Description
This White Chocolate Raspberry Cake is a luscious, moist dessert bursting with fruity raspberry jam and rich white chocolate cream cheese frosting. The cake features a delicate crumb soaked with a vanilla milk mixture to keep it extra moist, layered with homemade raspberry jam swirled into the creamy white chocolate frosting for a beautiful marbled finish. Perfect for special occasions or an indulgent treat, it yields 16 generous servings.
Ingredients
Scale
Raspberry Jam
- 24 oz (680 g) frozen raspberries
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp (6 g) cornstarch
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups (280 g) cake flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated white sugar
- 4 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
Vanilla Milk Soak
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) half & half, or whole milk
- 1/3 cup (100 g / 120 ml) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
White Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz (113 g) cream cheese, cold
- 6 oz (170 g) white chocolate bar, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 1/2 cups (130 g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) raspberry jam (from above)
- 2 tbsp raspberry jam (from above), for swirling into the frosting
Instructions
- Cook Raspberries: Add the frozen raspberries to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring and mashing occasionally, until the raspberries begin to break down and become liquidy.
- Strain Seeds: Pass the raspberry mixture through a sieve to remove seeds; you should have just under 2 cups (480 ml) of raspberry liquid.
- Mix Jam Ingredients: Return liquid to the saucepan off the heat and whisk in the sugar and cornstarch thoroughly.
- Thicken Jam: Heat over medium heat for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the jam thickens to approximately 1 1/2 cups (360 ml). Transfer jam to a bowl and chill.
- Prepare Pan and Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9 inch pan and line with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes until creamy.
- Add Egg Whites and Vanilla: Mix in egg whites and vanilla bean paste on medium speed until pale and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to wet mixture on low speed, mixing just until combined. Scrape bowl edges as needed.
- Bake Cake: Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool Cake: Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes, then lift out using parchment and cool completely on rack.
- Prepare Milk Soak: Whisk half & half, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla bean paste together in a measuring cup. Chill until ready to use.
- Beat Butter for Frosting: Beat softened butter in a large bowl on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add Cream Cheese: Mix in cold cream cheese on high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Incorporate White Chocolate: Mix melted, slightly cooled white chocolate into frosting on medium speed until combined.
- Stir in Jam: Stir in 1/4 cup raspberry jam into frosting on medium speed until fully incorporated.
- Add Powdered Sugar: Sift powdered sugar into frosting, mix on low speed until combined, then on high speed for 1 minute until fluffy.
- Prepare Cake Surface: Once completely cooled, slice off a very thin layer from top of cake to help milk soak in. Transfer cake to serving plate and poke holes all over surface using wooden stick or handle of wooden spoon.
- Soak Cake: Slowly pour vanilla milk soak evenly over the top allowing it to absorb into cake through the holes.
- Fill Jam into Holes: Reserve 2 tbsp jam for swirling. Fill remaining jam into a piping bag, pipe into the holes of the cake. Spread any leaked jam evenly over cake surface with an offset spatula.
- Frost Cake: Spread a thick layer of white chocolate raspberry cream cheese frosting over the cake using an offset spatula.
- Swirl Jam: Use the back of a spoon to swirl the reserved 2 tbsp raspberry jam into the frosting for a pretty marbled effect.
- Serve: Cut into 16 slices and enjoy.
Notes
- For best results, bring egg whites and buttermilk to room temperature before mixing.
- You can substitute fresh raspberries if available, adjusting cooking time accordingly.
- Chilling the raspberry jam before use helps to firm it up for better texture in the frosting and cake filling.
- Use parchment paper to easily lift cake from pan without breaking.
- If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, substitute with 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract.
- Make sure the white chocolate has cooled slightly before adding to frosting to prevent it from melting the butter and cream cheese.
- Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for freshness.
