Lemon Raspberry Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Whipped Cream
When life gives you raspberries…
I’m seriously addicted to this lemon raspberry loaf cake! Dense as a pound cake but still very soft and tender. This simple vanilla loaf cake is soaked in a homemade lemon simple syrup. But my friends, the lemon cream cheese frosting is what will get you obsessed! This has to be the creamiest cream cheese frosting, I bet to say the best cream cheese frosting in the world! It has the perfect balance between tangy and sweet. No doubt, this lemon raspberry loaf cake is the best thing to do with all the fresh raspberries you are finding right now!
I haven’t made many things with raspberries. But it’s summer and raspberries are at its best and I didn’t want another summer gone by without giving raspberries the spotlight they deserve. And I’m so happy I finally did, they sure know how to brighten up any dessert. Their acidity and sweetness is one of a kind and can enhance lemon or chocolate like no other ingredient.
Such was my desire to let raspberries shine in this recipe that I decided to make a layered loaf cake, so more raspberries on every bite! That would mean more cream cheese frosting in every bite as well, but this was a consequence I was more than happy to face, almost literally ; ). If you prefer you just can make a regular loaf cake and spread the frosting and whipped cream on top with the raspberries.
Another thing this cake has? Lemon! Lots of it! It has lemon zest in the cake, the syrup is made only with lemon juice and there’s more in the cream cheese frosting. It’s definitely a cake for my fellow lemon lovers!
This cake ended up being bright, creamy and refreshing. And the cream cheese frosting… I’m so proud of that recipe! It has everything you want in a cream cheese frosting; it’s creamy, thick, tangy and not overly sweet. It’s the best cream cheese frosting recipe ever! I made this amount for layering but if you are going to smear frosting just at the top, feel free to make just half the recipe.
As always, let me walk you through the steps of making this cake. It’s pretty easy but if you want to make it layered as I did, you need a bit of planning for the chilling. Let’s bake a lemon raspberry loaf cake!
Making the best lemon raspberry loaf cake
As always start by prepping all your ingredients, especially the ones that need to be softened or at room temperature, such as the butter and the milk. Next you can prepare your pan by either greasing it very well with butter or baking spray or placing a parchment paper at the bottom.
I called for softened butter and not room temperature, which means that you want the butter soft enough to make an indentation but still feels a bit chill to the touch. This is super important in this recipe. If for some reason you are not ready to start when the butter reaches that point, just pop it in the fridge for a few minutes while you finish preparing everything for your cake.
Now start making your cake by beating the butter with the lemon zest, just enough to incorporate some air. Too much air in the batter is not the best thing for this kind of cakes such as loaf cakes or pound cakes. If the butter is still a bit stiff and most of it is getting stuck to the bottom of the beaters, increase speed for 10 to 15 seconds just for it to get loose. When butter is creamy and smooth add the sugar and beat a bit more. Next add the eggs, one by one, vanilla, sour cream and milk.
Finish the batter by adding the flour mixture. That is all for the cake!
If serving the cake as it is you may leave the cake with its pretty bump. I decided to make it even so the frosting would sit flat and wouldn’t spread as much through the sides. You may cut the top bump after you remove the cake from the loaf pan.
I like to prepare the syrup right after taking the cake out of the oven so both the cake and the syrup are still warm, helping the cake to absorb the syrup evenly.
You can make your super soft cream cheese frosting right away and spread it on top after the cake has cooled down. Top it with whipped cream, raspberries and pistachios. If you want to create the layered style cake read below.
Making a layered loaf cake
After pouring the syrup and the cake has cooled down, wrap it up tightly with a few pieces of plastic paper and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours, even overnight. If you try to cut the cake while it is still warm, chances are it will crumble or will not cut nicely. Chilling the cake helps in preventing that.
Take cake out of the fridge and cut it through half from side to side. I measured my cake and needed to cut it in two 1 ¼” layers. I tilted the cake on it’s side and made a shallow cut just to mark it down. I did the same with the other sides. Then I started to cut deeper on every side until the cuts basically met in the middle.
Spread cream cheese frosting on top of each half. I placed my cakes in the fridge a few minutes so the frosting would get a bit stiff, but I was going to shoot the cake and wanted the frosting super neat. You may arrange one half on top of another right away after arranging some raspberries and crushed pistachios on the bottom layer.
Spread more cream cheese frosting on the top layer and top it up with whipped cream, more raspberries and more pistachios. You may place it in the fridge a few minutes for everything to set properly.
This baby is ready to serve!
You can use any other fruit for this cake like blackberries, strawberries or peaches. But there’s just something so perfect of this lemon and raspberry loaf cake that you wouldn't want it any other way!
Share your thoughts with me and don't forget to tag me when sharing your own versions. I love seeing how you make my recipes come alive!
Until the next one!
Lemon Raspberry Loaf Cake with The Creamiest Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Lemon Raspberry Loaf Cake
◯ Unbleached all-purpose flour – 2 cups
◯ Baking powder – 1 Tsp
◯ Fine sea salt – ½ Tsp
◯ Unsalted butter, softened – 8 TBSP (½ cup)
◯ Lemon zest - zest of one large or 2 medium lemons, approximately 2 TBSP
◯ Raw granulated sugar – 1 ¼ cup
◯ Vanilla extract – 1 Tsp
◯ Large organic free range eggs, at room temperature - 3
◯ Sour cream, at room temperature – ¼ cup
◯ Full fat organic milk – 3/4 cup
◯ Raspberries and crushed pistachios to serve
Lemon Soaking Syrup
◯ Freshly squeezed lemon juice - ⅔ cup
◯ Natural granulated sugar - ⅔ cup
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
◯ Unsalted butter, softened – 7 TBSP
◯ Cream cheese, softened – 10 oz (1 ¼ box)
◯ Lemon zest (optional) - zest of one lemon
◯ Lemon juice - 1 to 2 TBSP
◯ Pinch of salt
◯ Powdered sugar – 2 cups, sifted
Whipped cream (optional)
◯ Heavy or whipping cream, chilled - ½ cup
◯ Granulated sugar - 1 TBSP
◯ Powdered sugar - 1 TBSP (if you don’t have on hand, just add a second tablespoon of granulated sugar)
Details
Yield:
9” x 5” loaf cake pan
Total Time:
2 hours + a few hours for chilling if doing a layered cake
Active time:
20 minutes for making the cake
20 minutes for making the frosting
Equipment:
loaf cake pan, stand or electric hand mixer, parchment paper or baking spray, pastry brush (optional)
Steps
To make the lemon raspberry loaf cake:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease or line with parchment paper your loaf cake pan.
With a large sieve sift over a large bowl the 2 cups of flour, the 1 teaspoon of baking powder and the ½ teaspoon of salt.
Beat the butter with the lemon zest on your mixer on slow speed (#2 in the Kitchen Aid) for about one minute, just until loose and fluffed. Add sugar and beat until a pale paste forms, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the teaspoon of vanilla and start adding the eggs, one at a time and waiting until one is incorporated before adding the next one. Add the ¼ cup of sour cream and pour milk. Mix 30 seconds to let the ingredients incorporate well. Decrease speed to the lowest and add flour mixture in a couple of additions, waiting until most of the flour is incorporated before adding more. Stop as soon as you add the last flour. Mix with a spatula any remaining large streaks of flour, making sure to scrape the bottom and walls of the bowl.
Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a large toothpick comes out clean after inserted through the middle of the cake.
Let the cake loose the heat, about 5 minutes before removing from pan. Using a regular or long toothpick poke holes through the top of the cake, as deep as you can. With the cake over a wire rack with parchment paper or a baking tray on the bottom (for no sticky surface), pour lemon syrup (recipe follows) with a pastry brush or small spoon. Let it cool down completely before cutting the top and frosting it. (See notes for alternatives on handling and frosting.) Top it with fresh raspberries and crushed pistachios.
If making a layered cake:
After pouring the lemon syrup wrap your cake in plastic paper and chill it in the fridge a few hours or overnight.
Cut cake in half (see notes on how to assemble the cake), spread frosting and raspberries on the bottom layer and top it with the other half. Frost and spoon the whip cream (if using) and top it with more raspberries and crushed pistachios.
To make the lemon simple syrup:
Put the ⅔ of lemon juice and the ⅔ of sugar in a small saucepan. As soon as you take out the cake from the oven start heating the saucepan in medium heat, simmering until the sugar has completely dissolved.
After poking holes on the cake, pour over with a pastry brush or small spoon.
To make the cream cheese frosting:
Place the 7 tablespoons of butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large glass or metal bowl if using a handheld electric mixer with the beaters attached. Beat for 1 minute in medium low speed (#2 in the Kitchen Aid) to make it smooth and lighter. If using a stand mixer, change the paddle for the whisk attachment. Add the 10 ounces of cream cheese and the lemon zest and whisk for about 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the whisk wires and the walls and bottom of the bowl if necessary to make sure everything is mixing well. Add the first tablespoon of lemon juice to help the mixture mix up better. Add the pinch of salt as well.
Decrease mixer to the lowest speed and gradually add the 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar. Add the second tablespoon of lemon juice if you feel your frosting is too stiff (take in consideration that it will get softer while mixing). Increase speed one notch and mix for 2 to 4 minutes, until frosting is super creamy, smooth and all the flavors taste well incorporated.
To make the whipped cream (optional):
Start by whipping your cream with a whisk on medium speed. When it has started to get foamy and looks thick (the whisk wires should have started to leave a shallow imprint on the cream) slowly add the tablespoon of sugar and then the tablespoon of powdered sugar in the same way. Whip about 30 seconds to one minute. It should look thick and dense and the wires should be leaving a deeper imprint. Do not over mix.
