Raspberry Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Delicate sponge cake layers filled with creamy sweet cream cheese frosting and raspberry jello made with real fruits. Gorgeous, tall and impressive cake for any occasion.

My goodness, I’m so excited to finally share this amazing cake recipe with you today.

I made this raspberry cake couple of weeks ago and it was truly a delight to make, eat and photograph it.

I’d totally do it again and again. And I really wish I had a slice with me while I write this post!

While this raspberry cake consists of multiple components, like cake layers, frosting and raspberry jello, I can assure you it’s not very difficult to make.

In fact, if I can make it while chasing 3-year-old toddler and holding a baby (chunky baby, I may add!), you can totally do it too. Kidding, I did have some help with my kids. But the point is it’s easy to make the cake. Just plan it ahead and break the project into mini-projects.

1. Bake the cake and make simple syrup on day 1.
2. Make the jello on day 2. (Or you can also do this on day 1!)
3. Then on day 3, whip up the frosting and assemble the cake.

Sounds totally doable, right?

By the way, this raspberry jello may sound so weird, but trust me, this’s good stuff! It’s a fun surprise when you cut into the cake! Raspberry jello is not super sweet and overpowering like a raspberry jam or jelly. It’s delicate with a burst of fresh raspberry flavor! It adds so much flavor and texture to the cake. We loved it!

How to make raspberry jello with real berries?

No need to turn to boxed stuff here. It’s simple to make raspberry jello from scratch. Both fresh or frozen raspberries will work here.

1. First, we’ll cook raspberries and sugar slowly until sugar is completely melted.
2. Then we’ll add hydrated gelatin into the berry mixture and continue to cook the mixture until gelatin is dissolved.
3. Finally, run the raspberry puree through a sieve to remove the seeds and divide into the oiled pans to set.

I’ve shared a detailed process on making perfect sponge cake here. So we’ll skip the details on that today and jump right into assembling the cake.

We’ll cut the cake into 3 layers, and soak them generously with simple syrup! Simple syrup is not optional, it’ll make the cake so tender and soft. Don’t skip it!

Then fill the cake layers with cream cheese frosting. TIP: It’s much easier to fill the cake you put the frosting into a piping bag.

Cream cheese frosting is a beautiful combination in this cake. So creamy and delicate!

And here’s that beautiful raspberry explosion!

Pictures worth thousands words, so here are some photos to show you how I fill the cake layers.

We’re putting cream cheese frosting on both sides of the jello. No skimping on frosting here!

Now decorate the cake however you would like. I used this freeze-dried raspberry powder in the leftover cream cheese frosting to decorate the top of the cake. And I also sprinkled some crushed freeze-dried raspberries on top.

You can also fill the entire cake with raspberry cream cheese frosting for even more raspberry flavor.

The cake turned out beautiful, if I can say so myself, and I could not stop taking pictures of it. So here are a few more shots of the cake for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

Raspberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Delicate sponge cake layers filled with creamy sweet cream cheese frosting and raspberry jello made with real fruits. Gorgeous, tall and impressive cake for any occasion.

5 from 4 votes

serves: 12 servings

Prep: 45 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Total : 3 hours 25 minutes

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Ingredients

Sponge cake:

• ▢ 6 large eggs at room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup 200gr sugar, divided
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cream of tartar optional
• ▢ 1 ½ cups 180gr plain cake flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

Simple Syrup:

• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ ¾ cup 150gr sugar

Raspberry Jello Layer:

• ▢ 1 packet 7gr/about 2 teaspoons gelatin powder (1 packet = 0.25oz)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons 50ml cold water
• ▢ 10 oz 300gr raspberries fresh or frozen
• ▢ ¾ cup 150gr sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• ▢ 16 oz 500gr cream cheese, at room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup 110gr unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ▢ 4 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freeze-dried raspberry powder* optional (Note 1)

Note: I test all my recipes with both measurements for the most precise and accurate result!

Instructions

• To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line bottom of 1 9-inch springform pan (at least 3 inches tall) with parchment paper. No need to grease the pan.
• Separate egg whites and yolks, making sure not even a little bit of egg yolk gets into the whites. (Tip: It’s easier to separate the egg when they’re cold right out of the fridge.)
• In a mixing bowl with whisk attachment, whisk together egg yolks and ½ cup of sugar until pale and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sift flour and salt.
• In another mixing bowl with whisk attachment, beat egg whites at medium low speed until foamy.
• Stir in cream of tartar, if using.
• Add remaining ½ cup of sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to whisk until stiff peaks, gradually increasing the speed to medium high, 7-10 minutes.
• Using a spatula, add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and gently fold until mostly smooth. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold until smooth.
• Add sifted flour into the batter in 3 stages, whisking the batter well after each addition.
• Pour the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake the cake until inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Don’t open the oven for at least the first 30 minutes!
• Let the cake cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. Once cooled, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate, preferably overnight. It’ll be easier to slice it when the cake is thoroughly chilled.
• To make raspberry jello layer, spray two 7-inch round cake pans with a cooking spray.
• In a small bowl mix together gelatin powder and water. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, combine raspberries and sugar. Cook it over medium high heat, until sugar is melted, stirring frequently and mashing the berries.
• Stir in gelatin and cook over medium low heat until the gelatin is fully melted.
• Run the mixture through a sieve to remove seeds. Divide the mixture into the prepared pans. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or overnight to set.
• To make the simple syrup, in a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water and sugar. Bring it to a boil and simmer until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely.
• To make the cream cheese frosting

  , beat cream cheese and butter on medium high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for a minute. Then increase the speed to medium high and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer the frosting into a large frosting bag. You can use a round piping tip, if you have it, but it’s not necessary.
• To assemble the cake, slice the cake into 3 even layers. (I use this cake slicing kit, but this’s a cheaper version.)
• Place the bottom cake layer on a serving platter. (TIP: Place 3 strips of parchment or wax paper on the bottom to keep the serving platter clean.) Brush on 1/3 of chilled  simple syrup evenly on the cake. Pipe the cream cheese frosting all over and smooth it with an offset spatula. Place the raspberry jello in the middle. Pipe frosting around the jello, creating a border. Pipe more cream cheese frosting over the jello and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Place the next cake layer and repeat.
• Place the top cake layer upside down so that the top of the cake is nice and flat. Coat the entire cake with frosting and smooth it with an offset spatula.
• Mix the remaining cream cheese frosting with freeze-dried raspberry powder and decorate the cake as desired. I used Wilton M1 piping tip to pipe the decoration on top.

Tips & Notes:

Note 1: You can crush these freeze-dried raspberries with a rolling pin, or use this powder version.

Make-Ahead Tip: You can make all the components of the cake separately well in advance. 1. Cake can be made and frozen up to a month in advance, or refrigerated for up to a week. Thaw frozen cake in the fridge overnight. 2. Cream cheese frosting can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate. Re-whip before using. 3. Simple syrup can also be made a week in advance. Refrigerate until ready to use. 4. Raspberry jello can be made up to 3 days in advance.

You can assemble the cake 1 day in advance and store it in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 618kcal (31%) Carbohydrates: 98g (33%) Protein: 7g (14%) Fat: 23g (35%) Saturated Fat: 13g (81%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 6g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 144mg (48%) Sodium: 254mg (11%) Potassium: 163mg (5%) Fiber: 2g (8%) Sugar: 83g (92%) Vitamin A: 873IU (17%) Vitamin C: 7mg (8%) Calcium: 63mg (6%) Iron: 1mg (6%)

* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.

Author: Shinee

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:American

Did you make this?Show me your creation! Tag me @shineshka and hashtag it #sweetandsavorybyshinee!

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