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Lemon and Raspberry Birthday Cake

I love it when people are specific when it comes to what they want for their birthday cake. “Something chocolaty” or “I love strawberries” just doesn’t work for me. Without a detailed brief, I am lost. All those possible combinations haunt me.

Last week, we were planning a birthday for a friend at the Mansion. I offered to bake the cake with one condition only: A detailed brief.

My friend told me that he wanted a white cake with lemon and raspberry fillings. The cake should not be too dry, the filling not too sweet and equal amounts of cake and buttercream is ideal.

Lemon and Raspberry Birthday Cake 2

As luck would have it, the perfect cake was right there looking at me from the pages of my favorite cookbook.

Yes, you guessed it. Dorie‘s Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Her “Perfect Party Cake” is an exact match. Lemon flavored cake layers filled with lemon buttercream and raspberry jam. The buttercream hardens after an hour at the fridge and makes it very easy to slice the cake without ruining the look. The lemon flavored cake has the greatest texture and taste.

Buttercream

Instead of store bought raspberry jam, I boiled 4 cups of frozen raspberries with lemon juice, corn starch and sugar and prepared my own quick jam.

There is a whole lot of raspberry jam left and I think I’ll use it for the thumbprint cookies I have been planning to bake. My friend told me that the cake was exactly what he had in mind.

Thanks to Dorie again, for making yet another dream come true 🙂

So, what if it was your birthday… What kind of cake would you prefer? And please keep in mind, I like details!!!

October 17, 2007 · 66 Comments Categories: Cakes Tags: birthday, buttercream, cake, coconut, lemon, raspberry

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dolly

    October 17, 2007 at 11:42 pm

    I would love something with flowers… Ha ha, just kidding, I will give the details.

    Perhaps a dark chocolate-lavender; my all time favorite combination. Not excessively moist or high volume; just a little dense and intensely flavored.

    Or a white cake with buttercream faintly flavored with mastic gum with candied violets on top. As old fashioned as a Chanel suit.

    Mmm cake!

    Reply
  2. Mandy

    October 17, 2007 at 11:58 pm

    MP is my initial too! My perfect cake would be a chocolate cake,with different textures of components, from soft to hard (eg mousse, cake and meringue), as for the flavor, from sweet milk chocolate gradually to 72% bittersweet chocolate. Does such cake exist?

    Reply
  3. JEP

    October 18, 2007 at 12:39 am

    I always request a rich, creamy, dense cheesecake. I’ve had delicious German Chocolate & Carrot cakes, too 🙂 Whatever it is, please make it rich & no candles, please!

    Reply
  4. Odete

    October 18, 2007 at 3:59 am

    Your blog just adorable! What a perfect cake. It would be perfect for my b’day too.
    Good job!

    Reply
  5. mz

    October 18, 2007 at 5:03 am

    Merhaba,
    Tanisabilir miyiz? Dogum gunum icin bu pastanin tipkisinin aynisini isteyecegim, ama tanimadigim birinden bana pasta yapmasini isteyemeyecegim icin once tanismak mantikli geldi. 🙂
    Ruya gibi. Mukemmel, hatta fazla mukemmel.

    Reply
  6. melrose

    October 18, 2007 at 5:31 am

    Excellent site, I have found it accidentally, and since then I am enjoying it !!!

    Reply
  7. Zeynep Seda

    October 18, 2007 at 9:04 am

    Gorgeous cake Cenk!

    I absolutely hate baking b’day cakes!! Although I attended to sugar craft courses I don’t like the taste of marzipan so that type of cakes are not my cup of tea and when it comes to icing a cake there is only one word that can summarise my talent : CRAP!!! 🙂

    Lucky me (!!), this weekend is my hubby’s b’day and I need to bake one 🙁 I would love to try this one but I already bought my ingredients. I’ll bake a soft chocolate cake layered with pistachio pralines and whipped milk chocolate ganache then I’ll cover it with dark chocolate ganache. Hope it will look as good as yours, I’m seriously nervous about it!!!

    Reply
  8. Cenk

    October 18, 2007 at 10:21 am

    Dolly – I owe you a chocolate lavender cupcake recipe! Candied violets? Your ideal bday cake is quite ambitious…. but very tempting!

    Mandy – I love the idea of different textures and I think I’ll steal that idea for a trifle.

    JEP – I hear you.

    Odete, Melrose – Thank you!

    mz – Tanışalım tabii 🙂 Teşekkür ederim.

    Zeynep Seda – I am not a huge fan of marzipan either. As far as icing, I must say buttercream makes it quite easy. Good luck with the cake. It sounds great; can’t wait to see it!

    Reply
  9. Feri

    October 18, 2007 at 11:14 am

    Hmmmm, this looks fantastic. I want a slice too? I hope you have some saved for me in the fridge!
    Here is my brief though, for my birthday!
    Chocolate almond meringue crust, dark chocolate-matcha filling covered with dark chocolate ganache…I leave the decoration to your creative mind, mi amor!

    Reply
  10. Patricia Scarpin

    October 18, 2007 at 11:22 am

    It looks magnificent, Cenk – I want mine with dulce de leche as the filling, ok?? 😉

    Reply
  11. Hande

    October 18, 2007 at 11:52 am

    Years ago (like 15 years ago) I ate a wedding cake from divan and since then have been trying to find it/a taste-alike/a recipe… It would be great if you could bake that for my birthday (you have 10 months!): A chocolate-y cake as I have never had it before and after (texture-wise), with pieces of pistachios and maybe caramel-brittle in it, covered in a white buttercream. Not too sweet, not too chocolate-y, just perfect…

    Reply
  12. Master of the Mansion

    October 18, 2007 at 2:46 pm

    my birthday cake is easy.

    6 layers of thin french crepes. first layer filled with caviar, second with fine chopped onion, third caviar again, forth boiled egg white and yolk(very fine), fifth caviar than you can lay the 6th crepe and cover all those with sour cream. Why six layers because it is january 6th.

    Reply
  13. itir

    October 18, 2007 at 3:34 pm

    Key lime pie for me, please… Classic and simple, eh?

    You know what,I will cheat and leave a second request on your Turkish blog 🙂

    Reply
  14. Laily

    October 18, 2007 at 3:43 pm

    Another lovely execution. What are the letters made out of? I liked that finishing touch…half-dipped in raspberry jam. Brings it all together nicely. They kind of look like puff pastry or perhaps cookie dough?

    Reply
  15. Laily

    October 18, 2007 at 3:46 pm

    P.S. Did you strain the jam? Or do you like the little seeds?

    Reply
  16. kelly

    October 18, 2007 at 4:07 pm

    Mine is simple. My favorite kind of birthday cake is moist chocolate cake with lots of white buttercream.

    Reply
  17. mindy

    October 18, 2007 at 4:08 pm

    Beautifully luscious photos!!My always requested bday cake is a cloying sweet strawberry number. My mom has made me (upon request) the pink little ditty since I was little. It is made with strawberry jello, and fresh or frozen strawberries beaten into the white cake batter and frosting turning the cake into a delicious pastel pink color. It is a cake for princesses. =)

    Reply
  18. Bea

    October 18, 2007 at 4:35 pm

    Just lovely. Lucky friend!

    Reply
  19. Clare

    October 18, 2007 at 5:46 pm

    I think I might actually want this cake! I am a huge lemon fan, and prefer it to chocolate or vanilla any day. But if I had to be original and pick my own, I’d say a 4-layer lemon cake with whipped cream and toasted coconuts. White cake, thin layers of lemon curd, fresh whipped cream piled high and sprinkled with bits of toasted coconut. YUM.

    Reply
  20. Beth

    October 18, 2007 at 7:46 pm

    Gorgeous cake! If it were my birthday, I would have to go with a chocolate cake flavored with coffee. In between the layers would be a blackberry mousse, and the whole thing would be frosted with a chocolate ganache.

    Reply
  21. Cenk

    October 18, 2007 at 8:37 pm

    My Darling Baking Fairy – What happened to Matcha Opera Cake? You’re not in love with that anymore?

    Patricia – OK 🙂

    Hande – I think I had that cake at a wedding too! Good choice.

    Master of the Mansion – That is not a cake. You are disqualified.

    itir – haha! You’re evil.

    Laily – Thank you. The letters are made out of tart dough. I did strain the jam. I personally like some seeds in my jam. I usually strain %75 of it and add the rest with seeds, but the birthday boy wanted without seeds.

    kelly – Yummy!

    mindy – Lovely cake! I like the idea of strawberry jello.

    Bea – Thank you! And congrats on the portfolio website. It looks amazing.

    Clare – Yes, yum!

    Beth – Very interesting. I believe I have never had blackberry mousse before. I should give it a try.

    Reply
  22. Hillary

    October 18, 2007 at 9:33 pm

    You left out the most intriguing part. How did you make those letters and out of what?! The cake looks gorgeous and perfect, and now that you’ve asked me the question I think I would want something just like that!

    Reply
  23. SimplePleasures

    October 19, 2007 at 9:48 am

    Hi! Cafe Fernando, believe it or not just made the same cake for my mom’s birthday and she loves it! Mine didn’t turn out as white though any tips? I would have loved to use fresh raspberries but since they aren’t readily available here in Manila I settled on raspberry jam as the recipe called for. love the way the red pops out of your cake 🙂

    Reply
  24. Cenk

    October 19, 2007 at 10:27 am

    Hillary – The letters are made out of tart dough. Glad you liked it.

    SimplePleasures – I really don’t know why yours didn’t turn out as white.. I followed the recipe word for word..

    Reply
  25. SilBsAs

    October 19, 2007 at 7:17 pm

    Mine would be super-rich and moist chocolate layers with some kind of mango mousse in between.You have time until next June to think about it! =)

    Reply
  26. Aysegul

    October 20, 2007 at 1:45 am

    Hi Cenk,

    It’s has been a while since my last visit. Cooking has been put a side lately.
    Cake looks delicious. Believe it or not I made the same cake for my cousins birthday, this past summer. Turned out just as delicious as yours. Hoping all is well! Aysegul

    Reply
  27. Sylvia

    October 21, 2007 at 1:14 pm

    Wow this cake looks amazing just the way I like not dry and with lemon and raspberies.Your friend is a lucky guy.

    Reply
  28. Rose

    October 21, 2007 at 2:20 pm

    All I can say Cenk is Waouuuu! Beautiful cake, lucky friend and gorgeous gorgeous pictures. My birthday cake would be a very moist vanilla genoise,flavored with a coffee syrup, but not too sweet, and espresso buttercream in between each layer and topped with a dark chocolate frosting.

    Reply
  29. Chocolate Chipped

    October 21, 2007 at 11:12 pm

    Holy cow–I’m drooling over here 😉 this looks amazing. Actually my birthday is on Tuesday, so I know exactly what kind of cake I’m asking my sister to bake–it’s an old fashioned chocolate cake with coffee in the batter and icing–nothing fancy, just something a grandma would bake 🙂 . I wish I could have 2 cakes–I would definitely request this one too!

    Reply
  30. Marianna

    October 22, 2007 at 6:33 pm

    You are so amazingly talented! And the egg white photo is out of this world!

    Reply
  31. Dina

    October 24, 2007 at 3:29 pm

    Absolutely beautiful. I’ll be making this for an anniversary party, no doubt!

    Reply
  32. brilynn

    October 25, 2007 at 3:02 am

    Yes! Dorie comes through again!

    I used to always have a black forest cake for my birthday but now I’ve taken to making my own cause I think that’s more fun. I would definitely be one of those people not giving you enough detail though, I’d be vague like “i like caramel and chocolate and cheesecake and fudge and berries and cherries and alcohol… make me something!”

    Reply
  33. kate

    October 25, 2007 at 12:13 pm

    can i give you the details of the cake i like 😛
    this cake looks absolutely stunning. Neat and clean , perfect layers and gr8 colours. Fantastic flavours and i must say your friend was rather fortunate to have you make such a wonderful cake.

    Reply
  34. fuyku

    October 25, 2007 at 12:34 pm

    It just looks perfectly pure. I want to bake some too.

    Reply
  35. eni

    October 30, 2007 at 3:55 pm

    şu mikswerin olduğu son fotoğraf harika çıkmış.tebrik ederim!

    Reply
  36. Eva

    November 8, 2007 at 1:57 pm

    Wonderful cake and stunning pictures! I especially like the photo with the whipped meringue – shades of white are so hard to capture but you’ve done a perfect job!

    Reply
  37. Tartelette

    November 17, 2007 at 5:01 am

    Absolutely gorgeous! My mother in law saw it in the book and want me to amke it for Thanksgiving instead of all the regular desserts and pie. I am happy to oblige!

    Reply
  38. Jasmine31

    February 10, 2008 at 8:10 pm

    This looks really good. I am supposed to be getting that book soon.

    Reply
  39. Molly W

    March 15, 2008 at 2:01 pm

    I would love to have someone ask me for specifics about what cake I would like for my birthday. Unfortunately I am the cake baker in my family, and that includes even the family I grew up in. I’m the oldest of 8 children, so birthday cakes were made often. I have four daughters and I managed to teach them to sew and knit and cook, but cake baking has almost always been left to me. How about a genoise, four layers, with oodles of fresh (Oregon) strawberries and top quality whipped cream. Maybe soak the cake layers with a little bit of a brandy syrup. Trouble is my birthday is in February.

    Reply
  40. Candy Girl

    March 22, 2008 at 4:23 am

    This looks great! Did you shred your own coconut? It looks alot smaller and aesthectically pleasing than what you normally see.

    Reply
  41. Angela

    May 7, 2008 at 7:46 pm

    where do i get the recipe with out haveing to buy the whole book?

    Reply
  42. Lively

    June 11, 2008 at 11:17 pm

    My favorite cake (I dream of it)!

    Specifics:

    Vanilla Bean Cake. One layer of chocolate ganache, followed by mixed berry medeley (almost jam like consistency), followed by another layer of chocolate ganache, then top layer of vanilla bean cake. The frosting would a white chocolate butter cream frosting.

    There you go…..enjoy some heaven on a fork.

    This was no birthday cake….this was my wedding cake. Yuuuuummmmmm!

    Reply
  43. Liz

    August 28, 2008 at 11:42 pm

    Can you send me the recipe?

    Reply
  44. caro

    December 28, 2008 at 7:01 am

    me too
    thank you!!

    Reply
  45. Rella

    January 7, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    You hit the nail on the head with this one. On Christmas I usually make a Lemon Coconut cake. Just to bump it up another notch I thought raspberry filling would bring this cake full circle. I plan on making this cake later in the year as I am a committed Weight Watcher WOman…..lol. My birthday is October 20th.

    Reply
  46. Kristen

    January 7, 2009 at 11:08 pm

    I am considering this for my wedding cake, but I couldn’t find the recipe. Could you please send it to me???
    Also, if you have any crazy amazing choclate cake recipes, let me know.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Cenk

      January 8, 2009 at 7:31 am

      Hi Kristin – Did you consider buying the book? I can not think of a better book to add to your cookbook collection. For crazy amazing chocolate cakes, I strongly recommend another book by Dorie Greenspan: “Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme”.

      Reply
  47. andre

    August 24, 2009 at 6:38 pm

    Where can I get a Lemon and Raspberry Birthday Cake right now in Northen VA or Maryland.

    Reply
  48. Sarahi

    January 29, 2010 at 9:56 pm

    could you please send me your lemon and raspberry cake recipe?
    Thank you!!!!!

    Reply
  49. Cindy

    February 27, 2010 at 5:39 am

    Hi;

    My husband loves raspberries and I hate cooking. I have been put in charge of his birthday cake. This one looks perfect. Could you please forward me a copy of the recipe.

    Thanks,
    Cindy

    Reply
    • Cenk

      February 27, 2010 at 2:35 pm

      Cindy – Sorry, but I do not have the time to type the recipe as it is too long and I’m working on other posts at the moment. Please check out other cakes with recipes from my archives, here. Wish you the best of luck with your husband’s cake.

      Reply
  50. laiba

    February 28, 2010 at 8:57 pm

    this is a delicious cake but not detailed

    Reply
  51. Mrs hinemoa mansell

    March 5, 2010 at 10:21 am

    hiya Could you email me the recipe for Dories perfect party cake,and the lemon and raspberry birthday cake,
    I’d like some advice as well.My daughter Violet is one so was wondering if you’ve any tips,I’d love to do something with Violets,Hope you can help!

    Reply
  52. Lolly

    April 23, 2010 at 12:05 am

    I also loved the sound of this cake, I was searching for a recipe, too bad you only listed the the type of cake and the praise.

    Reply
  53. abby

    July 20, 2010 at 2:38 am

    Hi! Wow- nice looking cake. This will be perfect for my daughter’s birthday coming up. Now, how do I actually make it look like this? Did you sprinkle something on the outside of the frosting? It is gorgeous! I have two weeks until it is time to bake…. thanks!

    Reply
    • Cenk

      July 20, 2010 at 4:59 pm

      abby – Thank you. Yes, I sprinkled lots of dessicated coconut on top of the frosting. Wishing your daughter a happy birthday.

      Reply
  54. robin wiergacz

    July 29, 2010 at 4:41 pm

    These photos of this perfect food just make me so damn happy!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  55. Leesa Garcia

    December 10, 2010 at 10:37 pm

    Cenk –

    You cake looks too pretty to eat. I’ve also made Dorie’s party cake and think it’s wonderful! Usually, I have a difficult time with white or yellow cakes but this is a winner, through and through…

    Bon weekend… Leesa

    Reply
  56. ilqem

    April 6, 2011 at 5:21 pm

    tarifleriniz mükemmel hayran hayran bakıyorum herbirine..bu pastanızın tarifi yok mu?çeviri çok kötü yazılardan hiçbişi anlamıyorum :/

    Reply
    • Cenk

      April 7, 2011 at 10:18 am

      ilqem – Tarifi Dorie Greenspan’in kitabında bulabilirsiniz, maalesef sitede yer almıyor.

      Reply
  57. Cookie Gifts

    June 9, 2011 at 7:37 pm

    How do I make the Red Velvet Cheesecake sold at the Cheesecake Factory? My girlfriend and I LOVE that cheesecake and if I had the recipe it would score me some MAJOR points with her! Thanks!

    Reply
  58. maria

    January 19, 2012 at 9:38 pm

    I would love to know what buttercream recepie you use that hardens (easier to cut) I need to make a birthday cake for next week) Thanks. Looks delicious, planning on making the raspberry filling as well.

    Reply
    • Cenk

      January 22, 2012 at 7:14 pm

      maria – I use the buttercream recipe from Dorie’s book.

      Reply
  59. Paige

    January 20, 2012 at 8:28 pm

    Where can I find the recipe?

    Reply
    • Cenk

      January 22, 2012 at 7:13 pm

      Paige – In Dorie’s book.

      Reply
  60. Dianna

    February 3, 2016 at 6:28 pm

    Kind of mean not to include the recipe without having to order the $25.00 cookbook!!!

    Reply

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