If you’ve ever wanted a showstopper dessert that balances luxury and freshness in every bite, this White Chocolate Raspberry Cake is the one you’ll bake again and again. Imagine a tender vanilla‑white chocolate sponge layered with tangy raspberry compote and finished with a silky white chocolate whipped ganache; it’s elegant but still approachable for a home kitchen.

This recipe is written for beginner‑intermediate bakers and tested in a standard OTG oven (no fancy stand mixer required). I’ll walk you through each step with visual cues so you know exactly when your batter or cream is looking right. Pro Tip: Melting the white chocolate gently with cream instead of butter prevents it from seizing and gives a smoother ganache base for frosting.

Why This Recipe Works (The Baking Science)

White chocolate adds richness + tender crumb: Because it contains cocoa butter (fat) instead of cocoa solids, it boosts moisture and flavor but can also make mixtures seize if overheated. Blending it with warm cream first ensures a stable melt.
Buttermilk for structure and tang: The gentle acidity reacts with baking soda, helping lift the cake while also softening gluten strands, which keeps our cake fluffy without being dry.
Raspberry for balance: Sweetness from white chocolate needs contrast; the natural acidity of raspberries prevents the cake from tasting cloying, giving that perfect balance bite after bite.
Room‑temperature ingredients = even rise: Cold eggs or cream can split the mixture, create uneven crumb, and slow baking. Bringing everything to room temp stabilizes emulsions.

Ingredients (with Purpose)

Yields: 1 tall 8‑inch, 3‑layer cake (serves 12–14)

Cake Base

All‑purpose flour (maida) — 270 g (2 ¼ cups) — structure
Baking powder — 2 tsp (8 g) — main leavening
Baking soda — ¼ tsp (1 g) — balances buttermilk acidity
Fine salt — ½ tsp (3 g) — brings out flavor
Caster sugar — 220 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp) — sweetness & crumb tenderness
Neutral oil (sunflower/canola) — 100 g (½ cup) — keeps cake moist longer than butter
Unsalted butter, melted — 60 g (¼ cup) — richness & buttery flavor
Eggs, large — 3 (150 g) — structure & stability
Buttermilk — 240 g (1 cup) — soft crumb & acid lift
Vanilla extract — 2 tsp — flavor depth
White chocolate, chopped — 100 g (3.5 oz) — melted into batter for richness

Raspberry Compote Filling

Fresh or frozen raspberries — 300 g (2 ½ cups)
Sugar — 60 g (¼ cup)
Lemon juice — 1 tbsp — acidity for brightness
Cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water) — thickens the filling

White Chocolate Whipped Ganache Frosting

White chocolate (good‑quality brand, not compound) — 300 g (10.5 oz)
Heavy cream 35% fat — 480 g (2 cups) total (divided)
- Part 1: 180 g (¾ cup) hot to melt chocolate
- Part 2: 300 g (1 ¼ cups) cold to whip in later
Salt — small pinch — balances sweetness

Equipment

Required:

2 × 8‑inch round pans (or 3 if available)
Hand mixer or sturdy whisk
OTG oven (preheats to 175°C / 350°F reliably)
Digital scale and measuring spoons/cups
Heatproof bowl (for melting chocolate)

Nice‑to‑Have:

Offset spatula for frosting
Parchment circles for lining pans
Thermometer (digital) for checking doneness (aim for 96–98°C internal)
Sieve for dry ingredients

Step‑By‑Step Method with Visual Cues

Step 1: Prep (10 min)

Preheat OTG to 175°C (350°F), rack in middle.
Grease and line pans with parchment.
Melt white chocolate gently over a bowl with hot cream (not boiling!). Stir until smooth and glossy. Let it cool slightly. Visual cue: Mixture should look like vanilla custard—not grainy or oily.

Step 2: Mix Wet Ingredients (5 min)

In large bowl, whisk eggs + sugar until pale and slightly thick (2–3 mins with whisk).
Add oil + melted butter + vanilla. Whisk till smooth.
Stir in the cooled melted white chocolate mixture. Cue: Batter should thicken slightly—smooth, not lumpy.

Step 3: Dry + Buttermilk Alternation (5–7 min)

In another bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add dry mix to wet in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk. Start and end with dry. Fold gently. Cue: Batter ribbons off whisk and disappears in 6–7 seconds = correct consistency. Lumpy means undermixed; heavy sheen = overmixed.

Step 4: Bake (30–35 min)

Divide batter evenly in pans. Tap gently to release bubbles.
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 30–35 minutes.
Doneness cues: Tops golden, spring back when pressed; skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet). Internal temp: 96–98°C.

Cool in pans 10 min, then remove to rack.

Step 5: Raspberry Compote (15 min)

Heat raspberries + sugar until juicy (5–6 min). Stir in cornstarch slurry, cook 1 min till thick and jam‑like. Stir in lemon juice. Cool completely.

Step 6: White Chocolate Ganache Frosting (Chill + Whip)

Melt 180 g cream with white chocolate until smooth.
Add 300 g cold cream, whisk in. Cover, chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
Whip just until soft‑medium peaks. Cue: Peaks stand with a slight bend, texture silky, not over‑grainy.

Step 7: Assemble

Level cakes if domed.
Place one layer, spread ganache border + raspberry compote center. Repeat layers.
Crumb coat with thin ganache. Chill 20 min.
Frost smoothly, decorate with fresh raspberries/white chocolate curls.

Troubleshooting

Cake sinks after baking: Underbaked or too much leavening. Fix → Bake longer till 96°C internal; reduce baking soda to pinch if buttermilk is thin.
Dry crumb: Overbaked or too much flour. Fix → Weigh flour, check oven temp with thermometer.
Dense/gummy layer: Overmixed batter or cold chocolate seized. Fix → Fold gently, ensure melted chocolate is fluid (32–35°C).
Cracked domes: Oven too hot. Bake at 170°C if your OTG runs strong.
Ganache grainy: Chocolate burned or overwhipped. Fix → Melt gently over simmering water; stop whipping at soft peaks.

Substitutions & Variations

Egg‑free: Replace 3 eggs with 180 g yogurt + ¼ tsp baking soda. Texture softer but stable.
Dairy‑free: Use dairy‑free white chocolate + coconut cream (though ganache will be looser; chill more).
Gluten‑free: Use 1:1 gluten‑free flour mix; add ½ tsp xanthan gum for elasticity.

Flavor Variations:

Swap raspberries for strawberries, blackberries, or passionfruit curd.
Add orange zest to cake for fruity lift.
Make cupcakes: Yields 24 standard, bake 18–20 min at 175°C.

Storage & Make‑Ahead

At room temp: 1 day covered (cool environment).
Refrigerated: 3–4 days airtight. Bring to room temp before serving.
Freezer: Unfrosted cake layers wrap tightly, freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in fridge, bring to room temp.
Frosted cake: Freezes less well—ganache can split. Better to freeze layers + compote in advance, assemble fresh.

Serving Suggestions

This cake pairs beautifully with:

A drizzle of raspberry coulis for extra tang.
Espresso or black tea to balance the sweetness.
White chocolate shards or freeze‑dried raspberries for garnish.

FAQs

Q1: Can I use milk instead of buttermilk?
Yes, but add 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk, let sit 5 min—works as a substitute.

Q2: My ganache won’t whip. Why?
It wasn’t chilled enough. Cool overnight minimum. If still loose, chill again and whip lightly.

Q3: Can I halve/double this recipe?
Yes—halve for one 6‑inch round (2 layers). Double for a 9‑inch celebration cake. Adjust bake times (+5–10 min for larger layers).

Q4: Can I make this in an air fryer/OTG?
Yes—use OTG with preheated bake mode (bottom only heating), 170–175°C. For air fryer, bake smaller cupcakes, 160°C for 16–18 min.

Q5: Best white chocolate brand?
Use couverture (Callebaut, Lindt, or MiiXR India brand). Compound will not whip smoothly into ganache.

Notes from My Kitchen (Testing Log)

Batch 1: Added white chocolate directly to butter—seized badly. Learned to melt with cream first.
Batch 2: Used only oil – stayed moist but lacked buttery aroma. Final version combines oil + melted butter = moist + flavorful.
Batch 3: Overwhipped ganache became grainy. Solution: Stop at soft peaks.
Batch 4: Tried egg‑free with yogurt—excellent moisture, but layers flatter. Works well for 2‑layer rustic cake.
Final Chosen Method: Blend oil for moisture + butter for flavor; white chocolate melted with cream for stability; compote filling balances sweetness.

Nutrition & Disclaimer

Approx. per serving (1/12 cake): 420 kcal, 22 g fat, 48 g carbs, 6 g protein
(Calculated with generic supermarket ingredients. Values are estimates—adjust for your own brands and portion size.)

Food safety: Always refrigerate cakes with cream frosting. Consume within 3–4 days.