Raspberry cake with raspberry buttercream

5 from 10 votes

Raspberry cake with raspberry buttercream

This raspberry butte cake is the best cake ever. It is moist and packed with raspberry flavor and is topped with a no powdered sugar raspberry buttercream. Can't beat that.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Equipment

1M Wilton star tip
piping bag
8inch round cake pan

Ingredients

For the raspberry butter cake

1 stick + 1 & 1/2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 medium eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp raspberry powder from freeze dried-raspberries, finely ground

For the raspberry frosting

2 sticks butter softened
9 oz sweetened condensed milk very cold
1/4 cup raspberry powder (about 30 grams sifted), from freeze dried-raspberries, finely ground

About Raspberry Powder:The listed weight for raspberry powder is after sifting to remove seeds. This ensures accurate flavor strength and color. If measuring before sifting, you will need ~3× as much whole freeze-dried raspberries to yield the same amount of sifted powder (e.g., 30 g sifted ≈ 85–90 g unsifted berries).

Instructions

Making the cake layer

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and raspberry powder. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Making the pink raspberry frosting

In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat the softened butter on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the cold sweetened condensed milk in a thin stream. Adding it too quickly can cause curdling.
Add the raspberry powder and continue whipping for 1–2 more minutes until smooth and creamy. If not using immediately, store covered in the fridge. Re-whip for 1 minute before frosting.

Assemble the Cake

Place the cooled cake on a serving plate. Spread about ⅓ cup of frosting evenly over the top.
Transfer remaining frosting to a piping bag fitted with a 1M Wilton tip. Pipe rosettes to cover the top. Serve immediately or refrigerate, bringing to room temperature 1–2 hours before serving.

Notes

Raspberry powder: To make, blend freeze-dried raspberries into a fine powder, then sift to remove seeds.
Sweetened condensed milk: Must be very cold for best texture, but add slowly to avoid splitting.
For more intense raspberry flavor, increase frosting raspberry powder to ⅓ cup.

Notes to Add to the Raspberry Buttercream Recipe

Raspberry powder measurement: The amount listed (30 g) refers to sifted raspberry powder, meaning the seeds have been removed. This gives the smoothest texture and most consistent flavor.
If you measure your raspberry powder before sifting, expect the actual usable powder to weigh about one-third of that, since seeds add weight but little flavor. You will need roughly 3 times more whole powder before sifting to match the flavor.
Using unsifted raspberry powder is possible but may result in a slightly grainy texture due to the seeds. If you don’t mind a bit of texture, start with about ⅔ of the sifted amount to avoid overpowering the frosting.
For best results, grind freeze-dried raspberries finely in a spice grinder or blender, then sift through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds before measuring.
If your frosting appears less intensely flavored or paler than expected, it may be due to measuring unsifted powder or not enough raspberry powder. Adjust accordingly!

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