A quick, easy and delicious raspberry buttermilk cake, made with fresh or frozen raspberries. A perfect, simple cake that can be enjoyed any time of day.
Why I love his raspberry buttermilk cake
For me, the simplest cakes are often the best. This raspberry buttermilk cake fits that bill perfectly!
I love the ample raspberries in this cake, which somehow manage to taste fresh, even though they are baked!
The use of buttermilk gives this cake an ever-so-slight tangy flavour, which complements the raspberries beautifully.
You can dress this cake up or down, with a simple dusting of powdered sugar for a breakfast, brunch or tea cake or serve it with a dollop of whipped cream, creme fraiche or ice cream for a lovely dessert.
Key Ingredients
Buttermilk – Buttermilk is lovely for a slight bit of tangy flavour to this cake. I recommend real buttermilk, for best results and flavour.
If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own, by measuring out 1/2 cup of regular milk and adding 1 1/2 tsp of either lemon juice or white vinegar to the milk. Let stand 10 minutes, then use. I haven’t tested this recipe with alternative milk substitutes, though I suspect they should work here cup for cup.
Raspberries – You can use fresh or frozen raspberries here. If frozen, use from frozen and allow a little extra baking time, as the batter will stay cooler longer. If will often add a bit more than the 1 cup (a rounded cup), though I would go beyond 1 1/2 cups of fruit, as the cake would be too moist, I think.
Flaked Almonds – aka sliced almonds. These are optional, but they do dress up the cake nicely and I always enjoy the combination of almond flavour with raspberries!
Step-by-Step Photos
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this cake. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe, as not all steps may be illustrated here.
Start this cake by creaming together the room temperature butter with the white sugar. “Creaming” should be done at medium speed (4-5 on a stand mixer) for about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg and beat together well. “Beating” is slightly higher than the speed for creaming, about 6-7 on a stand mixer.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk and mix until combined. That means add about 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the buttermilk, another 1/3 of the flour, the remaining buttermilk and the last bit of flour. Mix together until all the flour is incorporated well. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. Top with fresh raspberries and sprinkle with some white sugar.
Scatter the top with flaked almonds, if using and bake.
Baker’s Notes
- An 8-inch springform pan is perfect for this cake. If you don’t have an 8-inch springform, a regular 9-inch cake pan would be the next choice. I’m not sure if an 8-inch cake pan with lower sides will hold all the batter and accommodate the rise. In either case, line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, for easy removal.
- Every oven is different and darker coloured baking pans will speed up the baking process. As such, be sure to check on your cake often during the last part of baking, as yours may cook more quickly. Be sure to test the cake with a cake tester inserted in the centre of the cake before removing from the oven. The tester should come out clean.
Variations!
Try this delicious cake with other berries, as well. Blackberries or blueberries would also be lovely.
Storage Notes
This cake keeps well when wrapped and stored at room temperature, but is best enjoyed on the day it’s baked. It does become more moist as it sits, as the moisture of the fruit will seep into the cake crumb.
This cake also freezes well, tightly wrapped, for up to a month.
Get the Recipe: Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.3 g) baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt, reduce slightly if using salted butter
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (133.33 g) white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 ml) vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
- 1 large (1 large) egg
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, well shaken *or see Note 1 below for DIY buttermilk
- 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
For topping:
- 1 Tablespoon (22.18 g) white granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup flaked almonds, optional
For serving:
- Icing/Confectioner's sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. (regular bake setting/not fan-assisted) and place rack in centre of oven. Grease a 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper, for easy removal. (You can also bake this in a greased 9-inch springform or regular round cake pan).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer or with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg.
- With the mixer at low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 batches, starting with 1/3 of the flour, then 1/2 of the buttermilk, then half the remaining flour, the rest of the buttermilk and finishing with the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
- Spoon the batter into prepared cake pan, smoothing top. Scatter the fresh or frozen raspberries evenly over the top, avoiding having any of the raspberries touching the side of the pan (as they may scorch during baking and be bitter). Sprinkle the sugar over-top of the berries, then scatter with flaked almonds, if using.
- Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into centre comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. *Baking time may be slightly longer if starting with frozen raspberries. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Slide the cake on the parchment paper off of the base and onto a cooling rack to cool completely. (If baking in a regular cake pan, allow to cool in the pan 15 minutes, then gently invert the pan with your hand over the top of the cake, so the cake falls out of the pan. Peel off the parchment paper, then place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Real buttermilk is recommended, but in a pinch, you can make your own buttermilk substitute by combining 1/2 cup regular milk with 1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let stand for 10 minutes then use in place of the buttermilk in this recipe.
Super easy to make and it came out moist and tasty! No problem with raspberries falling to bottom. Didn’t bother with powdered sugar on top… it was so good! Thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it, Donna! Thanks so much :)
THIS RECIPE IS SO GOOD! It’s not so sweet, but it can manage to lure the biggest of sweet tooths 😉 My family loved this dessert and even asked me to make it again. Recommend! 5/5
So glad you enjoyed it, Brendan :) Thanks so much!
This cake is out of this world! The first time I made it, I used powdered buttermilk and some fresh-frozen raspberries that had been in my freezer for 2 years! Absolutely delicious! I had to go home and send 4 people the recipe. The second time I made it, I used fresh raspberries and dairy fresh buttermilk. Just as good! Easy and yummy.
So glad you are enjoying it :) Thanks so much!
How much lemon zest and lemon juice can I add to this recipe?
Hi Lynnet, well that would depend on how lemony you want the cake. Generally, it’s safer to use lemon zest for lemon flavour, maybe 1 teaspoon or more, for more lemon flavour. You could add a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice to the batter, but I wouldn’t add too much more, as you may change the cake texture with the added liquid.
Could you add lemon juice or zest to this if would it be an issue with the buttermilk?
Thanks!
Hi Debbie and yes, you could. Shouldn’t be a problem with the buttermilk, as it is generally low fat (1%), so shouldn’t curdle with the acid of the lemon.
This was DELICIOUS! I would’ve put more raspberries in it though. Mine all sunk in so you couldn’t see them. I cooked it in a greased cast iron pan and it made the edges just a little crunchy which was yummy! We had it for our stay home brunch on Easter Sunday. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks :)
Hi there,
Your cake looks delicious. Could I double the recipe and bake in 2 separate 9 inch pans?
Thank you,
Brenda
Hi Brenda and yes, you can absolutely double and bake in two pans.
Thank you Jennifer. Do I store cake in the fridge or in the cupboard?
Brenda
I generally store in the cupboard, assuming it will be eaten up in a couple of days. I find the fridge dries out cakes, so if I want cakes like this to keep longer, I generally freeze part of it.
Hi. Can I use frozen fruit instead of fresh? Any tips would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Kim
Hi Kim and yes, you can use frozen fruit. I would use un-thawed. Allow a bit of extra baking time as the cold fruit will slow down the baking process a bit. Enjoy :)
First of all, your cake is picture perfect!
I have made this so many times now. Raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, peach, even cranberry!
Sometimes even for breakfast too ?
I love quick, simple recipes this time of year and this is perfect.
So glad to hear, Marie! And cake for breakfast is a thing here, too :) Thanks!
Would it be possible to bake this in a bundt pan?
Hi Charlene, it’s been awhile since I made this cake, but I recall it being a rather short cake, so it would probably make a pretty short bundt cake as written. You could 1 1/2 or double the recipe perhaps.
Hi Jennifer, I’m thinking of making this into a loaf, thoughts? Decreasing cooking temp to 350 but baking longer, thoughts? I was also planning to dust raspberries with flour before putting them in the batter. ?
Hi Starr, yes, I think this would work. Simply bake until it’s done, testing regularly. I suspect it will be near an hour, if not a bit more. I would suggest an 8×4-inch loaf pan as equivalent to the 9-inch round. Let me know how it works out!
Hi Jennifer,
I was looking for an easy cake recipe to use my raspberries – and oh my goodness did I find it in this recipe!!!
I made this last week and just made it again. I coated the raspberries in flour to avoid them sinking to the bottom. It was a tip I read elsewhere and works really well – splash the raspberries in flour and then put them on top, and there is no flour taste or caking after the cake is baked.
Thank you for this recipe! It is already much-loved in my household :)
So glad you enjoyed this one, Cait! I love a buttermilk cake and it’s so nice with raspberries, especially. Thanks for coming back to let me know :)
Dear Jennifer, I tried this recipe a year ago, and I’m obssesed with it. I love the spongy of the cake and the moist of the raspberries….heaven! Sadly in Bogota, Colombia, where I live, raspberries are a luxury so I’ve only enjoyed this original recipe twice. But I’ve made some changes replacing them for frozen raspberries or frozen blueberries….and even once I made it with caramelized rhubarb…. It’s a different story, but your recipe inspired me to take some risks. Thank you for your blog!
Hi Monica and I’m so glad you are enjoying this recipe! I imagine it would be lovely with any fruit :)
Would this cake freeze well? Looking for some ideas for a dessert buffet for a wedding reception?
I think it would, Karen. Honestly, I’ve never frozen it myself, so can’t say for sure, but generally cakes freeze fairly well.
So glad you enjoyed it! Makes me long for raspberry season to come again soon.
This cake was so yummy. A definite “do again” and again :)
Wow! That looks like a scrumptious cake! I love using raspberries and other fruits in recipes…it just makes eating cake and other treats seem like you are eating healthy stuff too!
Photographs are lovely as well!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it 3 times now–twice for my family and once as a gift for a sick friend. Everyone raved about it and it is so, so easy to make. The first time, I didn’t have buttermilk so I used regular milk that I added a few tablespoons of lemon to and let sit a bit. It worked great. This cake has such wonderful flavor and smells lovely while it bakes. As I type, I have another with some extra blueberries we picked over the weekend. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
So glad you are enjoying it, Miz. I made it with peaches last weekend and it was really nice, too. – Jennifer
i made this the other day and all my berries sunk to the bottom! i didnt press them into the batter either, i just lightly sprinkled them on top. i saw that you didnt have that problem, is there anything that you suggest to help with that?
Hi Alex, the batter should be fairly thick when you put it into the pan, and that should keep the berries on top. Was yours thick? Did you use real buttermilk? – Jen
oh, i have made this! it is so perfectly good!
We loved it too. So simple but a lovely way to end a meal (or for breakfast ;)
I just made this cake and I hate to say, but the 8″ pan is far too small. It ran all over the oven and that spill burned as the cake finished baking. My kitchen has a burned smell of course. I would suggest a 9″ pan for this cake. It looks very good. Still cooling after I scrapped all the over-spill off the sides of the pan to release it and of course have cleaned the oven.
On dear, Dorothy. I’m sorry for your mess. I just went and re-confirmed my pan size and I definitely baked mine in an 8-inch (1 3/4 inches high). It did puff up while baking but not to the point of boiling over the side. Perhaps because of the extra berries I put on top? That said though, I’ll alter the instructions to suggest a 9-inch (or at least a baking sheet underneath).
Beautiful cake! I’ve made this recipe before as well. My cake turned out a little too moist- almost to the point of sogginess- both times times I made it. Did this happen to you? Wondering what I’m doing wrong…
I found the cake definitely got soggier by the second day but didn’t find it too moist on the day I made it. I think it’s certainly best eaten soon after being baked. Maybe just cut back on the buttermilk a tad?
That cake looks wonderful. I’d definitely give this a go. I really enjoy baking for my kids. Lately we’re really into experimenting with different fruits in my cake recipes. You see they love fruit bits in their pancakes. So now, we’re trying to figure out which fruits will go best with my cake recipes. I think this will be a good candidate, lol, they love raspberries! :)
I think this cake would lend itself to any number of fruits. Maybe just tweak the sugar a bit depending on how sweet or tart the fruit is. – Jennifer
This looks gorgeous.. i made something similar using lemon.
Beautiful pics… and i love that it isn’t too much fat.
I was pleased at how little butter went into it as well, Honey! (And used 1% buttermilk, as well). You wouldn’t know it from tasting it. It was moist and full of rich flavour. – Jennifer