This homemade raspberry summer cake is a refreshingly light cake with raspberry filling. It's not too sweet and practically melts on your tongue. It's good to resist and perfect for those fresh summer berries.
This vanilla cake with raspberry filling is a doctored cake mix recipe is one you're going to love! Taking a simple box of cake mix and making it better is a great way to not only get an extra layer out of the cake but also get more flavor and moisture in every bite.
We love the light and airy whipped cream frosting because it's not only tasty but stabilized as well. This means that you can pipe out nice-looking borders with a pastry tip, and they actually hold shape!
For more cake recipes, make sure to check out our Chocolate Crockpot Lava Cake, Banana Pound Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze, and Layered Tres Leches Cake.
Why This Recipe Works
- It's perfect for summer. Light, airy, and full of summer fruit flavors, you're going to love this cake. Try my Raspberry Lemon Bundt Cake if you want to use up some more fresh raspberries!
- Simple ingredients. While we do use a lot of ingredients, they're all pretty simple and easy to find in your home or local grocery store.
- Great for special occasions! Serve this cake up as a nice dessert on Mother's day or any occasion that you find fitting. Is there a wrong time for cake? We think not!
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🥘 Ingredients
For the cake, you will need:
French Vanilla Cake Mix- You can use any cake mix including yellow cake or white, but I like the taste of french vanilla with the raspberry filling best.
All-Purpose Flour- Adding in a little flour will give our cake some more gluten for support.
Granulated Sugar- Use granulated sugar to make the cake sweeter and softer.
Salt-This is a natural flavor enhancer.
Vanilla Flavored Instant Pudding Mix- You only need the dry mix from inside the box of pudding.
Eggs- These are a binder, meaning that they hold the cake together so that it doesn't become too crumbly.
Sour Cream- For added moisture and richness.
Oil- Adding in cooking oil like vegetable oil or canola oil will give us the necessary fats to keep the cake moist.
Water- Use water (or milk) to get the cake to the right moisture content.
Vanilla Extract- Another flavor enhancer.
For the Filling, You Will Need:
Raspberry Preserves or Jelly- This can be swapped out for other flavors, but it makes a very simple and easy filling because you just open the jar and spread it around.
For the Frosting, You Will Need:
Heavy Whipping Cream- To make our frosting fluffy and light.
White Chocolate Flavored Instant Pudding Mix- You only need the dry mix from the inside of the box!
Cold Milk- Use milk to help activate the pudding mix. This will keep the frosting from getting too grainy.
Vanilla Extract- A flavor enhancer.
Fresh Raspberries- Use these for colorful garnish and decoration if desired.
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Electric Mixer
- Whisk
- 3 8 inch cake pans
- Frosting bags *Optional
- Parchment Paper
🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make summer raspberry cake with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Cake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut some parchment paper into circles that can fit at the bottom of your 8 inch cake pans. Spray cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and lay the parchment circles inside. Spray again with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, and boxed vanilla pudding mix.
In another mixing bowl blend together the eggs, sour cream, oil, water, and vanilla.
Add your wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix until well combined and no flour streaks remain.
Divide the batter evenly between your three cake pans and spread the batter to level it out nicely.
Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.
Once the cakes have finished baking allow them to cool in the cake pans for about 10 minutes before flipping over onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Allow them to cool on the racks upside down and make sure to remove any parchment paper from the bottom of the cake.
Once the cakes are completely cooled, flip them over onto a cutting board and level the tops with a large bread knife.
Prepare the frosting
In a small mixing bowl combine your white chocolate pudding mix with 1 cup of cold milk. Whisk together until well blended and allow to sit for a few minutes to set.
In a large mixing bowl beat the heavy whipping cream with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
Add in the pudding mixture and continue to beat for about 15-20 seconds until the mixture has been fully incorporated. You should still have stiff peaks forming.
Assembly
Place some frosting into a frosting bag or Ziploc baggie with a corner snipped off.
Make a circle around the rim of the tops of the three cakes you leveled.
In another baggie scoop in some of your raspberry preserves. If the jelly is cold you may need to warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave to make it softer to pipe and spread. Give it a moment to cool down before using so that it doesn't melt the frosting.
Pipe and spread the raspberry jelly into the circles of the cakes you just outlined. The frosting will help to keep it in place so that it doesn't run out.
Spread a thin layer of frosting over the tops of the raspberry filling.
Stack the three cake layers trying to get them as straight as you can. If needed you can cut some straws to an inch shorter than the cake and shove them in the center as dowels to hold the cake from slipping. You can also freeze the cake at this point and chill the frosting until ready to use.
Frost the outside of your cake and add nice borders if desired. Garnish with fresh raspberries.
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
🧾 Substitutions
You can swap out either of the requested pudding mixes for the following flavors and have the cake still taste great:
- Vanilla
- French Vanilla
- White Chocolate
- Cheesecake
Using a jar of your favorite brand of raspberry jelly or preserves will give us a super simple filling between each layer. You could also use homemade raspberry jelly if you happen to have it on hand.
🍴 Recipe Tips
This summer raspberry cake recipe is super simple and easy to make but a few things should be noted.
You will need (3) 8-inch cake pans. I purchased an extra one for myself at Dollar Tree because I only had 2 on hand at the time. Spraying the pan with cooking spray before laying the parchment paper circles inside will keep them in place so they don't roll under the cake pan. Spraying the parchment with cooking spray will help to release the cake. The last spray is optional but recommended.
When you go to slice your vanilla raspberry cake I recommend making sure it is chilled or has been chilled for at least an hour beforehand as the cake slices much easier when cold. They also cut much more cleanly as well because the filling isn't trying to escape.
I used Wilton frosting tip #D2 and a pastry bag for the top border piping. Fill the bag ⅔rds of the way full, twist and tuck the end in your hand and then squeeze the frosting out of the bag in a circular motion while lifting until desired peak height is achieved and release the pressure, stopping the piping.
💭 FAQs
Yes. For food safety reasons as well as aesthetic ones, you should always place whipped cream frosted treats in the fridge. You should keep the cake in the fridge when not being eaten and have it fully consumed within 2 days.
Due to the dairy within the frosting, you should not allow the frosted cake to sit out for more than 2 hours at a time. This will keep it from spoiling and will allow you to safely enjoy your cake. Thankfully this recipe uses a stabilized whipped cream recipe so any piped designs won't melt and will hold shape both in and out of the fridge.
More great cake recipes to try
- 2 Ingredient Lemon Cake Bars
- Spiced Vegan Apple Bundt Cake
- Easy Chocolate Orange Cake
- Devil’s Food Cake Mix Brownies
📖 Recipe
Summer Raspberry Cake
Equipment
- Frosting bags *Optional
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box (15.25oz) French Vanilla Flavored Cake Mix (just the dry stuff!) ($1.24)
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour ($0.08)
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar ($0.22)
- ¾ teaspoon Salt ($0.08)
- 1 small box (3.4oz) Vanilla Flavored Instant Pudding Mix ($0.98)
- 4 large Eggs ($0.32)
- 1 cup Sour Cream ($0.80)
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil ($0.24)
- 1 cup Water ($0.00)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract ($0.02)
Filling
- 1 jar Raspberry Preserves or Jelly ($1.00)
Frosting
- 1 quart Heavy Whipping Cream ($2.08)
- 1 box (3.4oz) White Chocolate Flavored Instant Pudding Mix ($0.98)
- 1 cup Cold Milk ($0.19)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract ($0.02)
- 1 pint Fresh Raspberries ($3.20)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut some parchment paper into circles that can fit at the bottom of your 8 inch cake pans. Spray cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and lay the parchment circles inside. Spray again with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the cake mix, flour, sugar, salt, and boxed vanilla pudding mix.
- In another mixing bowl blend together the eggs, sour cream, oil, water, and vanilla.
- Add your wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix until well combined and no flour streaks remain.
- Divide the batter evenly between your three cake pans and spread the batter to level it out nicely.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean.
- Once the cakes have finished baking allow them to cool in the cake pans for about 10 minutes before flipping over onto a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Allow them to cool on the racks upside down and make sure to remove any parchment paper from the bottom of the cake.
- Once the cakes are completely cooled, flip them over onto a cutting board and level the tops with a large bread knife.
Prepare the frosting
- In a small mixing bowl combine your white chocolate pudding mix with 1 cup of cold milk. Whisk together until well blended and allow to sit for a few minutes to set.
- In a large mixing bowl beat the heavy whipping cream with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
- Add in the pudding mixture and continue to beat for about 15-20 seconds until the mixture has been fully incorporated. You should still have stiff peaks forming.
Assembly
- Place some frosting into a pastry bag or Ziploc baggie with a corner snipped off.
- Make a circle around the rim of the tops of the three cakes you leveled.
- In another baggie scoop in some of your raspberry preserves. If the jelly is cold you may need to warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave to make it softer to pipe and spread. Give it a moment to cool down before using so that it doesn't melt the frosting.
- Pipe and spread the raspberry jelly into the circles of the cakes you just outlined. The frosting will help to keep it in place so that it doesn't run out.
- Spread a thin layer of frosting over the tops of the raspberry filling.
- Stack the three cake layers trying to get them as straight as you can. If needed you can cut some straws to an inch shorter than the cake and shove them in the center as dowels to hold the cake from slipping. You can also freeze the cake at this point and chill the frosting until ready to use.
- Frost the outside of your cake and add nice borders if desired. Garnish with fresh raspberries.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Tips
- This summer raspberry cake recipe is super simple and easy to make but a few things should be noted. You will need (3) 8-inch cake pans.
- Spraying the pan with cooking spray before laying the parchment paper circles inside will keep them in place so they don't roll under the cake pan.
- Spraying the parchment with cooking spray will help to release the cake. The last spray is optional but recommended.
- You can swap out either of the requested pudding mixes for the following flavors and have the cake still taste great: Vanilla, French Vanilla, White Chocolate, or Cheesecake.
- When you go to slice your vanilla raspberry cake I recommend making sure it is chilled or has been chilled for at least an hour beforehand as the cake slices much easier when cold. They also cut much more cleanly as well because the filling isn't trying to escape.
- I used Wilton frosting tip #D2 and a pastry bag for the top border piping. Fill the bag ⅔rds of the way full, twist and tuck the end in your hand and then squeeze the frosting out of the bag in a circular motion while lifting until desired peak height is achieved and release the pressure, stopping the piping.
Storage
- For food safety reasons as well as aesthetic ones, you should always place whipped cream frosted treats in the fridge. You should keep the cake in the fridge when not being eaten and have it fully consumed within 2 days.
- Due to the dairy within the frosting, you should not allow the frosted cake to sit out for more than 2 hours at a time. This will keep it from spoiling and will allow you to safely enjoy your cake.
- Thankfully this recipe uses a stabilized whipped cream recipe so any piped designs won't melt and will hold shape both in and out of the fridge.
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