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Vanilla Raspberry Cake

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This elegant, white, triple layer cake with its delicate vanilla bean flavor is laced with raspberry jam and generously frosted with a very creamy white chocolate cream cheese frosting! Though it looks intimidating, this recipe is not difficult!

Two forks by a slice of vanilla raspberry cake.
A slice of this delicious Vanilla Raspberry Cake on a decorative serving plate!
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Why Choose This Recipe

  • Frosted with white chocolate frosting!
  • Looks fancy, but isn't hard to make!
  • Moist, but light cake like my Death by Chocolate Cake!

Ingredient Notes

  • Half and Half - found in the dairy section next to the coffee creamers. It's a combo of half milk and half cream.
  • Vanilla Extract - must be PURE vanilla extract.
  • Vanilla Bean Paste - 2 Tbs. Pure vanilla extract could be substituted if absolutely necessary. The vanilla flavor with not be as strong as when vanilla bean paste is used though.
  • Raspberry Jam - seedless jam for the raspberry filling is preferable. Homemade raspberry jam absolutely can be used!
  • Butter - I used salted butter. If you're using unsalted butter increase the amount of salt called for by ¼ tsp.
  • Flour - All purpose flour, not cake flour.
Ingredients for vanilla raspberry cake.
Ingredients needed to make a vanilla raspberry cake!

Step by Step Instructions

  • Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare the 9 inch round cake pans by either greasing and flouring them OR my preferred method, place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each cake pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Set them aside.
  • Sift the flour, cornstarch and baking powder together twice.
  • Set the sifted ingredients aside.
Prep of the cake pan and sifting of flour.
Prepare the cake pans and sift some of the dry ingredients.
  • This cake can be make in a large mixing bowl with hand beaters or with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
  • In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean paste together for 4 minutes and a medium high speed.
  • After creaming those ingredients, beat in the egg whites.
Mixing of the first 5 ingredients for this cake.
Beat egg white into the creamed butter mixture.
  • Beat in ⅓ of the sifted flour mixture.
  • Beat in ½ of the half and half.
  • Beat in another ⅓ of the sifted flour mixture.
  • Beat in rest of half and half.
  • Beat in rest of sifted flour mixture.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Beat a full 2 minutes at medium speed.
Additions of flour and half & half.
Alternate liquid and flour to finish this white cake batter.
  • Divide the batter among 3 prepared 9 inch cake pans.
  • Spread and smooth the batter in each pan.
  • Bake for 25-27 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • Baked cakes will be golden brown.
  • Cool for 20 minutes before loosening edges, turning out, peeling off the parchment paper and turning out onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Batter poured in a cake pan and baked.
Cool cakes on a wire rack!
  • While the cakes are baking and/or cooling make the white chocolate cream cheese frosting.
  • Beat the softened butter and room temperature cream cheese together until completely smooth.
  • Carefully heat the white chocolate just until it's melted and smooth.
  • Pour the melted white chocolate into the cream cheese and butter WHILE YOU ARE BEATING.
  • Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.
  • FYI...This is not a stiff frosting.
White chocolate beat into the butter and cream cheese followed by the vanilla and powdered sugar.
Make the white chocolate frosting!
  • Place the cooled bottom layer on a plate and spread half the jar of seedless raspberry jam over the top of the cake evenly.
  • Dot globs of the frosting onto the jam and spread it to smooth it out.
  • Place in the freezer for 15 minutes to set the frosting.
First layer with raspberry jam followed by frosting spread on it.
Assemble the cake layers with raspberry filling and white frosting.
  • Place the second cake layer on top of the first cake layer.
  • Spread with last half of the jar of jam followed by frosting as done with the first layer.
  • Place back in the freezer for 15 minutes to set the frosting.
  • Place the top layer of cake and frost the entire cake with thin layer of frosting to fill in gaps and make a uniform shape. (AKA a crumb layer)
  • Place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  • Frost the top and outside of the cake with the remaining frosting.
  • Place the cake in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
Assembly and the frosting of the outside of the cake.
Finish frosting the outside of this stunning cake.
  • Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint leaves.
  • Store leftover cake in the fridge.
Cake with a big slice cut out.
The inside of this cake is moist vanilla cake layers held together with raspberry cake filling and white chocolate frosting!

Recipe FAQs

Why do I need to chill each layer in the freezer before adding the next layer?

This white chocolate cream cheese frosting is very soft. Popping it in the freezer allows the frosting to set up enough to hold the weight of the next layer without the frosting squishing out.

Can I add fresh raspberries to the cake batter?

I wouldn't because the moisture in the raspberries will effect the ratio of wet to dry ingredients and will likely cause the cake not to rise.

What other frostings could I frost this cake with?

This cake would also be delicious frosted with Raspberry Lemonade Frosting or Rich Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Have you tried this recipe? If so, leave me a rating and a comment below! And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to get my latest recipes sent right to your email! You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!

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Slice of vanilla raspberry cake garnished with raspberries.

Vanilla Raspberry Cake with White Chocolate Frosting Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Mindee
  • Prep Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 3 Layer Cake 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

This elegant, white, triple layer cake with its delicate vanilla bean flavor is laced with raspberry jam and generously frosted with a very creamy white chocolate cream cheese frosting! Though it looks intimidating, this recipe is not difficult!

Ingredients

Units Scale

Vanilla Cake:

  • 3 cups Flour
  • 6 Tbs. Cornstarch
  • 1 ½ Tbs. Baking Powder
  • 12 Tbs. (1 and ½ sticks) Softened Butter
  • 2 ¼ cups Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 3 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
  • 6 Egg Whites
  • 1 ½ cups Half and Half

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 2 (8 oz) pkg. Cream Cheese, softened
  • 12 Tbs. (1 and ½ sticks) Softened Butter
  • 10 oz Ghirardelli White Chocolate
  • 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 4 cups Powdered Sugar

Additional Ingredients:

  • 12 oz. Jar Seedless Raspberry Jam

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare 3 nine inch cake pans by placing parchment paper circles in the bottoms of the pan and then spraying the sides of the cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.  OR you can grease and flour the cake pans.  Set aside.
  3. Sift the flour, cornstarch and baking powder together twice.  Set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, cream the 12 Tbs. butter, sugar, salt, ad vanilla bean paste for 4 minutes.
  5. Beat in the egg whites.
  6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  7. Beat in ⅓ of the sifted flour mixture.
  8. Beat in ½ of the half and half.
  9. Beat in another ⅓ of flour mixture.
  10. Beat in remaining half and half.
  11. Beat in remaining flour mixture.
  12. Beat at a medium speed for a full 2 minutes.
  13. Divide the batter amongst the prepared baking pans.
  14. Spread and smooth the batter.
  15. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes.
  16. Cakes should be golden brown and a toothpick should come out clean.
  17. Cool cakes for at least 20 minutes before loosening sides and turning out on a wire rack to finish cooling.
  18. While the cakes bake and cool make the white chocolate cream cheese frosting.
  19. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese until completely smooth.
  20. Carefully melt the white chocolate just until melted and smooth.
  21. Pour the white chocolate into the cream cheese/butter mixture while beating at a high speed.
  22. Beat in the vanilla and powdered sugar.  FYI...this is not a stiff frosting.
  23. Once the cakes are cool, place the first layer on a cake plate.
  24. Spread ½ the raspberry jam evenly over the cake layer.
  25. Dot some frosting over the jam and spread into an even layer.
  26. Place this layer in the freezer for 15 minutes to set the frosting.
  27. Remove from the freezer and top with another layer of cake.
  28. Evenly spread the remaining jam on the top of this layer followed by white chocolate frosting as before.
  29. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  30. Remove from the freezer and place the remaining cake layer on the top.
  31. Frost the entire cake, filling in the gaps between the layers and a thin layer around the sides and on the top. (AKA crumb layer)
  32. Pop in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  33. Remove from the freezer and frost the cake evenly with the remaining frosting.
  34. Put in the fridge this time until you're ready to serve the cake.
  35. You can garnish this cake with fresh raspberries and mint leaves if desired.
  36. Store leftover cake in the fridge.

Notes

  • If you don't have parchment paper but hate greasing and flouring pans as much as I do here's how to make quick cake release.  Mix together 1 Tbs. Shortening, 1 Tbs. Olive Oil, and 1 Tbs. Flour. Brush onto cake pans.  Boom!  Your cake will not stick!

Keywords: vanilla cake, vanilla raspberry cake, white chocolate raspberry cake

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