Soft, light and moist vanilla raspberry cake – your favourite vanilla layer cake from childhood meets your new favourite raspberry frosting. If you ever need a cake to welcome spring, this is it!
(Love raspberries? Me too! Check out this delicious – and no-bake – raspberry white chocolate raspberry tart. So much fun to make and eat! Or start your day by drizzling this this super quick and easy homemade raspberry sauce on your waffles or pancakes. It’s ready in 15 minutes.)
Today marks the official start of spring. Well, at least that’s what they say in the news.
Never mind that I still wear my parka out. If it’s on TV, it must be true right? Right.
Whatever the weather where you are, you’re sure to have a spring in your step (sorry, couldn’t help it!) after having a slice of this cake. It’s perfect for Easter too. Or Mother’s Day. Or I-Deserve-A-Cake Day (a.k.a. everyday).
Raspberry layer cake makes for a fun birthday cake too!
This vanilla raspberry cake makes for a delightful birthday cake too. Once frosted and decorated, it looks so bright and happy (who can resist that colour?) and just waiting for a birthday song.
(Just so happens it’s my brother’s birthday today so yay! Happy birthday J! Much love xoxo.)
How to make vanilla raspberry cake
So on to this cake. First the vanilla cake layers. I like a unique cake as much as the next person (ginger matcha persimmon carrot mocha cake anyone?) but I always go back to the classics.
Like chocolate, lemon and, of course, vanilla.
We probably all grew up having a vanilla cake on one of our birthdays and I just love the simplicity of it.
The cake base here is the same one I used for my equally fun and festive rainbow cake but I amped up the vanilla flavour even more.
Making the vanilla cake is straightforward – first combine your dry ingredients, cream your wet ingredients until light and triple in volume, then add back your dry ingredients alternating with milk.
Transfer to pans, bake and cool before frosting.
How to make raspberry frosting
For the frosting, I used ready-made raspberry jam
. It had seeds in it but that didn’t bother me one bit. Of course, you can opt for a seedless jam.
Also, you can make your own. I bet that would be incredible.
And making raspberry frosting is even easier than making the cake! Just combine butter and jam until smooth and creamy. Then add the confectioner’s sugar
(or powdered sugar or icing sugar). That’s it!
Recipe for vanilla raspberry cake
Not only is this raspberry layer cake easy to bake, the ingredients are simple and easily available too:
For the cake layers you would need pantry staples like:
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Large eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla paste
(though you can also use use vanilla extract, you just won’t get those lovely specks of vanilla) - Canola oil
- Milk
(though you can also use use 
, you just won’t get those lovely specks of vanilla)The ingredients for the raspberry frosting are just as uncomplicated:
- Unsalted butter
- Raspberry jam
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Milk
Like I mentioned, feel free to use fresh raspberries to make your own raspberry jam or raspberry puree to make the frosting.
Recommended tools for cake decorating
You don’t need special equipment to bake the cake – if you have 8-inch cake pans
and a mixer – handheld
or stand mixer
– you’ll be fine.
To be honest, you don’t really need special tools to decorate a cake either. If you have an offset spatula
, you can frost a cake.
But let’s face it, as bakers, we’re kinda sorta hoarders when it comes to cake decorating tools, right? Just me? Only my baking drawer is overflowing with knick knacks I hardly use? Say it ain’t so!
To be honest, I have bought so. many. things. over the years. Ninety percent of which I’ve only ever used once or not at all (shhhh don’t tell Red).
These are some of the ones I use all the time though. So next time you’re shopping for your next baking toy (which is all the time amiright?), they are definitely worth looking at:
- A cake turntable makes it so easy to, well, turn the cake as you’re frosting it.
makes it so easy to, well, turn the cake as you’re frosting it.- While a cake leveller is super useful if you want even layers; you can use a serrated knife to do this but I’ve never been good with a knife so I love this little gadget.
is super useful if you want even layers; you can use a 
to do this but I’ve never been good with a knife so I love this little gadget. - A bench scraper is good not just for cutting dough or bars, it also helps you perfect your crumb coat
is good not just for cutting dough or bars, it also helps you perfect your - Piping bag – I have a couple of reusable ones and some disposable ones. You can use a Ziploc bag with one of the tips cut off although this is a little but more difficult to control.
and some 
. You can use a Ziploc bag with one of the tips cut off although this is a little but more difficult to control. - Decorating tips. I would caution against buying those tip sets where you get something like 100 tips for $50. You really won’t need all of them unless you decorate cakes for a living. Start with everyone’s favourite tip, the giant star tip for less than $5 and maybe a few smaller ones for another $5. That’s really all you need.
for less than $5 and maybe a few smaller ones for another $5. That’s really all you need.These are technically not cake decorating tools but every baker needs:
- A kitchen scale. You’ll find you’ll get better results if you weigh your ingredients instead of measuring them out by volume.
. You’ll find you’ll get better results if you weigh your ingredients instead of measuring them out by volume.- Every oven is different so an oven thermometer will let you know for sure if you’re baking at the right temperature.
will let you know for sure if you’re baking at the right temperature.Vanilla cake with raspberry frosting
So now that you’ve baked the perfect cake and made the fluffiest buttercream, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labour!
The vanilla and the raspberry complement each other so well here. The result is a cake that’s bursting with flavour.
The frosting does not bring down the lightness of the vanilla cake. The vanilla flavour does not get overpowered by the raspberry frosting.
It’s not overwhelmingly sweet either (and I’m not just saying that so I can eat more than 1 slice at a time). Perfect with coffee, tea or, you know, just because.
So whatever you’re celebrating, add this vanilla raspberry cake to your spread. It’s delicious, bright, light and just all-around cheerful.
Celebration cake recipes
Got a celebration coming up? Whether it’s Easter, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day or someone’s birthday, here are more celebration cake recipes that’s sure to make everyone smile:
-
- Ube Cake (Filipino Purple Yam Cake)
-
- Funfetti Cake: A Very Special Birthday Cake
Vanilla Raspberry Cake with Raspberry Frosting
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Cake:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 pcs large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla paste you can substitute with the same amount of vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1 1/4 cups milk room temperature
For the Raspberry Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar more may be needed to achieve desired consistency
- 3 tbsp milk more may be needed to achieve desired consistency
Instructions
For the Vanilla Cake Layers:
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease the sides and the bottoms of 3 8-inch pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper for easy release.
- In a medium bowl, combine 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 4 eggs, 2 cups sugar and 1 tablespoon vanilla paste until light and triple in volume (7-10 minutes). Start on low speed then gradually move up to medium-high speed. Drizzle the 3/4 cup canola oil while beating.
- Switch to low speed and add a third of your flour then half your milk. Another third of your flour, the rest of your milk and finally the rest of your flour. Make sure each addition is incorporated well. Beat the batter until smooth (3-5 minutes). Remember to scrape the bottom and sides of your bowl.
- Transfer your batter into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with minimal crumbs.
- Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Raspberry Frosting:
- Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup raspberry jam on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy (2-3 minutes).
- Switch to low speed and add confectioner's sugar a little at a time until well incorporated. Once you've added all the sugar, add 3 tablespoons milk and beat the frosting on high speed for 2 minutes until very smooth and fluffy. At this point, check your frosting and decide if you're happy with the consistency. If not, add more sugar or milk about 1/2 teaspoon at a time and continue beating until you get the consistency you want. Be sure to taste the frosting as you go.
For the Assembly:
- Trim the tops of the cake to ensure they are level. Evenly spread frosting on top of first cake layer. Do the same for next two layers. Then proceed to cover the rest of the cake with frosting and decorate as desired.
Video
Happy baking!
Did you make vanilla raspberry cake or the raspberry frosting? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
And let’s get social! Find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Flipboard.
(This post was updated on 12 February 2019.)
mandielei says
May 18, 2019 at 6:22 pmI substituted strawberries/strawberry jam for raspberries & this cake was awesome!!! The cake itself was perfect & icing was divine! Adding to my recipe staples for dessert!
Jolina says
May 30, 2019 at 12:29 pmYum! That sounds delicious Mandielei! And you get to keep that nice natural pink/red tint too 🙂
Tierra says
May 7, 2019 at 11:03 amCan I make the buttercream ahead of time? If so how much ahead?
Jolina says
May 10, 2019 at 2:53 pmHi Tierra! It’s best fresh but yes, you can refrigerate it 1-2 days (I won’t go beyond two days). Make sure to cover it properly so it doesn’t absorb fridge smells 🙂 When you’re ready to use it, allow the buttercream to cool to room temp. You’d need to whip it again and possibly add milk/sugar to fluff it up and make it spreadable or reach the consistency you like. Enjoy!
Debbe says
April 12, 2017 at 8:30 pmI made this cake, I thought it was a bit dry, but overall good. I added some fresh raspberries in the cake. Thank you for sharing.
Rosa says
March 29, 2017 at 2:00 amThis cake looks absolutely perfect! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Kate says
March 28, 2017 at 1:08 pmThis cake looks so pretty and delicious! I love the idea of a raspberry frosting – I feel like I tend to only see raspberry thrown in with other flavors like lemon or chocolate.
Jolina says
March 28, 2017 at 10:00 pmThanks Kate! I must say the raspberry frosting steals the show here. I may or may not have eaten it with a spoon haha. Hope you get to try it…it’s a great spring frosting.
Sasha says
March 27, 2017 at 3:39 pmThe crumb on that cake looks amazing
Lica says
March 26, 2017 at 3:53 amI lOVE YOUR BLOG! There is a sense of comfort when I started reading (I felt like I was stalking haha creeps) your recipes…because I am from Manila too (hallooooooo!) But I was drawn to your little space of heaven up north! Haha layo! Keep blogging! ❤ love, love your masterpieces. I shall try doing them. 🙂
Jolina says
March 27, 2017 at 9:37 pmAwww this made my day Lica! 🙂 That’s very kind of you to say. Are you in Manila still? If you are know that I am jealous lol! And I hope you get to try one of the recipes on here soon. Have a lovely evening!
Hannah Palamara says
March 25, 2017 at 4:01 pmOMG yum! I think I’ll give this a try this summer!
Carmen says
March 25, 2017 at 11:21 amLooks delicious! Vanilla and Raspberry are perfect combo. I want to have a piece now.
Dawn says
March 24, 2017 at 7:01 pmOh Dear! Thank you for this. I need to run to the grocery store. My family is going to love you! 😉
Jolina says
March 27, 2017 at 9:38 pmThat’s awesome! 🙂 Hope you guys like the cake! Would love to hear how it goes.
Cameron says
March 24, 2017 at 2:14 pmI’ll be honest and say that I usually go for a boxed mix when I bake a cake. But this one looks so good I’m going to have to try it!
Jolina says
March 27, 2017 at 9:40 pmHi Cameron. That’s how I started baking too 🙂 Then I slowly ventured into by-scratch cakes and realized they’re not that hard to do after all. Hope you like this cake!
Maggie Unzueta says
March 24, 2017 at 1:15 pmThis cake has my name written all over it! Pinning for later.
Sharon says
March 24, 2017 at 12:22 pmThis cake is absolutely stunning! I completely prefer the look of a 3-tier cake vs a 2-tier. And I love that you used raspberry. It’s the perfect color for the spring and packs a great punch of flavor. I gotta try this one out!
Jolina says
March 27, 2017 at 9:42 pmHi Sharon! I love 3 layered cakes too (I once made a rainbow cake that had 6 layers and had so much fun!!).
Natalie says
March 24, 2017 at 9:16 amThis looks delicious!!!
Mallory Mitchell says
March 24, 2017 at 9:14 amThese are two of my absolute favorite flavors! I think baking a cake is now on my to-do list for this weekend 🙂
Mark says
March 24, 2017 at 4:27 amFor a late bloomer, you certainly have made up for lost time. Your cakes look very appealing. Maybe there is hope for me yet?
Jolina says
March 27, 2017 at 9:43 pmAhaha thanks Mark! Full disclosure, I got lots of failed cakes too. But yes, I practice and practice and there is always hope! 🙂
Kate says
March 24, 2017 at 12:59 amI love a light cake and this looks perfect and tasty.
Rachel says
March 23, 2017 at 8:31 pmThis looks amazing! Wish I could reach through the computer to grab a slice 🙂
Ali says
March 23, 2017 at 7:26 pmThis looks so good! I’ve been thinking about making a white cake – love the raspberry frosting! This is so perfect for spring.
candy says
March 23, 2017 at 4:01 pmI have a delicious vanilla cake recipe from the Amish but will be trying out your raspberry jam frosting. Raspberry is my daughters favorite.
Jolina says
March 27, 2017 at 9:44 pmHi Candy! I absolutely adore this frosting. I’m sure it will go well with your recipe too 🙂 Hope your daughter likes it!
Madeline says
March 23, 2017 at 3:08 pmLove a classic vanilla cake! That raspberry frosting sounds heavenly too.
Kristen Kavan says
March 23, 2017 at 2:54 pmthis cake is so pretty! I am not a huge cake person, but my husband LOVES anything cake and raspberries! I cannot wait to make this for him!
Kara says
March 23, 2017 at 2:54 pmI love that you do not use artificial colors in your frosting. The raspberries make it the perfect pink!
Jolina says
March 27, 2017 at 9:46 pmAbsolutely! The raspberry jam is just the perfect pink tint, no food colour necessary 🙂
Amanda says
March 23, 2017 at 2:37 pmThis looks amazing! Perfect for a birthday or special occasion. Saving:) Thank you!
Natanja says
March 23, 2017 at 11:13 amThis looks like my kinda cake- light, fluffy and pink! I really wish they would finally come up with a technology where I can taste what’s on the pictures, cause I would love to take a bite off this big slice of goodness! 🙂
Brittany says
March 23, 2017 at 10:50 amI would choose the ” I just a want a cake” occasion, lol. Your photography is amazing, what a beautiful post (and recipe)!
Jolina says
March 27, 2017 at 9:48 pmLOL I must say that is almost ALWAYS my reason! Thanks Brittany!
Melissa says
March 22, 2017 at 7:26 pmI need a slice of this cake! I love that it has a raspberry frosting, it sounds wonderful!
Catherine says
March 22, 2017 at 12:41 pmDear Jolina, This cake is absolutely stunning! I love the fresh frosting and the cake itself is so light and moist. I’d love a slice of this! xo
Ashley says
March 22, 2017 at 11:20 amThis is SUCH a gorgeous cake! I love fresh raspberries – they look like the perfect addition here.
Nellwyn says
March 22, 2017 at 9:56 amThis sounds like the perfect cake for a spring birthday. I love raspberries but I’ve never tried to make raspberry icing before, sounds delicious!
Annemarie LeBlanc says
March 21, 2017 at 6:45 pmThe cake looks perfect! I love the versatility of having a vanilla cake base because you can frost it or decorate it with whatever fruit you have on hand. I am saving this recipe for the vanilla cake with raspberry buttercream frosting. I’m going to make this for my mom on Mothers Day.
Jolina says
March 21, 2017 at 11:23 pmI totally agree about the versatility of vanilla! PS: hope your mom likes it 🙂
anvita says
March 21, 2017 at 5:13 pmJolina,
That cake looks awesome. I want some now. Love the simplicity of the cake.
Gina says
March 21, 2017 at 5:13 pmOh my, this looks out of this world. I am not big on desserts but I would make an exception.
T.M. Brown says
March 21, 2017 at 4:45 pmEverything about this dessert looks fantastic! Love raspberries and vanilla….definitely adding this to the recipe box.
Jolina says
March 21, 2017 at 11:24 pmThank you! Hope you get the chance to make it soon 🙂
Kim says
March 21, 2017 at 4:14 pmI am obsessed with raspberry, so this sounds and looks amazing! Such a great combination of flavors!
Katie Foley says
March 21, 2017 at 4:03 pmI think raspberry treats are so underrated! This looks like a fun change-up from the typical vanilla or chocolate on vanilla! Definitely going to keep this on the back burner for my next cake!
Jolina says
March 21, 2017 at 11:25 pmHi Katie! They are, aren’t they. I personally like fruity desserts. And this is quite exceptional if I say so myself 🙂 Hope you like it!
Marissa Zurfluh says
March 21, 2017 at 3:47 pmI totally wish I would have seen this for my husbands birthday last week. He would have loved it. However, all he got was the funfetti cake mix haha.
Jolina says
March 21, 2017 at 11:27 pmAhahaha! I’m sure the funfetti cake was delicious and well appreciated (not to mention so much fun!) 🙂 This can be your Happy-Birthday-Last-Week cake!
Kimberly says
March 21, 2017 at 2:30 pmThis cake sounds so good and the pictures are beautiful. Raspberry is such a wonderful flavor to work with. A cake like this wouldn’t last long at my house. 🙂
Jolina says
March 21, 2017 at 11:30 pmTo be honest, we had to give most of it away because we kept eating it lol! We needed to share the love (and the calories teehee!)
Marcela says
March 21, 2017 at 2:03 pmThis cake is perfect combo vanilla and raspberry you can’t find better combination. Also, it looks so yummy!
Alicia says
March 21, 2017 at 12:13 pmOh my goodness that cake looks delicious! I love vanilla cake, but am not usually too fond of raspberry, but may give this one a try because it looks really tasty.
Neely Moldovan says
March 21, 2017 at 12:00 pmOh wow this sounds good! I love raspberries and vanilla cake so put them together and yes please!
Bianca Osbourne says
March 21, 2017 at 11:32 amYou had me at raspberries…yum!
Jamie says
March 21, 2017 at 10:43 amThis is such a pretty cake! I love anything with raspberries!
Divya says
March 21, 2017 at 9:20 amVanilla and raspberry is such a perfect combo. Sweet with a little tart! I gotta make this.
Sandra Shaffer says
March 20, 2017 at 11:51 pmBeautiful cake! I’m partial to chocolate, but if I saw this next to a piece of chocolate, vanilla cake would get swooped up!
Melanie says
March 20, 2017 at 10:58 pmAhh,,,raspberries! I need to make this as soon as possible!
Kitty says
March 20, 2017 at 10:43 pmYour cake has a perfect looking crumb. Very pretty!
Geneva says
March 20, 2017 at 10:02 pmThis cake looks so delicious! I would love to try this recipe out. Thank you for sharing!
Erica Schwarz says
March 20, 2017 at 9:55 pmUmm, this is gorgeous! Now, I am craving cake. My birthday is tomorrow, I told everyone I don’t want cake but NOW I WANT CAKE!
Jolina says
March 20, 2017 at 11:23 pmHappy Birthday Erica! Cake or no cake (but ideally cake lol!), I wish you a most fabulous time! 🙂
christine says
March 20, 2017 at 9:42 pmThat frosting! Yum, I want to run my finger right thru it to taste thru my screen. Oh and the seeds in it wouldn’t bother me either!
Jolina says
March 20, 2017 at 11:24 pmYes, that frosting! So yummy 🙂 I thought about straining the seeds out but since I’m lazy…lol. It worked out in the end 🙂
Gillian Kent says
March 20, 2017 at 9:04 pmThis looks so good. Pinned it for future baking. Hopefully not to far in the future either.
Jolina says
March 20, 2017 at 11:25 pmThanks for the pin Gillian! And yes, hope you get to bake this soon! 🙂 Would love to hear how it goes.
Vicki says
March 20, 2017 at 8:59 pmYum! That looks delicious, and it is so pretty! I wish my cakes turned out that beautiful!
Kennedy Lazar says
March 20, 2017 at 8:38 pmThis looks delicious! I’ll definitely have to try it out.
Jenny says
March 20, 2017 at 8:22 pmThis really is a Spring cake Jolina! Chocolate and Raspberry is my all time favorite, but I would happily eat a few pieces of this beauty. Happy Spring 🙂
Jolina says
March 20, 2017 at 11:27 pmThanks Jenny! I thought about chocolate too though vanilla won in the end 🙂 Happy spring to you too! (If only warm weather came with it eh? LOL!)
Heather says
March 20, 2017 at 6:55 pmThis looks delicious. I love raspberries but my stomach can’t tolerate them :(. I’d probably go with strawberry instead.
Jolina says
March 20, 2017 at 11:28 pmOh no 🙁 That’s too bad. Though yes, I think strawberries would work wonderfully too!
Julie says
March 20, 2017 at 6:34 pmOMG!!!! YUMMMMY!!!! Raspberry is like my most favorite ever and this looks delightful!
becca says
March 20, 2017 at 6:13 pmThis looks amazing! Pinning to pinterest!
kristin mccarthy says
March 20, 2017 at 5:53 pmThis is happening at my house this Easter!
Jolina says
March 20, 2017 at 11:29 pmAwesome! Hope you guys like it 🙂
Chloe says
March 20, 2017 at 5:53 pmi am such a sucker for both vanilla and raspberry! This cake looks so yummy and refreshing! Def going to try making this for fun. Hehe! 🙂
Jolina says
March 20, 2017 at 11:30 pmThey’re such a yummy combination right? Hope you like the combo in this cake! 🙂
Jessica Harlow says
March 20, 2017 at 5:43 pmI happened upon this recipe today…the first day of spring! I love the classic flavors and raspberry and vanilla are so complimentary. A sweet underlying blend of vanilla and the kick of raspberry sounds so good. It looks light too! I’ll be trying your recipe!
Jolina says
March 20, 2017 at 11:31 pmIt’s a lovely spring cake (though of course I’m biased haha!). Vanilla and raspberry just work so well together. Hope you like the cake Jessica! Would love to hear how it goes 🙂
Natalie says
March 20, 2017 at 5:37 pmI wonder how this would turn out if I tried to make it gluten-free? Proabably not as light and fluffy as this one looks. I think it might be an I-Deserve-A-Cake Day soon! lol! 😀
Jolina says
March 20, 2017 at 11:34 pmI’m afraid I have no experience baking gluten free cakes so I can’t really say. So I’m really quite curious to see how your cake turns out! And yes, this is definitely one of my favourite I-Deserve-A-Cake Day cakes! 🙂
Dominique says
March 20, 2017 at 5:33 pmI would love nothing more than to take a great big bite of this cake right now! Looks divine.
Anna says
March 20, 2017 at 5:17 pmOh my gosh! I love cake and I love raspberries. I cannot wait to try this recipe!
Vibeke Johannessen says
March 20, 2017 at 5:13 pmThat looks so yummy 😀 I want to make it right now. Looks too good 😀 The photos are so great too 🙂 Such great timing as Spring is here 😀
Candice says
March 20, 2017 at 5:09 pmThat frosting looks good enough to eat straight. It’s so smooth and beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Jolina says
March 20, 2017 at 11:36 pmThanks Candice! I may have eaten leftover icing directly from the bowl. May have. LOL!
robin Rue says
March 20, 2017 at 4:58 pmThat cake sound wonderful. It’s perfect for spring time and I can’t wait to make it.
Dawn says
March 20, 2017 at 10:35 amAnother beauty of a cake, Jolina! The fresh raspberries on top add such a lovely, fresh (and pretty touch). Your layers are perfect too! It is definitely not spring-like around here today. We have snow! Then, it’s supposed to be freezing rain. Ugh, Well, at least there’s cake….hehehe 😉 Happiest of birthdays to your brother!!
Jolina says
March 20, 2017 at 11:40 pmThanks Dawn! I think my borderline OCD has gotten worse since I started baking. If you could only see my “tools” to get those dang layers straight lol! It was spring-ish here today…temperature was +6 or something though gloomy. Hope spring arrives there soon! Oh and thanks for the birthday greeting 🙂