Raspberry Lemon Cake
This easy raspberry lemon cake is made completely from scratch using fresh berries and pantry staples. Only 20 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of baking (idle) time. Serve it for breakfast, brunch, or as an after-dinner dessert with vanilla ice cream! This summer dessert will become a family favorite!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or baking flour, sifted or aerated (see note below)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1.25 cups granulated sugar (1 & ¼ cups)
- 4 oz salted butter melted (½ cup)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt low-fat
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 16 oz raspberries fresh or frozen (see note below)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. If your oven has a convection setting, use a convection bake setting. Line the bottom of the 9×3-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides and the bottom of the springform pan with butter or cooking spray.
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In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder.
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In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, melted butter, and eggs, and beat using a whisk for about 1 or 2 minutes until the mixture turns light in color, smooth (not grainy), and fluffy.
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Mix in Greek yogurt and vanilla extract, and whisk just until combined.
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Add the flour mixture gradually, whisking 1 cup of flour at a time with the wet ingredients until combined. Do not over-mix.
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In the same bowl where you mixed the dry ingredients, toss ⅓ of the raspberries with 1 tablespoon of flour.
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Carefully fold in flour-coated raspberries and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest into the batter. It’s OK if some of the berries smudge or break.
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Pour the cake batter into the parchment paper-lined springform pan. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of lemon zest on top. Arrange the other ⅓ of the raspberries on top of the cake batter in a circular pattern.
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Place the springform baking pan with the cake batter on the middle rack (this is especially important for non-convection ovens). Bake for about 45 or 50 minutes – the tester (or toothpick) inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean. If not, bake 5 or 10 more minutes longer, checking the cake every 5 minutes for doneness. I baked this cake on a convection bake setting for exactly 45 minutes at 350 F – it was completely done and nicely browned by that time. If you use a regular oven, the cake could take longer (up to about 1 hour) to bake at 350 F.
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Remove the cake from the oven. Let it cool in a springform pan on a wire rack. After cooling the cake for about 30 minutes, release the cake from the springform pan. At this point, if the cake is cool enough, you can slide your hand (or a large wide spatula) under the cake, between the parchment paper and the cake, and transfer the cake without the parchment paper onto a cake plate.
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When serving, dust with powdered sugar, and top with the remaining ⅓ of fresh raspberries. (if you have other berries sitting in your fridge, you can add them to the cake – I did that with a few blueberries I had left).
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I provide helpful step-by-step photos above the recipe card (scroll up).
Notes
Fresh or frozen raspberries?
When folded into cake batter, fresh raspberries will break. If you prefer to keep them intact, use frozen ones or freeze the fresh ones before adding them to the cake.
How to properly measure flour using cups
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Using measuring cups, the proper way to measure flour is to sift it or aerate it first. This is done either by sifting flour or aerating it by fluffing it up and whisking it well, then spooning it into the measuring cup (not sticking a whole cup into a flour bag), and carefully removing any excess flour with a knife. If you just stick that measuring cup in the bag of flour and scoop some out, you will get a lot more flour than the recipe calls for. Do aerate the flour, or you will end up with a dry cake batter!
- This aeration tip also applies to these 2 kinds of popular gluten-free flours, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour.
Baking tips
- If you have a convection setting in your oven, use that to bake this cake.
- If you don’t have a convection setting, bake the cake on the middle rack or above the middle one.
- Ensure the oven is fully preheated to 350 F before placing the cake.
What baking pans can you use?
- I used a 9×3-inch round springform baking pan. I like to line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper, which ensures an even cleaner release.
- 9×13 rectangular baking pan. Pour the cake batter into the greased cake pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Use a 12-cup muffin pan. To turn this cake into muffins or cupcakes, fold all of the raspberries (coated with 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour) into the cake batter. Then, fill the muffin pan ⅔ of the way and bake for about 20 or 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the muffin.
- 10-inch or 12-inch round high-sided cast-iron skillet. It will create crispy, golden-brown edges with a soft and moist center.
Other notes
- Make it gluten-free. This recipe has been tested with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. You can also use King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. If using these flours, you might have to add ¼ cup more of Greek yogurt (if the cake batter is too thick).
- Greek yogurt can be replaced with plain Kefir, regular yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream. I highly recommend using plain Kefir or Greek yogurt – they are light and provide a nice tang.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Raspberry Lemon Cake
Amount per Serving
Calories
322
% Daily Value*
Fat
11
g
17
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Trans Fat
0.4
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
3
g
Cholesterol
58
mg
19
%
Sodium
179
mg
8
%
Potassium
142
mg
4
%
Carbohydrates
51
g
17
%
Fiber
4
g
17
%
Sugar
28
g
31
%
Protein
6
g
12
%
Vitamin A
348
IU
7
%
Vitamin C
13
mg
16
%
Calcium
94
mg
9
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
