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Smashed Raspberry White Chocolate Layer Cake. Three layers of light and fluffy vanilla cake swirled with a mix of fresh raspberries and raspberry jam. Each cake layer is frosted generously with vanilla-white chocolate swirled frosting. Every bite is layered with fresh berries, sweet vanilla, and filled with creamy, sweet frosting. This is the perfect berry cake to enjoy anytime. It’s simpler to make than you’d think, so pretty, and so delicious!
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Celebrating Father’s Day weekend with cake! It’s been so long since the last time I made a layer cake. There was a point a year or more ago when all I was baking were layer cakes. But then I leaned into the sheet pan cakes and stuck with those for a bit. Today we’re back to a layer cake, and just in time for Father’s Day.
When it comes to both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, we’re not huge celebrators. My brothers and I of course celebrate both parents, but when it comes to going all out with parties, we keep it pretty mellow. A family dinner is usually all my mom and dad really want. They’re pretty simple.
That being said, I kind of like to celebrate. I spoil my mom with gifts (lately it’s been jewelry) and always make her favorite foods and dessert. Always dessert.
And for my dad, while he’s much, much simpler than mom. And to be honest, much harder to shop for. Over the years I’ve kind of given up on finding him just the right gift and instead focus on showing him some love through food.
He’s a big spicy foods guy, so I’ll usually make something with some kick for dinner. A favorite dessert of his would have to be, chocolate peanut butter ice cream cake. It will forever be high up on his list.
But I thought this cake would be perfect for this year, and a fun recipe to share with you all.
Here are all the details – layer cakes are easy
Start with the cake itself. The vanilla cake is pretty standard, but my secret is to use a mix of buttermilk and either sour cream or Greek yogurt to keep the cake extra soft and light. I swear, simply using these ingredients in all of my cake recipes, makes for a perfect cake that’s never dry.
Then mix the wet with the dry and that’s your batter. I add lots of vanilla for really great flavor. Then come the berries. You can use any berry you love or have on hand, but I do think the raspberries add something special. We’ve all made blueberry and strawberry cakes, but what about raspberries?
Stir in fresh berries, then add swirls of raspberry jam for an intense berry-filled cake.
Lastly the frosting. White chocolate is the way to go. This is my standard for fruit-based cakes. The flavor lets the berries really shine in the best way.
Just butter, sugar, and melted white chocolate with a touch of vanilla. Creamy, sweet, and perfect. I frost the cake with a mix of frosting and jam to create swirls of color throughout. I then add lots of fresh smashed raspberries to go on top.
Fancy, but simple at the same time.
Hoping you’re inspired spend a couple of hours in the kitchen baking this up for Father’s Day, or just to enjoy a simple slice of delicious raspberry cake!
Every bite is filled with fresh berries and sweet jam. Each layer is light, fluffy, and layered with sweet vanilla chocolate frosting.
Looking for other summer cake recipes? Here are a few of my go-to’s.
Swirled Berry Ice Cream Butter Cake
Swirled Blackberry Lavender Sheet Cake
Simple Blueberry Basque Cheesecake
Bursting Blueberry Lemon Layer Cake
Blackberry Lavender Naked Cake
Strawberry Chamomile Naked Cake
Lastly, if you make this Smashed Raspberry White Chocolate Layer Cake., be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Smashed Raspberry White Chocolate Layer Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar , (use 2 cups for a sweeter cake)
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups high-quality raspberry jam
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, (do not thaw if using frozen)
Frosting
- 3 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 8 ounces white chocolate, melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- raspberries, for decorating
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 3 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter.2. In a large bowl, beat together the coconut oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Fold in the raspberries and swirl in 3/4 cup raspberry jam, leaving a few streaks of jam throughout the batter, it shouldn't be fully incorporated.3. Divide the batter among the 3 cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool for five minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before assembling.4. To make the frosting. In a bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the melted white chocolate and vanilla, and beat until combined.6. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread 1/3 of the frosting over the cake and layer with about 1/4 cup of jam. Repeat with the remaining cake layers. Be careful not to overfill your layers or the cake will be hard to slice. Lightly frost the outside of the cake, then decorate with smashed raspberries. Chill 30 minutes. Serve or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hello!
I have two 10” cake pans instead of three 8”. Can I use this recipe to condense to 2 cake pans? Would I just increase the bake time by a few minute? TIA!
Hi Nicole,
Totally, that would work well for you! Let me know if you give this cake a try, I hope it’s delish! xT
I made this and the flavor was great. But my layers were very dense. More like a pound cake/bread/muffin than a cake. Did I do something wrong or is that the texture of the cake? I made it and then have stored it in the fridge.
Hi Ashley,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! That’s kind of the texture of the cake! Have a great holiday weekend! 🇺🇸🎆 xT
How do you keep the melted coconut oil from hardening once you add the buttermilk? Mine hardened instantly and was impossible to mix at that point. Ended up taking out the chunks and heating to remelt. Hoping to save this recipe!
Hi Melanie,
You’ll want your buttermilk to be at room temp:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! I hope you love this recipe! xT
I just tried to make this and the coconut oil made it really weird. It was really dense and oily. I had high hopes with all the reviews, and also the batter tasted amazing… but it was a flop for me. 🥺
Hi Alexandria,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear it was not enjoyed, if you aren’t used to baking with coconut oil it might throw things off for you. You could always use another neutral oil instead:) I hope this helps! xx
I accidentally forgot to add the greek yogurt to the batter, the cake seems fine. Just buttery smelling because of the buttermilk. Will it taste okay? Thank you!
Hi Erika,
Sorry, I’m not sure about this, I have never made it without the Greek yogurt! I hope it comes out okay for you! Let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Hi! I’m wondering if I could make this cake and frost it 2-3 days ahead of time and put it in fridge or freezer?
Hi Ingrid,
You can definitely make the cake in advance and keep in the fridge or freezer but I would wait to frost until the day you are serving. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Just made this and the icing taste like butter. Is the recipe correct with 3 sticks of butter and 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.
Hi there,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try! Yes, those measurements are correct! Did you add the white chocolate? Let me know how I can help! xT
Hi! I’m wondering what your thoughts are about adding lemon to this? I have a friend who asked for a lemon raspberry cake and this recipe looks delicious, but no lemon. Would it be too much or not meld well with the chocolate?
Hi Allison,
I think adding lemon would be a nice touch here! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you, I hope it’s delish! xT
Hi,
Recipe looks delicious! Would I be able to make this recipe into cupcakes? If so how long would I bake them for?
Hi there,
Thanks so much!! I would start checking for doneness at 25ish minutes. Let me know if you give the cupcakes a try, I hope they are delish! xT
Can I make this in a 9×13?
Hi Maeve,
Sure, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this cake a try, I hope you love it! xx
I felt like my icing was a bit runny, not that firm. I threw it in the fridge hoping it turns up.
Hi Miranda,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try! I would try adding more powdered sugar to your icing, that should help! Let me know how it turns out! xT
This cake is insanely amazing. I made it last week for a friend’s birthday and plan to make it again for my daughter’s birthday coming up. Curious, do you use sweetened or unsweetened white chocolate? The icing was a bit sweet for me that could just be preference! Also, my cakes rose/rounded a lot more than yours… any idea why? If it happens again would you recommend shaving down for even stacking?
Thanks Tieghan!! Incredible as always.
Hi Megan,
Thanks so much for making this recipe! I like to use the Ghirardelli white chocolate bars for this recipe! Sure, you could definitely slice some of the top off for a more even cake or flip it over, I like to do that too. I hope this helps! Happy Birthday to your daughter! xx
Happy Friday!
I’m making this cake for a co-worker who requested something unique! I do have to feed about 12+ people, wondering if this would be okay as a sheet pan cake?
Appreciate your feedback and look forward to making this cake.
Thank you.
Hi Beth,
Sure, this would be great as a sheet cake! Let me know if you give it a try, I hope it’s delish! xT
Odd question maybe, but how tall is this cake? I’m planning to transport it and want to make sure it fits in the box. Thank you!
Mine definitely looked taller than the pictures on the recipe. I did the 3 8in pans like it calls for and mine was probably 6-7 inches tall with the raspberries on top. 😊
Hi Cynthia,
So sorry, I honestly have no idea, I’ve never measured it. Please let me know if I can help in any other way, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Seriously the best homemade cake I have ever made. The cake is moist and the white chocolate makes the frosting so yummy and not overly sweet. Will definitely be in my recipe box to make again!
Wow! Thanks so much Sara! Love to hear that this cake was such a hit, thanks for making it:) xx