Raspberries N’ Cream Cake

Golden layers of moist vanilla cake layered between fluffy cream filling, raspberry compote, and fresh raspberries!

Raspberries are by far my favorite berry. Whether I’m simply popping them into my mouth one-by-one, or enjoying them in a decadent dessert, I could never tire of this heavenly berry. Plus, their sweet aroma reminds me so much of cotton candy!

And with berry season just beginning, I can’t think of a more perfect dessert to kick off the season than this Raspberries n’ Cream Cake!

I know, this cake looks like a flipping tower…

Admittedly, I didn’t expect it to end up this tall. In hindsight, I probably could’ve baked the cakes in an 8-inch pan rather than the 6-inch. However, there’s just something so elegant about a massively tall cake, don’t ya think?

Not only is this cake impressive in height, but it’s BEYOND impressive in flavor. Instead of pairing the raspberries with some other flavor like white chocolate or lemon, I decided to keep it simple. I wanted it to be ALL about the raspberries, so I went with a modest, yet deliciously moist vanilla cake.

It’s pretty much your standard vanilla cake recipe which begins by first combining the dry ingredients–flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, the butter and sugar are combined, followed by the eggs. Sour cream is added to ensure that the cake has that perfectly moist crumb. Buttermilk is also added for moisture along with its pleasingly subtle tang that it adds to cakes. As for the flavorings, vanilla is an absolute must as well as almond extract. When it comes to white/yellow/vanilla cakes, I ALWAYS add almond extract. It infuses such an indescribable sweetness into baked goods, and you’re seriously missing out if you don’t have this little gem in your pantry AT ALL times.

The cream filling could not be any easier to make. Cream cheese is whipped up with some sugar, followed by a little vanilla, almond extract, and a dash of salt. Once smooth a creamy, heavy cream is whipped in until the whole thing is super light and fluffy. The cream filling is basically a thicker, slightly tangier whipped cream, which makes it a sturdier option that will hold up better between the cakes as opposed to plain freshly-whipped cream.

The raspberry compote can be made with either fresh or frozen raspberries, which are cooked with some sugar over high heat until boiling. There’s no need to puree the raspberries beforehand since they will naturally break down as they boil. Since I’m not the biggest fan of getting seeds stuck in between my teeth, I strained the mixture through a fine sieve to remove all those pesky little seeds. The strained mixture then goes back onto the stove and a mixture of cornstarch and water gets stirred in to help thicken things up a bit!

Assembling this tower of a cake was definitely my favorite part. (Aside from devouring every single delicious morsel on this very plate.) A perfect border of fresh raspberries lines every single layer, creating one impressive-looking cake.

One bite and you’ll be wondering why this cake isn’t called “Raspberries n’ Dreams Cake” instead 😉

Raspberries n' Cream Cake

Golden layers of moist vanilla cake layered between fluffy cream filling, raspberry compote, and fresh raspberries!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients

  

Cake:

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup buttermilk*

Raspberry Compote:

• 3 cups raspberries fresh or frozen
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 2 teaspoons water

Cream Filling:

• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups heavy cream

To Assemble:

• 2-3 cups fresh raspberries

Instructions

 

Make the Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line four 6-inch pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined; set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until lightened and creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract on medium speed.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• Divide batter evenly among the pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make Raspberry Compote:

• Place the raspberries and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue stirring while smashing the berries with a wooden spoon.
• Use a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl to strain out all of the raspberry seeds. Return the strained mixture to the saucepan.
• Combine the cornstarch and water. Stir into the raspberry mixture, and continue to simmer for another minute until thickened. Transfer to a separate bowl to cool completely.

Make the Cream Filling:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, salt, and extracts together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• With mixer on low speed, slowly pour the heavy cream into the bowl. Once all heavy cream has been added, increase the speed to high, and whip until stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

To Assemble:

• Place one cake layer onto a cake plate or pedestal. Spread a quarter of the raspberry compote on top. Line the fresh raspberries around the perimeter of the cake. Pour a quarter of the cream filling into the center, spreading evenly up to the raspberry border. Repeat steps with the remaining cakes, compote, raspberries, and cream filling.

Notes

*If you don’t have buttermilk, just add 1/2 Tablespoon (or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons) of vinegar to a measuring cup, then pour in enough milk to equal 1/2 cup. Stir, and allow to sit for about 5 minutes.