This buttermilk lemon raspberry frosted sheet cake combines two of my favorites—sun-ripened raspberries and tart lemon—into one deliciously tender and citrusy cake.
Lemon Raspberry Frosted Sheet Cake
If you also appreciate the result of a baked-from-scratch cake, this tender lemon raspberry cake with its decadent frosting that tastes like sunshine is for you!
The sour cream, buttermilk, and butter all play their role in making this cake taste exactly how I wanted—tender, luscious, and over-the-top delicious.
Why I Love This Recipe
- The cake is tangy, but sweet -it’s balanced in the best ways.
- I love a good frosting and I didn’t hold back with this one. It’s addictive in the best ways.
- This is a visually appealing cake – the red, yellow and pink are a mouthwatering look. Edible flowers look great on this cake too.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour
- lemon zest and juice – always use fresh
- baking powder
- salt
- unsalted butter – if you use regular (salted butter), omit the salt from the recipe
- eggs
- sour cream
- buttermilk
- vanilla extract
- fresh raspberries – do not use frozen
- granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar
- cream cheese
- milk
How To Make Lemon Raspberry Cake
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Cake
- Step One: Let’s start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Grab your regular 9×13 baking pan and give it a good greasing. Don’t forget to line it with parchment paper for easy cleanup later.
- Step Two: Now, in a big mixing bowl, combine your flour, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt. Mix them all up well and set the bowl aside.
- Step Three: In another bowl, mix together your softened butter and granulated sugar until they’re nice and creamy. Add in your eggs, vanilla, sour cream, buttermilk, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Mix everything together on low speed until it’s just mixed in—no need to overdo it.
- Step Four: Slowly add your dry ingredients into your wet mix, and mix until they’re all well combined. Easy does it so you don’t overmix.
- Step Five: Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan. Pop it into the oven and let it bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
- Step Six: Once it’s done, let the cake cool completely before making the frosting.
Frosting
- Step One: Begin by mashing up the raspberries with the sugar in a small bowl until you get a nice jammy texture. Set it aside for later.
- Step Two: Now, in a big mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until it’s all smooth and creamy. Use an electric mixer for this. Add in the vanilla extract and a splash of lemon juice.
- Step Three: Slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar into the cream cheese mix until everything’s well combined. If it gets too thick, a small splash of milk (about ½ to 1 tablespoon) should do the trick to thin it out.
- Step Four: Once that’s all good, gently stir in your mashed raspberries into the frosting. That beautiful pink color is going to make this cake pop!
- Step Five: When your cake is cooled down, spread that luscious frosting all over the top. Pop it in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to serve it up. When it’s time, slice it and maybe top each piece with a fresh raspberry or a lemon slice—because why not make it extra pretty?
Recipe Tips
- I used all full-fat ingredients when making this cake (sour cream, cream cheese etc.). You don’t have to, but that will give you the best results taste wise.
- When making this cake or any baking recipe, once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, be sure to mix until just combined. This step is crucial, along with using proper measuring techniques, to make sure your cake stays moist and tender.
- This could easily be made into cupcakes.
- Use only fresh raspberries that are dry. Frozen raspberries will impart too much liquid into the frosting.
Storage, Leftovers and Freezing
- Chill this cake in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. (It tastes so good cold.)
- Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. This cake should not be stored on the counter due to the cream cheese frosting.
- You can freeze individual slices of the cake for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight before enjoying again.
More Desserts Highlighting Raspberry
- Raspberry Cake
- Mini White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecakes
- Raspberry Lemon Tartlets
- Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake
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Lemon Raspberry Frosted Sheet Cake
This buttermilk lemon raspberry frosted sheet cake combines two of my favorites—sun-ripened raspberries and tart lemon—into one deliciously tender and citrusy cake.
Servings: 12
Calories: 444kcal
Equipment
- hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
Cake:
- cooking spray
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsps. lemon zest
- 2 tsps. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1-1/2 tsps. vanilla extract
- 3 tbsps. fresh lemon juice
Frosting:
- 1-1/2 cups fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 -1 tbsps. milk for thinning (only if you need it)
Garnish:
- raspberries
- lemons, sliced into wheels
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan and line it with parchment paper. (Using parchment is only necessary if you want to remove the cake from the pan without sticking; otherwise, just greasing the pan is sufficient.)cooking spray
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tbsps. lemon zest, 2 tsps. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the sugar and softened butter until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix until combined.1-3/4 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, 3 large eggs, 3/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup buttermilk, 1-1/2 tsps. vanilla extract, 3 tbsps. fresh lemon juice
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. (Be careful not to overmix the batter.)
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before applying the frosting.
Frosting:
- In a small bowl, mash the raspberries with the granulated sugar to create a jammy texture. Set aside.1-1/2 cups fresh raspberries, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Then, mix in the lemon juice and vanilla extract.8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Slowly add the confectioners' sugar to the cream cheese mixture, beating until fully combined. If the mixture is too thick, add ½ to 1 tablespoon of milk to thin it out.2-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar , 1/2 -1 tbsps. milk for thinning (only if you need it)
- Stir in mashed raspberries.
- Once cake is cooled, apply frosting over the top of the cake.
- Chill the cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve, Garnish each slice with fresh raspberries and a lemon wheel.raspberries, lemons, sliced into wheels
Notes
For optimal outcomes when preparing this lemon raspberry frosted sheet cake, it's recommended to refer to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.
The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Lemon Raspberry Frosted Sheet Cake
Amount Per Serving (129 g)
Calories 444
Calories from Fat 310
% Daily Value*
Fat 34.4g53%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.2g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 144mg48%
Sodium 323mg14%
Potassium 119mg3%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 46g51%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 22IU0%
Vitamin C 44mg53%
Calcium 87mg9%
Iron 14mg78%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Mel says
This sheet cake was more delicious than I ever expected. And so simple to throw together. Cannot wait to make this again!
Cathy Pollak says
Glad you enjoyed it.
Kristen says
Loved the lemon and raspberry combo with this, absolutely delicious.
Cathy Pollak says
thank you
Sha says
This is a perfect get together sheet cake! It’s tasty and delightful. Keeping this!