We all know and love strawberry shortcake as the classic summer dessert. But why not innovate on tradition? I like raspberry shortcake as much, or possibly even more, than its strawberry counterpart.
This is a great dessert to make in the spring when raspberries come on. I highly recommend getting your hands on fresh, local, seasonal raspberries for this rather than buying from the grocery store out of season. The flavor of perfectly ripe raspberries in the spring is unmatched, and they’re absolutely the star here.
Why you should make this raspberry shortcake
I really wanted the berries to sing in this dessert, so I added raspberries to multiple components in this cake. First, there’s a simple syrup made with fresh berries to moisten and flavor the sponge cake base. Then, a soft whipped cream speckled and stained pink with berries. Lastly, a generous pile of fresh raspberries on top.
If you’re a raspberry fan, you will love this cake! It’s a simple one-layer cake that looks stunning and is great to serve at a spring or summer party.
Tips to make this cake
There are two types of shortcake: the biscuit variety and the sponge cake variety. This version of raspberry shortcake uses a sponge cake for the base, so that we can make one large one-layer cake instead of individual servings.
The thing about sponge cake (or genoise, if you wanna get fancy) is that it’s naturally a bit dry and bland. It begs to be moistened and flavored with a simple syrup. So, in this case, the syrup is not optional for this recipe. Definitely do not skip the raspberry syrup!
Here’s a few more tips for sponge cake success:
- Don’t butter or grease the cake pan. This can prevent the cake from rising properly.
- The eggs are the leavening in this cake, so it’s crucial to whip them until they’ve tripled in volume. Be careful when folding the dry ingredients into the eggs so as not to deflate the volume you just built!
- It’s best to keep the oven door closed until the cake is nearly done baking (so it doesn’t collapse). Don’t peek until it’s been at least 35 minutes and the cake is looking baked and golden.
Variations
You could, of course, use this recipe to make strawberry shortcake. Simply substitute strawberries in place of raspberries for the syrup, whipped cream, and berries on top.
I also encourage you to experiment with any other berries or summer fruit you have in abundance. I’d love to try this cake with blackberries, blueberries, or a combination of both.
More summer cake ideas:
- Chocolate Elderflower Cupcakes
- Almond Streusel Cake with Balsamic Strawberries
- Strawberry Swirl Bundt Cake
- Zucchini Cake with Silky Chocolate Glaze
Raspberry Shortcake
Equipment
- 10-inch springform pan
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
- 3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Raspberry Simple Syrup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Raspberry Whipped Cream
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar or vanilla sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
Topping
- 2 cups fresh raspberries
- Edible flowers, to garnish, (optional)
Instructions
For the sponge cake:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper, but do not butter the sides.
- Melt the butter and set aside, keeping warm until ready.
- Sift flour and cornstarch together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk eggs, salt, and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place over a double boiler or a small pot with about one inch of water. Make sure the mixer bowl doesn't actually touch the water. Heat on medium, whisking egg mixture frequently, until hot to the touch (about 120° F), 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the stove and place on the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add vanilla; whip on medium high until pale and fluffy and mixture has tripled in volume, about 3-5 minutes. The mixture should form a ribbon when it falls from the whisk.
- Gently fold the flour into the egg mixture in three batches using a silicone spatula.
- Scoop about one cup of batter into a small bowl and whisk in melted butter. Gently fold this back into the rest of the batter. Be careful not to deflate the batter when mixing!
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the top springs back lightly when touched and top is golden brown, about 40-45 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan before removing.
For the raspberry simple syrup:
- Place sugar in a small saucepan and cover with water. Stir to combine and cook on medium low heat until it comes to a boil. Turn heat down slightly and simmer for a few more minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add raspberries.
- Allow to cool completely, then purée the mixture. Strain if you want a syrup without the seeds.
For the raspberry whipped cream:
- Whip heavy cream and sugar with an electric mixer until soft peaks begin to form. Add raspberries while continuing to whip just until raspberries are broken down into small pieces and whipped cream has turned light pink.
To assemble cake:
- Place cooled cake on a serving plate (don't forget to remove the parchment from the bottom). Use a spoon or a pastry brush to coat the top in syrup, allowing it to soak in and repeating several times until cake is thoroughly moistened with syrup.
- Top with the raspberry whipped cream, decorating as desired. Place fresh raspberries on top and decorate with edible flowers, if using. Slice and serve!
Notes
Did you try this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment below!
