White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake

Delicately sweet and aromatic raspberries provide bursts of freshness that beautifully balance the creaminess of white chocolate - this White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake is truly a match made in food heaven. I have gone to town with the raspberries in this recipe; they are in the light, soft sponge, the raspberry jam filling and the delicious decoration. By combining shop-bought raspberry jam with fresh raspberries, you get a fresher, more homemade flavour which really elevates the cake.

Then we have the silky smooth Swiss meringue buttercream flavoured with sweet white chocolate which is just so good. If you are looking for the perfect summer special occasion cake, this is the recipe for you. This recipe makes enough buttercream to sandwich the cakes together and apply a crumb coat, final layer of buttercream and piped decoration. Of course, you don’t need to pipe the buttercream if you prefer not to, but you could use the leftover buttercream to decorate cupcakes or add more layers to the finished cake. I am such a cake baker these days, have you tried my Jaffa Jaffa Cake? If it's white chocolate you're after, my White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cheesecake is amazing too.

Why you will love this White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake recipe:

• It's a proper celebration cake, with raspberries running through it and white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.
• The white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream elevates the cake rather than if it were made with typical American buttercream. It makes the cake so airy and impressive.
• You can make the decorations on this cake absolutely stunning and let your creativity run wild. I love to use edible flowers to complement the raspberries.

You will need the following ingredients:

Butter - make sure your butter is at a soft room temperature to ensure it creams together in the first step. I like to use unsalted in baking so you can control the salt level.

Caster sugar - caster sugar gives the best texture. If it's all you have, you can also use granulated sugar. You could also use golden caster sugar but bear in mind that will give a slightly darker cake.

Vanilla extract - always choose vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste or vanilla pods (avoid vanilla essence which will give you an artificial flavour).

Lemon - the zest of lemon adds a little zing to the cake. This balances out the sweetness of the white chocolate.

Eggs - use free-range eggs if you can. I always choose large ones stamped with the British Lion.

Plain flour - also known as all-purpose flour.

Baking powder - not to be confused with bicarbonate of soda - they have very different purposes in a cake.

Salt - don’t worry, this won’t make your cake salty! It just helps balance the flavours in the cake and make them all shine through. It will also help balance the sweetness of the sugar and white chocolate in the Swiss meringue buttercream. I recommend Maldon Salt Flakes. 

For the fillings/frostings:

Raspberries - this cake is a celebration of raspberries… they are in the cake batter as well as the delicious jam centre. The perfect cake to make when raspberries are in season.

Raspberry jam - inspired by the classic Victoria Sandwich Cake, I have included a fruity raspberry and raspberry jam middle. It looks delicious and is a lovely hidden surprise when slicing. Opt for a good-quality brand with a high percentage of fruit for the best results.

Egg whites - again, I recommend using egg whites from free-range large eggs stamped with the British Lion mark. This is about 6 egg whites in this recipe. Sometimes I buy egg whites in cartons from companies like Two Chicks.  

White chocolate - it is really important to choose a good quality white chocolate which isn’t overly sweet. 

Edible flowers - these are entirely optional but make a very pretty decoration. You must ensure they are edible and prepared properly.

Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!

Substitutions and Variations:

White chocolate: Since this is a White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake, I wouldn’t swap the white chocolate out for another type of chocolate in this recipe. I have a great chocolate cake recipe if you would rather use dark chocolate!

Raspberries: I love the combination of raspberries and white chocolate, but you could also use cherries and cherry jam, strawberries and strawberry jam or blueberries and blueberry jam. All would be delicious!

What is Buttercream? All your questions answered

This recipe requires swiss meringue buttercream. This is made using egg whites, sugar, and butter. The egg whites and sugar are gently heated in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water to a specific temperature. This is then whisked into a meringue. After that, the butter is gradually whisked in to create a beautifully smooth, light and stable buttercream. It is considered one of the more complicated buttercreams because it involves cooking the egg whites and sugar before adding the butter. But I do think it is worth it for the results (plus it isn’t as sweet as American buttercream).

More Types of Buttercream

Whilst Italian, Swiss and American buttercream are the most famous varieties, there are so many more. Below is a list of some of my favourites:

• Russian buttercream - also known as ‘condensed milk buttercream’. It is one of my favourites because it is just so unbelievably easy, takes less than 10 minutes to make and has the most delicious buttery, caramel flavour without being overly sweet. All you do is mix together softened butter with condensed milk and your choice of flavours (vanilla extract and a pinch of salt are my go-tos but you can make chocolate and fruit versions too). 
• American buttercream - this is probably the most well-known buttercream and is made using icing sugar, butter and, often, a splash of milk. It is very sweet (the ratio is normally 2:1 sugar) and can be flavoured in many different ways.
• German buttercream - this is a really rich and decadent option which starts by making a crème pâtissière (with egg yolks, cream, cornflower, sugar, and vanilla extract). Then allow it to cool before whisking in butter. It tastes like a very light, buttery custard but is more complex to make.
• Italian buttercream - this is considered one of the most complex, but also most stable, buttercreams. It is made by drizzling hot sugar syrup into whisked egg whites, before gradually adding butter to form a buttercream. It has a pure white colour, gives a melt-in-the-mouth texture and has the most delicious sweet, slightly buttery, flavour.
• French buttercream - this is a luxurious buttercream made with whole eggs or egg yolks, butter and cooked sugar syrup (plus flavourings of your choice). It is similar to the Italian meringue-based buttercream in technique, but the egg yolks give it a richer flavour, more velvety texture and yellow-y colour.

Cooking Tips:

Avoiding a tough sponge: Without getting too involved with the science side of things, the reason a cake gets tough is to do with gluten. When you overmix a cake, you develop the gluten in the flour too much which makes the cake dense and tough. That is why I always recommend you mix until just combined to try and prevent this happening.

Crumb coating: A crumb coat is simply a thin layer of buttercream spread around the cake to lock in any loose crumbs and help ensure the final layer is perfectly smooth and moist. I know it might be tempting to skip this step, but it really helps to give a prettier finish to the beautiful White Chooclate and Raspberry cake. 

How to make a Swiss meringue buttercream without a stand mixer - you can make this with an electric whisk if you don't have a stand mixer. I wouldn't recommend making it with a regular whisk as you really need to beat it at high speed. Luckily, electric whisks are fairly inexpensive and last forever!

Piping on the cake: Piping can seem daunting but I find it's a great way to be creative and try different styles. You will need a piping bag and some nozzles but if you are a beginner and don't want to invest in it, I advise using a sandwich bag with the corner cut. It won't have the same pattern on the outside as it comes out smooth rather than ridged/patterned but it's a good way to practice without committing to buying. I have also made the cake without any piping and it is of course delicious.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other recipes you might enjoy:

I do find baking rather soothing and I find recipes fall into two categories. There are the baking recipes that are quick, one-bowl, bung it into the oven like this French “Gâteau au Yaourt” (A No-Measure Cake) and this Brown Butter Banana Bread. Then there are those similar to this White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake, which take an afternoon. But this does mean you can potter around and get on with other things whilst the cake bakes and then go back to make the icing, leave the cake to cool whilst you go out and then finish the decorating later. Those are great recipes too, like this Chocolate and Raspberry Cake and this Carrot Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. I also love making my Jaffa Jaffa Cake - it's exactly as it says and the balance of the orange and chocolate is perfect.

Made this recipe and loved it?

I would love love LOVE if you could leave a review in the comments…  I love hearing what you thought, any changes you made, the stories behind what made you try my recipes. Also, if you share a photo on Instagram, please tag me @desertislanddishes, it makes my day to see you making my creations!

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake

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This is a beautiful White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake, perfect for birthdays and more. The balance of tart, fruity raspberries and the silky, sweet white chocolate is perfect. 

• Author: Margie Nomura
• Prep Time: 1 hour + cooling time
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: Serves 10-12 1x
• Category: Baking
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: British
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the sponges:

• 250g unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 250g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 3 large eggs
• 230g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 150g fresh raspberries

 

For the raspberry jam filling:

• 100g fresh raspberries
• 200g raspberry jam

For the white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream:

• 180g egg whites 
• 210g caster sugar
• 350g unsalted butter, softened
• 130g good-quality white chocolate, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp salt

To decorate:

• Fresh raspberries
• Edible flowers

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160C Fan and grease and line 2 x 20cm (8-inch) or 23cm (9-inch) round cake tins with non-stick baking paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest, before gradually beating in the eggs one at a time - add a tablespoon of the weighed flour if it looks like it is about to curdle.
3. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, then mix until just combined - take care not to overmix or else you will end up with a tough sponge (but still ensure there are no lumps of flour remaining).
4. Divide the mixture equally between the two tins (you could weigh the batter to be exact or do it by eye) and level the tops. Place the raspberries evenly across the tops of the sponges, pushing them gently into the mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until well risen, golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
5. For the raspberry jam filling: place the jam and the fresh raspberries in a large bowl. Use the back of a spoon to crush the raspberries, and mix well to combine. Set aside.
6. For the white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream: place the egg whites and sugar into a heatproof bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk by hand to combine. Place the bowl over a pot with an inch or so of water in it, simmering over a medium heat. Place the egg whites and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and place over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl (otherwise the egg whites will overheat). Gently whisk by hand for a few minutes to combine. Continue to heat the egg whites and sugar, whisking often (constantly if possible), until the mixture reaches 70C - the sugar should be completely dissolved and the mixture hot to the touch. 
7. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk using an electric whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed for 8-10 minutes - or until glossy and stiff (this might take you a bit longer). Keep whisking until the mixture and the bowl is at room temperature - otherwise it will melt the butter. 
8. Meanwhile, melt your white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, string occasionally until melted and smooth (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t come into contact with the water). Remove from the heat and leave to cool for about 5 minutes.
9. If using a stand mixer, swap the whisk attachment for the beater attachment. Whilst mixing on slow-medium speed, gradually add the softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, ensuring that each tablespoon is fully incorporated before you add the next. 
10. Once all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and silky, scraping down the sides of the bowl, if needed.
11. Add the salt and the melted white chocolate, then continue to mix on high speed for 5 more minutes. The buttercream is now ready to use.
12. To assemble the cake: place one of the sponges onto a flat serving plate or cake board. Top with some buttercream and, using an offset spatula, palette knife or the back of a spoon, spread in an even layer, making sure you reach the edges of the sponge. Try to ensure there is a slight lip at the edges to contain the jam. 
13. Spoon the jam on top of the buttercream within the lipped edges. Carefully top with the second sponge.
14. To crumb coat: pipe or spoon the buttercream on top of the sponges and onto the sides - take care not to use too much. Use your offset spatula or palette knife to spread it out across the cake, covering the top and sides. Next, use a scraper to remove excess buttercream from the top and sides of the cake - you don’t need to remove too much of the buttercream, you just need to even it out. Use your spatula or scraper to smooth out any excess that has accumulated on top of the cake from scraping the sides. Place the crumb coated cake in the fridge for 30 minutes - or until the crumb coat has set.
15. Once the crumb coat has set, proceed with the final layer of buttercream, using a similar method of application and distribution as the crumb coat - but without removing the excess. I find it a lot more enjoyable decorating cakes when I’m less concerned about making them look ‘perfect’ - so have fun when decorating! If you plan to pipe some buttercream onto your cake, keep this in mind when doing the final layer to ensure you leave yourself enough to use.
16. Pipe any decoration, if doing, and decorate with fresh raspberries and edible flowers, if using.

Notes

You might be tempted to skip the crumb coat, but I wouldn't advise if you want the cake to have a nice clean finish. It's really easy, just takes chilling in the fridge.

I love the combination of raspberries and white chocolate, but you could also use cherries and cherry jam, strawberries and strawberry jam or blueberries and blueberry jam. All would be delicious!