip once all the butter is added. It should be light and fluffy and not taste like you’re eating a stick of butter :). That being said, you can definitely reduce the amount of butter too!
Gina says
Can I use frozen berries in between the layer? Thanks.
Olivia says
Hi Gina! You can give that a try. I would thaw the berries first and they will be a bit more liquidy/mushy, but they’ll be between the layers anyhow so I think it would be ok 🙂
Saachi says
Hi Liv! Your cakes look so amazing and I’m hoping to make this cake for my sister’s 25th birthday 🙂
I just have a few questions:
1. I’m currently in the UK, would it be okay to use plain flour? – I looked at some of the comments but I’m still a bit confused as to what I should use
2. I only have and electric hand mixer – does this change any of the instructions (i.e. creaming the butter and sugar for longer or the timings for the swiss meringue buttercream)/ would I have to make the batter in batches?
3. Should I put simple syrup on the cake?
4. When assembling the cake should I pipe on the frosting or spread it with a spatula/spoon (does this make a difference?)
5. You mentioned to use a high quality white chocolate – do you have any brand recommendations (would callebaut be okay?)
Thank you so much! (Sorry for the many questions)
Olivia says
Hi Saachi! I answered a couple of your questions below so I’ll just answer the other ones now.
3. You can if you like! Totally up to you.
5. I like to use Callebaut but any good, couverture chocolate will work. For grocery store brands Lindt is fine too though!
Saachi says
Hi Liv! Thank you so much for this recipe, it was a massive hit!!
The plain flour in the UK worked perfectly, and making the swiss meringue buttercream with an electric hand mixer worked out very well too :))
The cake tasted so amazing, and was finished the same night!
I love your recipes and will be definitely trying out some of your other cakes at some point.
Thank you for answering my questions too!!
Olivia says
Yay!! So happy to hear that 😀 Thanks so much for your tips! I can’t wait to hear what you try next 🙂
Asmita says
Hi there! The recipe says to use a high quality white chocolate – can you give some brand suggestions?Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Asmita! I like to use Callebaut but any good, couverture chocolate will work. For grocery store brands Lindt is fine too though!
Saachi says
Hi Liv! Your cakes look so amazing, and i’m hoping to make this cake for my sister’s 25th birthday (feeling a bit nervous because I’m inexperienced haha) :))
I just have a few questions:
1. I’m currently in the UK, would it be okay to use plain flour? – I looked at some of the comments but I’m still a bit confused as to what I should use
2. I only have an electric hand mixer – does this change any of the instructions (e.g. creaming the butter and sugar longer) / would i have to make the batter in batches?
3. Should I put simple syrup on the cake?
4. When assembling the cake should I pipe on the frosting or spread it with a spatula/spoon (does this even make a difference?)
Olivia says
Hi Saachi! Thank you!
1. I *think* plain flour is the same as AP, but haven’t tried it myself. You could also use cake flour (not self-raising though).
2. A hand mixer will be totally fine for the cake batter, just make sure to cream the butter and sugar well. I don’t recommend using it for the buttercream though as it would take a long time of whipping to whip up the meringue and then again once you add the butter. It’s doable, but might take up to 30mins or so and be very tiring.
3. I spread the frosting because I hate filling piping bags, but either way works! If you were to add a lot more raspberry jam though, you should pipe a buttercream dam along the edges to hold it in.
I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Martha says
Hey Liv!
I’m a bit confused. Is the sponge white chocolate too? I don’t see when you add the white chocolate into the batter? I read it three times to make sure and you didn’t mention it. Unless I’m definitely not reading it throughly.
Olivia says
Hi Martha! The chocolate is melted with the milk in step #1 and that’s what’s used in step 6 of the cake batter 🙂
Rosemary E says
Thanks for this great recipe!
Do you have any idea if this recipe would accommodate 2 heart shaped baking tins? They each hold 12 cups. Thanks on advance!
Olivia says
Hi Rosemary! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html I would double the recipe for two of those heard pans.
Rosemary E says
Thank you so much!
Irene says
Hello, thanks so much for the detailed instructions. To store assembled for the day, would you refrigerate or leave on counter?
Olivia says
Hi Irene! I always refrigerate my cakes, but it should be totally fine on the counter for a day or so.
Gayathri Dharmavaram says
Hello,
I was wondering if the same cake and buttercream quantities listed in the post would suffice if I were to use four 6 inch (15cm) 3 inch deep pans instead of three 8 inch pans?
Olivia says
Hi Gayathri! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Gayathri says
I tried changing the recipe to cater to the 6 inch tin and that didn’t work. However, I found a 6 inch recipe on your website and it turned out delicious! Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Gayathri! So happy you liked it!
Saleha Khatun says
Hi Olivia,
I really want to make this but only have 2 20cm cake tine – could i not just use my tins and have a 2 layered cake instead?
Olivia says
Hi Saleha! I think that would be fine but be sure to increase the baking time. Also, you might have a bit too much batter — don’t fill the pans more than 2/3 full or so.
Pamela McDaniel says
I made this cake & it’s wonderful. A little time consuming, but worth the extra time. In the past I have ordered a similar cake from a food supplier, it was expensive – $106 for two sheet cakes that was two layered – good but expensive. This recipe was adapted into sheet cakes and homemade raspberry sauce was plated below the cake. Wonderful!!!
Olivia says
Hi Pamela! So happy to hear you loved it! Thank you for the great feedback 🙂
Freya Spencer says
Hi!
Thank you for the recipe! It’s such a beautiful cake.
We just had problems with the icing. It didn’t curdle as such – but seemed very loose. It wasn’t stiff as we tried to ice it, it ran across the cake. We made sure the meringue was stiff before adding the cubed butter, so where do you think we could be going wrong? Unfortunately we didn’t get the smooth rustic look and looked a bit wet and sloppy. Would love to know how to improve!
Freya 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Freya! Is it possible the meringue was still warm or the butter too soft when you added it? That can cause a soft buttercream but it is very fixable with some time in the fridge. Have a read through my tips and troubleshooting here: https://livforcake.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream-recipe/
Nisha says
Hello, this cake looks lovely and I am going to be using it for an event this week. How does this work with fondant? Can I cover the cake with fondant?
Olivia says
Hi Nisha! It should work great with fondant. Just be sure to chill the cake first so the frosting firms up.
Nisha Venkatesan says
Thank you. The cake tasted delicious , I guess the best white chocolate cake I ever had. I guess I did one mistake though, I put the cake in the freezer before covering it with fondant. The meringue below started melting after a few hours. Would you recommend just putting it in the refrigerator and not freezer before covering with fondant?
Olivia says
So glad you liked it! I haven’t worked with fondant in a long time, but I would recommend fridge over freezer. I think there can be too much condensation from the freezer once it thaws which is maybe what happened here?
Nicolthepickle says
I divided it into two layers and used 1 tsp salt. It was amazing, probably the best “white” cake I’ve ever had. Good texture, good flavour and it stays fresh for quite a while.
Erik says
Hi,
This cake looks amazing, I would like to bake this for my mum’s birthday and was just wondering how deep do the cake tins need to be?
Thank you 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Erik! My cake pans are 2″ deep, but 3″ would work just fine too. I hope your mom loves it!
Hannah says
Delicious! How do you stop the berries juice running?
Olivia says
Hi Hannah! The berry juice from running where? Once you cut the cake?
Hannah Craib says
Hi Olivia, I mean the raspberries on top. How best do you stop juices running down your white icing. Especially for a wedding cake that might sit for a few hours. Thanks so much Hannah
Olivia says
Hi Hannah! I didn’t have any issue with juices. The raspberries were fresh, and I washed and dried them before using them on the cake. There shouldn’t be any juice unless they are cut I think?
Hannah says
I think you’re right, super fresh raspberries are key! A gave them a good pat down too to dry them off. No running! Thank you!
Olivia says
Awesome! Glad to hear it 🙂
Diana gillogly says
One of your best cakes.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Diana! 🙂
Heather D. says
I made this for my daughter’s baby shower. It was fantastic!!!! Everyone loved it!!! Thank you for the recipe.
Olivia says
Hi Heather! So happy to hear that! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Dill R. says
Hello Olivia!
I haven’t tried this cake recipe but I’m very excited to do so! I have a couple quick questions and I’m sorry if anyone else has asked before. I’m not sure how much your recipe actually makes but if I’m baking this in a 9×13 cake pan (I’m making a quarter sheet for a party I’m going too) will one batch be enough or do I need to multiply/divide? I just wanna ensure I’m mixing enough and buying enough before I start rather than constantly having to mix more batches.
Also how well does this cake bake/rise? Is it flatter on top, slightly domed? I understand many factors can contribute to the baking but a general idea is always good so I can expect something. I plan on baking this and making a double layer cake if that helps at all.
Thanks for any advice you can share! I can’t wait to try!
Olivia says
Hi Dill! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html I haven’t baked it myself in a 9×13 pan, but I would 1.5x the recipe and make cupcakes with any excess batter. Always better to have too much than too little, right? This cake is more on the denser side due to the white chocolate, and doesn’t rise as much as a chocolate cake would. All my cakes bake up flat because I use baking strips – it really helps! https://livforcake.com/flat-top-cakes/
Skye says
I made this cake using just the 1.5cups sugar, and I liked the texture (dense & heavy), but it was still too sweet for my tastes. I stirred raspberries into the batter ~1.5cups (frozen, and dusted with flour) and they added some fun color and flavor bursts in what was otherwise sort of just a generically sweet cake*. Ill definitely make this again though, maybe adding more berries and cutting the sugar even more, but it seems to be a pretty versatile recipe (change berries and/or extracts, maybe even sub in real chocolate for the white) so it should fit many occasions- especially potlucks!- without much trouble I imagine.
*Generically sweet is what I also think about most grocery store cake, so its not way sweeter than most standard cake, just not up my alley.
Olivia says
Hi Skye! Thanks for the feedback and tips. I’m so glad you liked the recipe! It should definitely be quite versatile when it comes to switching flavours and/or berries 🙂
Dawn says
Hi! I am wanting to make a naked cake and I want to use this cake but wondering if the raspberry filling will smear with the frosting?! I’d like to keep it as white as possible. Any tips or ideas on how to do it?
Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Dawn! Do a border with buttercream on top of each layer and then fill the center with the raspberry filling. The border will hold it in and prevent it from leaking out. Be sure not to put too much filling though.
Lisa says
Hi Olivia,
I love the flavour combo of white chocolate and raspberries. Wondering if I could fold through frozen raspberries into the cake batter prior to baking? If so, what quantity of raspberries (in grams please as I’m writing from Australia!) And should I adjust the baking time, or other ingredients?
Thanks so much!
Lisa
P.S.
I’ve now made two of your cakes – coconut lime and salted caramel cakes, both were a huge hit! I want to make all your cakes now 😀
Olivia says
Hi Lisa! So glad you like my recipes! I usually recommend fresh berries and tossing them in flour first so they don’t sink, so not sure how the frozen ones will work. I suspect they will probably be fine though? Maybe toss them in flour just in case and do not thaw them first. For the amount, I’m not sure in grams as I usually use cups here. I’d probably recommend a cup or so. Be careful not to overmix the batter though! Baking time may need to increase as well as pan size (or height) as there will be more volume of batter).