Lemon Raspberry Cake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream
This velvet lemon cake contains the richness of eggs and buttermilk. The silky, light sponge cake has homemade sweet raspberry filling in between the layers. Then, the cake tops off with a rich, yet airy lemon mascarpone whipped cream frosting. So, who could ask for a better summer cake?
Jump to RecipeRaspberries & Lemons
I made this cake before. Our first summer in our apartment in a house on a hill in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn was as hot as the others, but it happened to be a lemon sponge cake with Bonne Maman raspberry filling, some chopped up raspberries in whipped cream, and a clean whipped cream frosting. Three layers. I served it up to my mom when she came over for Mothers Day, after serving her raspberry mascarpone stuffed brioche french toast. Needless to say, it was a delightful overload of mascarpone and raspberry…
Then, and Now
Things would be different this time. I felt this was the perfect layer cake to resurrect for the Fourth of July, which is my least favorite holiday in my least favorite month. For, did you read above? I am (yes, yes) a fall/winter girl. I respect your views if summer makes you happy. It’s so strange how we feel utterly at home or not at home during certain seasons. Regardless, this Lemon Raspberry Cake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream would lighten the heavy load of humidity and bring some fresh flavors into our bellies, and souls.
The cake batter here is so velvety due to the eggs and the buttermilk, so it is quite thick, almost halfway between a cake batter and cookie dough consistency.
Tips, Tricks, and Cheats
- I have four (Four) 6 inch cake tins, but this recipe can provide a more traditional three layers for 8 or 9 inch tins.
- I decided to prepare some homemade raspberry jam filling, which was smooth and so good you could sit down with a jar of it and a spoon;
- However, the first time I made this cake, I used Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves, and you can too. It’s equally as delicious and works just as well.
- You can make this cake all at once, or freeze the cake layers and just assemble it another day. I was trying to beat the sun and get the cake photographed during a cloudy afternoon, but you don’t have to be me:)
- The lemon mascarpone frosting keeps well, and you can keep it in the refrigerator if needed, but I wouldn’t do so for more than a day. It is best when fresh.
- Beyond that, assembly is tricky as always with layer cakes and July, especially for me and my four small layers. A good rule of thumb is starting with refrigerated or frozen cakes and frosting just out of the fridge for 15 minutes or so.
- A trick my mom taught me is dipping the offset spatula in warm water in between icing to keep things smooth. I also learned to refrigerate or freeze in between a crumb coat and top coat (I was forced to refrigerate due to the height of my cake!)
The elements are pretty simple. The flavors are a sunny day with a cool breeze. The tart lemon, rich and clean cake and fluffy whipped mascarpone all work in tandem for the best summer cake out there. Lemon Raspberry Cake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream will make every day summer Fridays.
Lemon Raspberry Cake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream
Ingredients
Lemon Velvet Cake
- 2.5 sticks unsalted butter
- 3.5 cups all purpose flour
- 1.5 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2.5 cups granulated sugar
- 5 eggs
- Zest 2 lemons
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1 ⅓ cup buttermilk
Raspberry Filling
- 2 cups fresh raspberries
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1½ tbsp water
Lemon Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Juice and rind of 1 lemon
- 12 oz mascarpone cheese, cool but not chilled
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prep cake tins with butter or baking spray, followed by parchment paper rounds on the bottom, another round of butter/spray and a dusting of flour to coat.
- Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy for 5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time. Make sure to give a few seconds between additions. Add in the lemon zest, followed by the extracts. Lower the speed and add 1/3 of the dry mixture in, alternating with the buttermilk, so dry-buttermilk-dry-buttermilk-dry. Make sure all is incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. You can also gently knock the filled pans on the counter to get them to settle a bit. Bake for 45 minutes or until the toothpick is your friend and comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Raspberry Filling
- In a saucepan, combine the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice. Mash them up a bit with a potato masher and then, if wanting a smoother consistency (which I did), puree with a hand blender.
- Put on medium/high heat until it starts to bubble/boil. Add the cornstarch to the mix and lower the heat. Continue to stir until the cornstarch is full incorporated for a few minutes. Allow the filling to cool before applying to the cake.
Lemon Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- In a cold, metal bowl, whip the heavy cream, confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice/rind on higher speed until peaks form.
- Add the mascarpone cheese to the cream and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the Cake
- When cakes are frozen or refrigerated, place the bottom right side up. Pipe a ring around the cake of mascarpone cream, then fill with raspberry filling. You can add a layer of cream on top of it, or just use the raspberry as filling.
- Gently place the next layer on top and repeat until the top layer is placed upside down on the cake.
- Add a quick crumb coat of mascarpone whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake. Freeze or refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Apply your top coat of mascarpone whipped cream, using your offset spatula or a dough cutter to smooth it out. You can decorate in any way desired…I added raspberries, slices of lemon, and a little piped whipped cream and mint. Enjoy this summer holiday in the form of cake!
