Easy Lemon Raspberry Cake Recipe

Light, fluffy, and oh-so-refreshing this lemon raspberry cake recipe is a great combination of fruit flavors. This cake tastes superb on its own but I recommend you make it with the cream cheese frosting I like here. The frosting just makes it that much more scrumptious but I am a sucker for glazes and frostings so I opt to put them on almost all of my desserts.

This Easy Lemon Raspberry cake looks so pretty with its vibrant colors and is the perfect cake to serve for a weekend brunch dessert. Do you serve dessert at a brunch? I certainly wouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to serve a treat. Would you ??

Looking for other easy cake options? Check out this Best Banana Cake Recipe With Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Zucchini Cake, or this Pumpkin Spice Cake.

Why You’ll Love This Cake

• Fruity refreshing taste
• Soft crumbly texture
• Pretty combination of colors makes any table setting look great!
• Very versatile

Equipment You’ll Need

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Zester
• Mixing bowl
• Baking dish

Ingredients for Lemon Raspberry Cake

• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 Tablespoons set aside
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• Lemon Zest (from 1 lemon)
• 1/3 cup Olive Oil
• 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup Milk

How To Make Lemon Raspberry Cake Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Grease a cake pan and set it aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

• Place the white sugar in a large bowl and zest the lemon directly over top.
• Rub the lemon zest into the sugar to impart the flavor. Remove 2 Tablespoons of the lemon sugar and set aside for topping the cake.
• Add the oil and ricotta cheese and beat until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

• Add the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

• Stir in the flour mixture until combined and no dry streaks remain

• Stir in the milk until completely incorporated.

• Toss the raspberries in the 2 Tablespoons of the reserved flour to coat completely.

• Gently fold into the cake batter.

• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with the reserved lemon sugar.

• Bake for 45-50 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the cake is lightly golden.

• Optionally, add a lemon curd or glaze at this point.
• Slice your lemon raspberry loaf cake into slices and enjoy!

Doesn’t it make you want to brew a cup of hot tea and relax with a little slice of heaven?

Look at those juicy, tart raspberries!

Variations of Lemon Raspberry Cake

• Use yogurt or cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese
• No raspberries? Use strawberries or blueberries instead. Both work well with the lemon flavor
• Top the cake with a white chocolate glaze
• Use different shapes of cake pans to change it up

Tips and Tricks

• Place all the ingredients on the counter before you begin.
• Let eggs and ricotta cheese come to room temperature before you start to assemble the cake.
• Use fresh lemon juice if possible
• Don’t skip coating the raspberries in flour, this helps them not sink to the bottom

How To Store this Lemon Raspberry Cake

This Easy Lemon Raspberry Cake can be stored in the fridge for a few days. It can also be stored in the freezer for a few months.

FAQs

Can I add fresh raspberries to a cake mix?

Yes absolutely! Fresh raspberries are amazing and can easily be added to this recipe. Special tip: don’t wash your raspberries until you are ready to use them or they will get very soggy. Rinse them off when you are ready to bake with them and let them dry off. You can wrap them in a dishtowel and gently dry them before adding to the batter.

What can I substitute for ricotta cheese?

If you don’t have any ricotta cheese on hand you can use cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark or farmers’ cheese. Note that the texture and taste of the cake will differ slightly depending on which option you choose.

Is it okay to use frozen raspberries in a cake?

It is okay to use frozen raspberries in a cake. I would recommend you rinse any ice crystals off and pat them dry gently so you don’t have any extra moisture to the cake.

Can I use bottled lemon juice in this Easy Lemon Raspberry Cake?

Though bottled lemon juice will work the taste of freshly squeezed lemon juice is far superior. Keep a few fresh lemons in your fridge for just this purpose. You’ll thank me later. 🙂

Can I use a different kind of oil in this Easy Lemon Raspberry Cake?

Any mild-flavored cooking oil will work in this recipe but I especially like the flavor and texture that olive oil adds to this recipe. I always use extra virgin olive oil.

What kind of eggs are best in this Easy Lemon Raspberry Cake?

Any kind of eggs will work in this recipe; brown, white; Omega 3, and organic all work the same way. I usually use large white eggs when I bake.

Can I bake this Easy Lemon Raspberry Cake in a bread loaf pan?

This recipe will work well in a bread loaf pan or in a muffin tray. Note the baking time may vary. When I change up the baking pan from the original recipe I usually set my kitchen timer to half the amount of recommended time and then bake a few minutes at a time until it is cooked through. You want to be absolutely certain you don’t overbake your desserts or they will be very dry.

Does meal planning feel like a chore? Yes, I get it. It sometimes does so I created this Meal Planning guide to make life a little easier.

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