Every Helping
Sign in

Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Raspberry Vanilla Layer Cake with Cocoa Filling

Tender vanilla layers studded with tart raspberries, sandwiched with a silky cocoa cream filling and topped with a fresh raspberry whipped cream.

Raspberry Vanilla Layer Cake with Cocoa Filling

Ingredients

  • 2¼ cups300 gCake floursifted
  • 2⅛ tsp10 gBaking powder
  • ½ tsp2 gBaking soda
  • ¾ tsp4 gSalt
  • ¾ cup170 gUnsalted buttersoftened
  • 1¼ cups250 gGranulated sugar
  • 3 large150 gEggsat room temperature
  • 2 tsp8 gVanilla extract
  • 2 tsp4 gLemon zest
  • 1 cup (240 ml)240 gButtermilk, low-fatat room temperature
  • 3 cups370 gRaspberriesdivided
  • 2 cups (470 ml)480 gHeavy creamcold, divided
  • ⅓ cup30 gUnsweetened cocoa powdersifted
  • 1 cup120 gPowdered sugarsifted, divided

Steps

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round pans with about 1 teaspoon of the butter and line the bottoms with parchment.
  2. Divide the raspberries: set aside 120 g for the batter, 100 g for the topping cream and 150 g for decorating.
  3. In a bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the rest of the butter with the granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and lemon zest.
  5. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, mixing on low just until combined.
  6. Gently fold in the batter raspberries, then divide the batter evenly between the pans.
  7. Bake 28 to 32 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.
  8. For the cocoa filling, whip half the heavy cream with the unsweetened cocoa powder and half the powdered sugar to firm peaks.
  9. For the topping, mash the topping raspberries with a fork. Whip the remaining half of the heavy cream with the remaining half of the powdered sugar to soft peaks, then fold in the mashed raspberries.
  10. Set one cake layer on a plate, spread the cocoa filling over it and top with the second layer.
  11. Spread the raspberry cream over the top, scatter the decorating raspberries over it and chill 30 minutes before cutting into 12 slices.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Gluten.

Cook mode Log it in Today

Made it

Made it? Share how yours turned out.

Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

Want one that fits your numbers?

Pick the meal, the pan and your targets, and the Every Helping recipe generator writes a recipe with every number worked out. Free on the web.

Make a recipeMore from the recipe book