A slice of this raspberry almond cake will give you all the flavor of wedding cake without the wedding! This cake is made with tender white almond cake layers, shortcut Swiss meringue buttercream frosting, and homemade raspberry filling.
Ingredients for Raspberry Almond Cake
White Almond Cake
- Cake flour – Use cake flour for a light and fluffy texture.
- Baking powder – Helps the cake layers rise.
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Use your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Egg whites – Room temperature.
- Sour cream – Room temperature.
- Vanilla & almond extract – A mixture of vanilla extract and almond extract creates the perfect flavor.
- Milk – Room temperature. I recommend 2% or whole milk.
Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
- Pasteurized egg whites – Use pasteurized egg whites from a carton.
- Powdered sugar – Confectioners’ sugar/icing sugar.
- Salt – Balances out the sweetness of the buttercream.
- Unsalted butter – Cubed and room temperature.
- Vanilla & almond extract – For more delicious vanilla almond flavor.
Raspberry Filling
- Frozen raspberries
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon juice
- Cornstarch + water – Creates a slurry to thicken the raspberry filling.
Additional Ingredients
- Fresh raspberries
- Slivered almonds
Tools & Supplies for Making Raspberry Almond Cake
How to Make Raspberry Almond Cake
- Prep and preheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three 7-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment circles.
- Make the cake batter: Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Cream the granulated sugar, butter, and vegetable oil. While mixing, add in the egg whites, one at a time, followed by the sour cream, and extracts. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk and mix until the batter is smooth.
- Bake the cake layers: Divide the cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cake layers for 28-30 minutes. Cool the cake layers in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove and transfer to a wire rack.
- Make the shortcut Swiss meringue buttercream: Whip the pasteurized egg whites, powdered sugar, and salt until thick and opaque. Add in the butter, one piece at a time, followed by the extracts. Whip the buttercream on high speed for about 10 to 15 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Make the raspberry filling: Combine the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook on the stovetop until the mixture is bubbling. Add in the cornstarch slurry to thicken. Run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Cool to room temperature.
- Assemble the cake: Level the cake layers. Stack the cake, filling the cake layers with a thin layer of buttercream, a buttercream border around the outer edge of the cake and the raspberry filling. Crumb coat the cake and chill. Add the final layer of buttercream and smooth with a cake scraper. Decorate the cake with fresh raspberries and slivered almonds.
Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips posts on 10 Tips for Baking Perfect Cakes and 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn simple tips and tricks to making the most out of this recipe.
- Make the raspberry filling up to one week ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- You can also make the shortcut Swiss meringue buttercream up to one week ahead. Store the buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To use, bring the buttercream to room temperature and rewhip for about 15 minutes or until the buttercream is silky smooth.
- I recommend using a stand mixer to make the buttercream for the best results. You can use an electric hand mixer, but it may take longer to make the frosting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I store the cake?
- Store the cake in an airtight container or cake box at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for 3 days. Wrap any exposed cake in plastic wrap to prevent the cake from drying out.
- Serve the cake at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
- For this cake recipe, you definitely want to go with cake flour to create a light, tender texture. I don’t recommend using all-purpose flour which may make the cake layers a bit more dense.
Is it safe to eat raw egg whites in the buttercream?
- Yes! The egg whites in the carton are pasteurized, so they are safe for consumption.
- If you would prefer not to use raw egg whites, I recommend using my Swiss meringue buttercream frosting recipe.
Can I use raspberry jam in place of the raspberry filling?
- Yes! Feel free to use whatever filling you prefer! Lemon curd, vanilla pastry cream, blueberry filling, and strawberry filling are other great options.
Cake Recipes You Will Love
Raspberry Almond Cake
Equipment
- Stand mixer with a paddle and whisk attachment or electric hand mixer
- 3 7-inch round cake pans
Ingredients
White Almond Cake
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 5 large egg whites room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup milk room temperature
Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- ¾ cup pasteurized egg whites from a carton
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
Raspberry Filling
- 12 oz frozen raspberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Additional Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
Instructions
White Almond Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F (177℃). Prepare three 7-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and parchment circles.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the granulated sugar, unsalted butter, and vegetable oil for a few minutes until pale and creamy.
- While mixing on low speed, add in the egg whites, one at a time, mixing in between each addition. Add in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix on medium speed until well combined.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed in between each addition (⅓ dry ingredients, ½ milk, ⅓ dry ingredients, ½ milk, ⅓ dry ingredients). Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Mix until the batter is combined and smooth but do not over mix the batter.
- Divide the cake batter between the three prepared cake pans. Bake the cake layers for about 26 to 30 minutes until the cake layers bounce back when gently touched or an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven and cool the cake in the pans for 15 minutes. Remove the cake layers from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the pasteurized liquid egg whites, powdered sugar, and salt for about 5 minutes until opaque and thick.
- Turn the mixer to low speed. Add in the cubed, room temperature unsalted butter one piece at a time, mixing in between each addition,
- Once the butter is added, add in the vanilla and almond extract. Turn the mixer to high speed and whip the buttercream for 10-20 minutes. The buttercream may appear to curdle or separate – this is normal – just continue to whip the frosting until it is smooth and creamy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally while whipping.
- Once the buttercream is smooth and silky, switch to a paddle attachment and mix the buttercream on low speed for several minutes to remove air bubbles and make the buttercream smooth.
Raspberry Filling
- In a medium saucepan, combine the frozen raspberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice over medium-low heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the raspberries are broken down and bubbling.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cornstarch slurry to the raspberry mixture and stir well to combine.
- Run the raspberry filling through a fine mesh strainer, pushing the filling through with the back of the spoon, to remove the seeds. Cool the raspberry filling to room temperature and then chill for at least 1 hour before using.
Assembling the Raspberry Almond Cake
- Level the cooled white almond cake layers with a serrated knife.
- Place one cake layer on a round cake board. Add a thin layer of the shortcut Swiss meringue buttercream to the top of the layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Fill a piping bag with some of the buttercream and pipe a border of frosting around the edge of the cake. Fill the center of the buttercream border with half of the raspberry filling and spread evenly.
- Add the second cake layer, and repeat the process, adding a thin layer of frosting, a buttercream border, and the remaining raspberry filling. Then, add the final cake layer to the top of the cake. Be sure the bottom of the cake layer is facing up.
- With an offset spatula, add a crumb coat, a thin layer of buttercream frosting, to the top and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting to smooth the sides. Chill the cake for 20 minutes to firm the buttercream.
- Add a generous layer of the buttercream to the chilled cake with an offset spatula. Use a cake scraper to remove the excess buttercream and smooth the sides of the cake. For the cake pictured, I left a raw edge on the top of the cake.
- Decorate the cake with fresh raspberries and slivered almonds, if desired.
Notes
- Store the raspberry almond cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the refrigerator for 3 days. Cover any exposed cake with plastic wrap to prevent the cake from drying out.
- Serve the cake at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
- Make the raspberry filling and buttercream up to one week ahead of time (See: Recipe tips)
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Comments & Reviews
Kathleen Garvey says
I’m planning on trying this recipe for our upcoming anniversary, but I dont have 7” cake pans. If I use a regular size cake pan should I double the recipe?
Courtney says
Hi Kathleen! Happy upcoming anniversary! I’m not exactly sure what you mean by regular size can pan – is it an 8 inch or 9 inch? If so, yes, you can use that size. You could either do two layers with the 9 inch or three thinner layers with the 8 inch pans. The other option would be to increase the amount of the recipe. Doubling it would probably give you three 9 inch layers with maybe a little bit extra to make cupcakes! 🙂
Danae says
I’m planning on doing a 2 layer sheet cake. Using the 13×18 sheet cake pan. What would the conversion be?
Courtney says
Hi Danae! I’ve never used this recipe to make a 13×18 sheet cake, so I’m not entirely sure what the conversion would be. If I had to make an educated guess, I would estimate that 2 batches of the batter would fill the 13×18 pan.
Kim says
My cake didn’t rise very much. Any suggestions on why
Courtney says
Hi Kim! If your leavening agents are old or expired, that can impact the rise on the cake. Overmixing and undermixing can also cause problems with rising as well.
Barb says
6 oz liquid egg whites. Is that 6 eggs?
Thank you.
Courtney says
Hi Barb! I’m not too sure about that. For the shortcut Swiss meringue buttercream, you will want to go with pasteurized liquid egg whites from a carton. If you want to use egg whites from eggs, I recommend checking out my recipe for Swiss meringue buttercream – https://cakemehometonight.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream/
Mai Duff says
Is it ok if I just used regular egg whites that are not pasteurized for the buttercream? Will the results be the same aside from the risk of it not being pasteurized? I use raw eggs all the time to make tiramisu and cookie dough that we eat without baking and have never had any problems. Any thoughts?
Courtney says
Hi Mai! I haven’t tested out the shortcut Swiss meringue buttercream with regular egg whites so I can’t say for sure if the results would be the same. If you want to give it a try, please let me know the results!
Rita Vascimini says
Mai, yes you can use regular egg whites with the same results! I’ve done it many times!
Joanie says
I made this cake a few days ago, took it to a potluck and the crowd absolutely raved over it ! I didnt split the layers to add additional frosting but definitely will next time. I only added raspberry jam filling this time. I made 3-10” round layers. Yes! It was absolutely HUGE can’t wait for another opportunity to make it again.
Courtney says
Hi Joanie! Thanks for trying out the recipe! I’m so happy to hear it was a hit and I’m glad to know you plan on making it again!
Chloee says
How did you adjust your cook time for the 10″ rounds?
Courtney says
Hi! I haven’t tested this recipe using 10 inch rounds, so it is difficult for me to say definitively what the bake time would be. You will likely need to make more cake batter than how the recipe is written. Perhaps doubling the recipe. I would recommend baking for about 30 minutes and then start checking. My favorite way to check is to gently touch the top of the cake. If it springs back, it is done baking. I’m sorry I don’t have a more precise answer for you on this question.
susie says
How deep are the (3) 7 inch pans you use in this recipe?
Courtney says
Hi Susie! The pans that I bake with are 2 inches deep.
Shanna says
Love this cake! Amazing taste, presentation and fairly easy to make! I did have a question, I am making this for a wedding cake and wondered if I double the recipe (which I hope won’t change the cake in anyway) can I use 3 x 9inch pans to make it a larger cake?
Thanks!
Courtney says
Hi Shanna! So glad you are loving this recipe! You certainly can do that! Just keep your eyes on the cake because the baking time might be a bit different. I love testing the cakes by gently touching the top – if the cake bounces back, it is good to go!
Josephine says
I don’t know what I am doing wrong. I made this cake twice and the frosting is always runny. I feel like I’ve followed the directions exactly. The flavor is delicious. The consistency makes it hard to frost.
Courtney says
Hi there, Josephine! Sorry to hear that the frosting has been giving you some trouble. It definitely is not supposed to be runny. If all the measurements are correct, what comes to mind is that you might have to whip it for longer. I am going to change the verbiage in the recipe to reflect this!
Linda says
A very delicious cake. I made almond mascarpone frosting. Got rave reviews. Next time I will double raspberry filling and make six layers . 😊
Courtney says
Almond mascarpone frosting sounds like an amazing addition to this recipe!
Nisha Pamela says
Hi Can i opt sour cream for anything else? Yogurt perhaps? Im from Malaysia and its difficult to get sour cream here.Thanks!
Courtney says
Hi there! You absolutely can substitute the sour cream with yogurt.
Dawn says
How long do I bake for 8 inch rounds?
Courtney says
I would start checking the cakes around 25 minutes. My favorite way to test if cakes are done baking is to gently touch the tops. If the top bounces back, they are ready!
Teresa Nelson says
I made this cake tonight as a practice run for my daughter’s wedding. It got rave reviews from everyone! By far the best wedding cake we ever tasted! It took me 2 hours from start to finish. I also put the cornstarch in at the beginning for the raspberry filling because I didn’t read the directions close enough. It turned out fine though. Also I whipped the egg whites over the hot water and I think this didn’t give the sugar enough time to dissolve, again because I didn’t read the directions close enough. It ended up with some granules I that I couldn’t get rid of.
Courtney says
Hi Teresa! This cake is perfect for a wedding cake! I love that you did a practice run! Always a great opportunity to learn a lot! Hope everything works out perfectly for the wedding! Cheers!
Amy says
I’m planning to make this cake as cupcakes. How many do you think the recipe would make? Would you bake at the same temperature, and how long?
Courtney says
Hi Amy! I actually do not recommend using this recipe to make as cupcakes. My cake and cupcake recipes are formulated a bit differently. I would recommend checking out my recipe for white almond cupcakes, which would be very similar in taste! You could use the raspberry filling and buttercream frosting from the cake recipe! https://cakemehometonight.com/white-almond-cupcakes/
Leah Rowe says
I made this cake and my family loved it! I’m going to make it again for my niece’s wedding in May. My question is about the Swiss meringue. Will it hold up in heat and humidity? The reception is outdoors in Georgia. While it shouldn’t be terribly hot, you never know with Georgia weather what the temperature will be!
Courtney says
So glad you loved the recipe! Anything with butter has the potential to melt, unfortunately. Generally, if you keep it out of the direct sunlight and heat and have appropriate supports (if it is a tier cake), it should be good to go! Try to keep it chilled for as long as you can! I have used the Swiss meringue buttercream to frost many wedding cakes in the past without issue.
Bernadette says
Loved it and it looked impressive when it was cut into. My husband said it was the best cake he ever tasted and my granddaughter wants it for her birthday. I’ll definitely make this cake again. I used frozen raspberries and accidently put the corn starch and water in the pan at the same time as everything else but it turn out fine. The icing was so delicious and not sweet. This recipe is a keeper.
Courtney says
I’m so glad this has become a family favorite, Bernadette! It’s one of my favorites too! Thank you so much for trying the recipe and leaving a positive review!
Mary G says
The best cake I have ever made. I love the almond flavor.
Courtney says
Mary, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for trying it out!
Adriana says
I just made this cake and I used 3 x 8inch cake tins instead of 3 x 7inch cake tins. Can it be saved?
The cake smells amazing and looks great, just a little flatter then what I would like.
Courtney says
Hi there Adriana! The cake will taste great! It will just be a little shorter than the one pictured!
Jaime B says
I am making this a second time because everyone loved it the first time around. Can you make the frosting ahead of time, refrigerate, and ice the cake the next day once you bring the icing to room temp?
Courtney says
Yes! Bring the frosting to room temperature and you will need to rewhip it to get the perfect consistency. 99% of the time, I make my frosting ahead of time!
Lindsey says
Hi! I am making this as a wedding cake for my friend. I am making a 2 tiered cake. A 8in and a 6in. Cake I bake them as the same temperature as in the recipe or does it need to be changed? Thank you!
Courtney says
Hi there! They can be baked at the same time, same temperature, but the 6 inch cakes will bake a bit faster than the 8 inch cakes! Keep your eye on the oven. For the 6 inch cake, I would start checking around 25 minutes. This makes a perfect wedding cake!
Kathy Lorenz says
This raspberry almond cake is absolutely delicious! Easy to follow recipe. It’s a little more time consuming but the end result is the reward👍👍
Courtney says
So thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe! You are right! There are a lot of steps involved in this one, but so worth it!
Marika says
Don’t the raspberries need to be strained to remove the seeds?
Courtney says
You certainly can if you would prefer! In my house, we don’t care about the seeds, but if your preference is to have seedless, you certainly can strain them out! 🙂
Kimberly Ann Kimsey says
This cake is delicious, the cake was perfect and the icing was delicious. The raspberry between the layers is exactly what this cake needs to play with the sweetness of the icing.
I will definitely make this again.
Courtney says
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!! Thank you so much for trying it out! 🙂
Maria says
Can you use regular AP flour? Don’t know where to get this cake flout??
Courtney says
You can, but it will make the cake layers a bit more dense. Cake flour can often be found in the grocery store near the all-purpose flour, or I have purchased it on Amazon before 🙂
Tammie L Shurtleff says
For those looking for cake flower and are coming up short; it comes in a box, not a bag as traditional AP flower does.
Courtney says
Yes! Thank you for the tip!
Jenny Taylor says
Just an idea hun but it might be helpful to put a note that cake flour is also called SR flour. Just might help some that don’t know . Ppl from Europe UK etc . Xx
Courtney says
Hi there! Thank you for the suggestion! I do have a question…does SR refer to self-rising flour? Because cake flour is different than self-rising flour and I want to be sure that I am instructing people appropriately! For this recipe, cake flour is the way to go because it has less protein than self-rising flour.
Louann says
Wanted to love this cake but it looked better than it tasted. The cake came out dense. Given all the acid from the sour cream and buttermilk, it needs a bit of baking soda to lighten the crumb. The frosting was also a bit too sweet for me.
Courtney says
I’m sorry to hear this was not the recipe for you. The reason I do not add baking soda is that the cake bakes with a yellow color as opposed to the stark white layers. Swiss meringue buttercream is typically a less sweet than American buttercream. You can decrease the powdered sugar to 5 cups. Thank you kindly for your feedback 🙂
Tasneem says
Hi! You cake looks beautiful. I was wondering, did you use 3 7-inch rounds to make the cake in your photos? Would it be ok to use 3 8-inch rounds? I’d like to make a 3 layer cake. Thank you!
Courtney says
Hi there! Thank you! I did use 3 7-inch pans – you can absolutely use 3 8-inch, the layers will just be slightly shorter and will likely bake a bit faster.