Description
White Chocolate Raspberry Dream Cake combines creamy white chocolate and tangy raspberries in a moist, delightful bake. Perfect for any sweet craving!
Ingredients
Scale
- Cake Batter Essentials:
- 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- White Chocolate Buttercream:
- 1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 8 oz (226g) good quality white chocolate, melted and cooled
- ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Raspberry Filling & Garnish:
- 2 cups (250g) fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup (160g) raspberry jam or preserves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water (slurry)
Instructions
- Prep the Pans & Preheat:: First things first, get those cake pans ready. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans – I usually trace the bottoms with parchment paper too, for extra insurance against sticking. Nothing worse than a beautiful cake stuck to the pan, honestly! Then, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). The kitchen starts to warm up, and you can already smell the promise of cake, a truly lovely feeling.
- Whip Up the Cake Batter:: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until it’s light and fluffy. This is where you really want to get some air in there, like a good arm workout! Then, beat in the room temperature eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. I always forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then I find hidden pockets of unmixed butter later. Don’t be like me; scrape those sides!
- Combine Dry & Wet Ingredients:: In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined; overmixing is the enemy of a tender cake! The batter should be smooth and smell faintly sweet, a sign that our White Chocolate Raspberry Dream Cake is on its way.
- Bake the White Chocolate Raspberry Dream Cake:: Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans. Pop them into the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. My oven sometimes bakes unevenly, so I usually rotate the pans halfway through. Once they’re done, the kitchen will smell absolutely divine – a warm, buttery aroma that makes your heart happy. Let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before carefully inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Patience is a virtue here, truly.
- Make the Raspberry Filling:: While the cakes cool, let’s get that vibrant raspberry filling going. In a small saucepan, combine fresh raspberries, raspberry jam, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a tiny bit of cornstarch mixed with water to create a slurry. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently, until the mixture thickens slightly. You want it to be a spreadable consistency, not a solid brick like my first attempt! Let it cool completely. This tart and sweet filling is what makes our White Chocolate Raspberry Dream Cake sing!
- Whip the White Chocolate Buttercream:: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, alternating with the heavy cream, until smooth. Beat in the cooled melted white chocolate, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Mix until the buttercream is light, fluffy, and spreadable. Don’t overmix or it might get too soft; I’ve done that, and it’s a pain to fix!
- Assemble Your Dream Cake:: Once the cakes are completely cool (this is important, folks, or your frosting will melt!), level them if needed. Place one cake layer on your serving plate. Spread an even layer of the cooled raspberry filling over it, leaving a small border. Then, pipe a dam of white chocolate buttercream around the edge of the first layer to hold in the filling. Place the second cake layer on top, and then frost the entire White Chocolate Raspberry Dream Cake with the remaining white chocolate buttercream. Decorate with fresh raspberries. It’s a beautiful sight, honestly, all those vibrant colors!