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slice of raspberry almond cake on a plate with three raspberries and the rest of the cake in the background

Raspberry Almond Cake

Soft almond cake layers, homemade raspberry filling, and creamy raspberry buttercream make this raspberry almond cake a delicious and show-stopping dessert!

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 55 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling time 2 hours
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 10
Author Kelsie

Ingredients

Cake layers

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups whole milk

Raspberry filling and frosting

  • 2 cups frozen raspberries defrosted and drained
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 to 6 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste

Instructions

Cake layers

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment, spray the parchment, and set pans aside.
  2. Put the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds, until very creamy. With mixer still on medium speed, add the sugar 1/4 cup at a time. Continue beating until very well combined.
  3. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat in the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extract, baking powder, and salt and beat to combine.
  4. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again. Turn mixer to low and beat in half of the flour, followed by half of the milk. Mix until just incorporated.
  5. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat in the remaining flour and remaining milk until just combined.
  6. Divide batter between the prepared cake pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
  7. Cool in pans for 20 minutes then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. (Run a knife around the edge of the pans a couple times to loosen the cake layers first.)
  8. Cool cake layers to room temperature before filling and frosting.

Frosting

  1. Puree the berries in a blender or food processor. Pour into a small saucepan and set the pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
  2. Turn heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until puree reduces by about half (8 or 9 minutes). You'll have about a 1/2 cup of puree.
  3. Remove from heat and transfer a scant 1/4 cup of the puree into a small bowl.
  4. Pour the rest into a second bowl through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Use a rubber spatula to press the puree through the sieve, extracting as much of the raspberry juices as possible. (This is what you’ll use in the frosting.)
  5. Set both bowls aside to cool to room temperature.
  6. Once puree is cool, place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until very smooth.
  7. Add the seedless puree, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and the salt and beat to combine. (Depending on how sweet your berries are, you may want to add a little more salt than this recipe calls for.)
  8. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then turn mixer to medium and beat until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin. If frosting is too thick, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve desired consistency.

Assembly

  1. If your cake layers have domed, use a long serrated knife to trim them.
  2. Set 1 cake layer on a cake stand or cardboard cake circle and spread the puree (with seedon top, without going all the way to the edge of the cake. Top with the second cake layer.
  3. Frost the top and outside of the cake with the frosting and decorate as desired. Slice and serve.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • If you don’t mind having seeds in your raspberry buttercream you can skip the straining step. I just didn’t want seeds in mine!
  • If you want frosting between the cake layers, spread a thin layer of frosting on the cake before you spread the puree over it.
  • Uneaten cake can be stored at room temp (loosely covered) for up to 2 days or in the freezer, sliced and tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months.