We all know and love strawberry shortcake as the classic summer dessert, but today we’re shaking things up just the slightest bit. I like raspberry shortcake just as much (or maybe even more) than its strawberry counterpart.
If you’re a raspberry fan, you’ll love this cake! It’s a simple one-layer cake that is absolutely loaded with real raspberry flavor, from the soaking syrup to the pillowy whipped cream that’s speckled and stained pink with fresh berries. This cake looks stunning and is great to serve at spring and summer parties.
Why you should make this raspberry shortcake
- For raspberry lovers: berries in the syrup, whipped cream, and piled on top
- Classic shortcake base: one layer of raspberry-soaked sponge cake
- Delightful textures: light & airy cake, soft raspberry whipped cream, juicy berries
- Looks festive: perfect for spring and summer parties
Recipe overview
⏱️ Prep: ~40 mins • Bake: 45 mins • Total: ~1 ½ hrs
🍴 Yield: One 10-inch cake (~10 servings)
💪 Skill level: Intermediate – sponge cake is a bit more technical than a butter cake
😋 Flavor profile: Sweet-tart raspberries, sweet cream, vanilla. Pairs well with: Iced tea, fig leaf lemonade, berry sauce, vanilla ice cream.
How to make raspberry shortcake
Find the full ingredients list and detailed recipe instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s a quick step-by-step overview of how to make this recipe:
- Whip eggs for sponge cake: Whisk eggs, salt, and sugar together and place over a double boiler. Heat on medium, whisking frequently, until about 120° F. Move mixture to a stand mixer, add vanilla, and whisk until pale, fluffy, and tripled in volume.
- Finish cake batter: Gently fold the flour into the egg mixture in three batches, then carefully fold in melted butter.
- Bake: Pour into a cake pan and bake until top is golden brown and springs back lightly when touched. Cool completely in the pan before removing.
- Make raspberry syrup: Cook sugar and water over medium-low heat and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add raspberries. Cool, then purée. Strain if you want to remove the seeds.
- Make raspberry whipped cream: Whip heavy cream and sugar 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.
- Assemble cake: Place cooled cake on a serving plate and brush the top with the raspberry syrup, allowing it to soak in. Repeat several times until cake is thoroughly moistened with syrup. Top with raspberry whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
Pro tips for perfect shortcake
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.
Don’t skip the raspberry syrup. The thing about sponge cake (or genoise, if you wanna get fancy) is that it’s naturally a bit dry and bland. They’re intended to be moistened and flavored with simple syrup. So in this case, the syrup is not optional for this recipe.
Don’t butter or grease the cake pan. This can prevent sponge cake from rising properly.
Be careful not to deflate the cake batter. The eggs act as leavening in this cake, so it’s crucial to whip them until they’ve tripled in volume. Be very gentle when folding the dry ingredients into the eggs so as not to deflate the volume you just built!
Keep the oven door closed. To prevent your sponge cake from collapsing, it’s best to not to peek until the cake is nearly done baking. Try not to open the oven door until it’s been at least 35 minutes and the cake is looking baked and golden.
Use fresh seasonal berries. 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 hero of this cake.
Variations
For the raspberries: You could, of course, use this recipe to make strawberry shortcake. Simply substitute sliced strawberries in place of raspberries for the simple syrup and finely minced berries for the whipped cream. Add fresh sliced strawberries on top.
Feel free to experiment with any other berries or summer fruit you have in abundance. This cake would also be lovely with blackberries, blueberries, or a combination of both.
For the simple syrup: For a unique twist, try swapping the berry syrup for a botanical syrup instead. Lilac syrup, magnolia syrup, or fig leaf syrup are all delicious choices.
For the whipped cream: Use a classic vanilla whipped cream instead of the raspberry version here, or use crème fraîche whipped cream.
Storing raspberry shortcake
This cake is best if eaten within one day of making. Keep it refrigerated until ready to serve.
More berry dessert ideas:
- Strawberry Swirl Bundt Cake
- Mango Raspberry Pavlova
- Dandelion Cookies with Strawberry Glaze
- Raspberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes
If you make this Raspberry Shortcake, I’d love to hear how it turned out.
Please leave a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
Raspberry Shortcake
Equipment
- 10-inch springform pan
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
- 3 ounces (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Raspberry Simple Syrup
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Raspberry Whipped Cream
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup sugar or vanilla sugar
- ½ cup fresh raspberries
Topping
- 2 cups fresh raspberries
- Edible flowers, to garnish, (optional)
Instructions
For the sponge cake:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper, but do not butter the sides.Melt 3 oz unsalted butter and set aside, keeping warm until ready.
- Mix dry ingredients: Sift 1 ⅓ cups flour and 1 Tbsp cornstarch together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Warm eggs: Whisk 6 eggs, ¼ tsp salt, and 1 cup 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.
- Whip eggs: Remove the bowl from the stove and place on the stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add 1 tsp vanilla; whip on medium-high until pale and fluffy and mixture has tripled in volume, about 3-5 minutes. The mixture should fold back on itself and form a ribbon when it falls from the whisk.
- Fold in dry ingredients: Gently fold the flour mix into the egg mixture in three batches using a silicone spatula, folding carefully after each addition until no pockets of flour remain.
- Add butter: Scoop about one cup of the batter into a small bowl and whisk in the 3 oz melted butter. Gently fold this mixture back into the rest of the batter. Be careful not to deflate the batter when mixing!
- Bake: 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:
- Simmer: Place ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a small saucepan. 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 ½ cup raspberries.
- Purée: Allow the syrup to cool completely, then purée the mixture using an emulsion blender or food processor. Strain if you prefer to remove the seeds.
For the raspberry whipped cream:
- Whip 1 ½ cups heavy cream and ¼ cup sugar with an electric mixer until soft peaks begin to form. Add ½ cup fresh raspberries while continuing to whip, just until raspberries are broken down into small pieces and whipped cream has turned light pink.
To assemble cake:
- Soak: 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 the cooled raspberry syrup, allowing it to soak in and repeating several times until cake is thoroughly moistened with syrup.
- Finish: Top with the raspberry whipped cream, spreading or piping as desired. Place 2 cups 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!
