Raspberry Mascarpone Cake

The recipe, step by step

This raspberry mascarpone cake combines a soft yoghurt and vanilla sponge with fresh raspberries, homemade raspberry jam and a creamy white chocolate mascarpone frosting. It is fruity, indulgent and wonderfully summery, with just enough sharpness from the raspberries to balance the sweeter white chocolate.

This is one of my mother-in-law’s favourites, and I can understand why. The sponge stays beautifully moist thanks to the yoghurt, while raspberries folded through the cake add little bursts of fruit. Then there is that combination of raspberry jam and creamy mascarpone frosting between the layers — definitely a cake that is difficult to stop at one slice.

It is perfect with a cup of tea, lovely after a meal and, frankly, I wouldn’t object to having another slice later in the day either.

If you enjoy fruity cakes and cheesecakes, you might also like my mango passion fruit cake or strawberry couscous cheesecake.

Recipe Highlights

• Ease: Easy.
• Taste: Fresh raspberry, vanilla and creamy white chocolate.
• Texture: Moist yoghurt sponge with raspberries, raspberry jam and smooth mascarpone frosting.
• Serving: Delicious with a cup of tea or served after a meal.
• Quantity: 12 slices.
• Tin: Two 23 cm / 9-inch springform pans.
• Preparation: 40 minutes.
• Baking: 30 minutes.
• Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Raspberry Mascarpone Cake

There is plenty going on in this cake, but the flavours work particularly well together. Raspberries bring freshness and a little acidity, which balances the sweet white chocolate and rich mascarpone beautifully.

Meanwhile, Greek yoghurt helps keep the vanilla sponge soft and moist. Separating the eggs and folding the whisked whites into the batter also gives the cake a lighter texture.

Fresh or frozen raspberries can be folded into the sponge, so you are not restricted to making the cake during raspberry season. Better still, the homemade raspberry filling can be prepared a couple of days ahead.

And although I love the homemade raspberry jam in this cake, there is a shortcut when time is tight: simply use a good shop-bought raspberry jam instead.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Yoghurt Raspberry Sponge

• Butter: Use 100 g butter for richness and flavour.
• Caster sugar: Use 200 g caster sugar. Creaming it with the butter helps create the light base for the sponge.
• Vanilla: Use 1 tsp pure vanilla extract or ½ tsp vanilla paste. Vanilla rounds out the raspberry and white chocolate flavours without competing with them.
• Eggs: Use 3 medium eggs, separated. The yolks are mixed into the batter, while the whites are whisked separately to soft peaks before being folded in.
• Natural or Greek yoghurt: Use 200 g. It adds moisture and helps give the cake its soft texture.
• Plain flour: Use 230 g plain flour, also known as all-purpose flour.
• Baking powder: Use 2 tsp.
• Bicarbonate of soda: Use ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, also known as baking soda.
• Fine sea salt: Add 1 pinch. A small amount helps balance the sweetness and brings the other flavours into sharper focus.
• Raspberries: Fold 100 g fresh or frozen raspberries through the cake batter.

Raspberry Jam

• Raspberries: Use 100 g fresh or frozen raspberries.
• Caster sugar: Add 50 g caster sugar, approximately 4 tablespoons.
• Cornflour: Use 2 tsp cornflour, also called cornstarch, to help thicken the raspberry filling.

White Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting

• White chocolate: Use 200 g, broken into small pieces so that it melts evenly.
• Mascarpone: Use 250 g mascarpone for the creamy base of the frosting.
• Butter: Use 100 g butter at room temperature.
• Icing sugar: Add 100 g icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar.
• Whipping cream: Use 125 g whipping cream, whisked to soft peaks before adding it to the mascarpone mixture.
• Fresh raspberries: Use 25 g fresh raspberries to finish the cake.

Nigel recommends

Vanilla Bean Paste

Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste works beautifully with the raspberries and white chocolate in this cake, adding a rich, rounded vanilla flavour without overpowering the fruit.

Ingredient

Nielsen Massey

Vanilla Bean Paste

Rich vanilla bean paste with a concentrated vanilla flavour and visible vanilla seeds, ideal for cakes, biscuits, custards, creams and glazes.

Why I recommend it → Shop at Amazon UK

Some retailer links may be affiliate links. Recommendations remain editorially independent.

How to Make Raspberry Mascarpone Cake

Make the Raspberry Jam

1. Start the raspberry jam: Place 100 g raspberries and 50 g caster sugar in a small saucepan and bring them to a gentle simmer.

2. Reduce the raspberries: Starting over a low heat, stir often so that the sugar does not burn. Gently simmer for approximately 10 minutes, until the mixture has reduced and thickened.

3. Thicken with cornflour: Mix 2 tsp cornflour with a little cold water to make a thin paste. Pour it into the raspberry mixture and stir continuously for about 30 seconds to cook the cornflour and prevent lumps from forming. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

4. Strain the raspberry sauce: Using a fine-mesh strainer and a silicone spatula or the back of a spoon, press the raspberry mixture through the strainer, extracting as much sauce as possible while leaving the seeds behind.

5. Cool the jam: Set the strained raspberry jam aside until completely cool. It can also be prepared a couple of days in advance and kept refrigerated until needed.

Make the Raspberry Yoghurt Sponge

6. Preheat the oven: Heat the oven to 160°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4.

7. Prepare the pans: Grease and line the bottoms of two 23 cm / 9-inch springform pans.

8. Cream the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

9. Add the vanilla, yolks and yoghurt: Beat in the vanilla, followed by the egg yolks one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated. Next, add the yoghurt and mix well.

10. Add the dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking powder, fine sea salt and bicarbonate of soda into the butter mixture. Mix until well combined, scraping down the bowl when necessary.

11. Whisk the egg whites: In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.

12. Fold in the egg whites and raspberries: Whisk one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Finally, add 100 g raspberries and fold them through carefully so that they do not break up too much.

Bake the Cakes

13. Bake the sponges: Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Avoid overbaking, as the cakes can become dry.

14. Cool the cakes: Leave the cakes in their pans for 15 minutes, then release them and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the White Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting

15. Melt the white chocolate: Place the broken white chocolate in a small bowl set over a pan of hot, gently simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted.

16. Make the mascarpone base: In a large bowl, whisk the mascarpone and room-temperature butter until smooth and creamy. Add the melted white chocolate and mix again until smooth.

17. Finish the frosting: In a separate bowl, whisk the whipping cream until it forms soft peaks. Add it to the mascarpone mixture along with the icing sugar and whisk until combined.

Assemble the Cake

18. Fill the first layer: Place one completely cooled sponge onto a cake board or serving plate and spread approximately a ½ cm layer of frosting over the top.

19. Finish the cake: Spread the cooled raspberry jam over the frosting and place the second sponge on top. Finally, frost the top and sides of the cake and decorate with the fresh raspberries.

Variations

Change the Berries

Raspberries are lovely with white chocolate and mascarpone, but strawberries, blackberries or blueberries can also work well if you would like to change the fruit.

Use Shop-Bought Raspberry Jam

Making the raspberry filling from scratch gives you plenty of fresh fruit flavour, but it is not essential.

For a quicker version, replace the homemade filling with a good-quality shop-bought raspberry jam.

Nigel’s Recipe Tips

Don’t Overbake the Sponges

The cakes need around 30 minutes in the oven. Once they are golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, they are ready.

Leaving them in the oven unnecessarily can make the sponge dry.

Let Everything Cool Before Assembly

Both cake layers and the raspberry filling should be completely cool before you begin assembling the cake.

This is particularly important with mascarpone frosting, which you do not want to soften against a warm sponge or filling.

Fold the Egg Whites Gently

Whisk one-third of the egg whites into the batter first to loosen it. Then fold in the remainder more gently.

This helps retain the air you whisked into the whites.

Be Gentle With the Raspberries

Fold the raspberries through the finished cake batter rather than beating them in. This helps keep more of the berries intact.

Make the Raspberry Filling Ahead

The homemade raspberry jam can be prepared a couple of days in advance and kept refrigerated until you are ready to assemble the cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Frozen Raspberries?

Yes. The recipe allows fresh or frozen raspberries both in the sponge and for the homemade raspberry jam.

Use fresh raspberries for the final decoration.

Can I Use Shop-Bought Raspberry Jam?

Yes. The recipe notes specifically suggest using shop-bought raspberry jam when you do not want to prepare the homemade filling.

Can I Make the Raspberry Jam Ahead?

Yes. It can be prepared a couple of days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the cake.

Why Are the Eggs Separated?

The yolks are beaten into the cake batter, while the whites are whisked independently to soft peaks and folded into the mixture.

This adds air to the batter without needing to change the verified quantities of raising agents.

How Do I Know When the Cakes Are Baked?

After approximately 30 minutes, they should be golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Can I Make Raspberry Mascarpone Cake Ahead?

Yes. The sponge layers can be prepared ahead and frozen before filling and decorating.

The raspberry jam can also be prepared in advance, while the mascarpone frosting is best made on the day.

Tools You’ll Need

• Two 23 cm / 9-inch springform pans
• Baking parchment
• Small saucepan
• Fine-mesh strainer
• Silicone spatula or spoon
• Large mixing bowls
• Electric whisk or mixer
• Wire cooling rack
• Heatproof bowl and saucepan for melting the white chocolate
• Cake board or serving plate

Storage and Freezing

Because of the mascarpone and whipped-cream frosting, keep the finished cake refrigerated. It will keep for up to 5 days.

The raspberry jam can be made a couple of days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

For the best texture, make the frosting on the day you intend to assemble or serve the cake, as the whipped cream gradually loses some of its incorporated air over time.

Freezing: The unfrosted sponge layers can be wrapped securely in clingfilm and frozen for up to 2–3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: One cake slice.

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