Giada de Laurentiis's lemon raspberry sheet cake is the ideal summer dessert. It's easy, seasonal and absolutely beautiful on a sweets table.
I love to bake, so it’s no surprise that I’m often asked to bring dessert to summer picnics and parties. Last week, I made Giada de Laurentiis’s lemon raspberry sheet cake, and it was so good that I got asked to make it for the next two parties my friends are having. This cake is just one of those perfect summer desserts. The refreshing hint of lemon and the burst of tart raspberry folded into a buttery yellow cake? It’s just asking to be paired with a limoncello spritz or bottle of bubbly.
How to Make Giada De Laurentiis’s Lemon Raspberry Sheet Cake
This cake, which is based on Giada’s signature sour cream pound cake recipe, is full of beautiful, summery flavors. Fresh raspberries add color and zing to the frosting, and the spike of lemon from the zest and juice really lightens up the cake batter. That second slice will be calling your name before you even finish the first!
I loved the added crunch from the Loacker Quadratini Wafers too. Giada partnered with the Loacker brand to create this recipe. It was a great twist on a classic cake.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from one large lemon)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from one large lemon)
- 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the frosting:
- 1 cup fresh raspberries, plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces (1/2 block) cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup roughly chopped Loacker Quadratini Wafers (such as Raspberry Yogurt, Lemon, and Vanilla), plus extra (whole wafers) for garnish
Directions
Step 1: Make the cake batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream together the butter and sugar until it looks light and fluffy. Add the sour cream and combine well. Then, add the eggs one at a time—beat well before adding the next. Finish the wet ingredients by mixing in vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice.
Now, mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Bit by bit, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, then stir until incorporated. Pay attention not to overmix your cake batter. Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 13×9-inch baking tin, and bake the cake until a tester comes out clean, about 35 to 45 minutes depending on your oven. Set it aside to cool completely.
Step 2: Prep the raspberry frosting
While the cake is cooling, make the raspberry frosting. First, add the raspberries to a blender, and puree until smooth. Strain the seeds out with a fine mesh strainer. The goal is to have about four to six tablespoons of raspberry puree, so make sure to get as much of the liquid out as possible. Set that aside, and beat together the butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, like all good frosting should be!
Beat in the powdered sugar slowly, then add the salt, and continue beating for a few minutes to make sure the frosting is airy and light. One tablespoon at a time, add the raspberry puree, then whip to incorporate. Giada had a great tip here: If the frosting starts to curdle, as dairy sometimes does when acidic liquids are added, just keep beating and it will become airy again. Set aside.
Step 3: Assemble the cake
Now that you have the cake and the frosting ready, assemble the cake. Start by using a serrated knife to cut the cake in half horizontally so you have two layers that are the same size. Spread about 1-1/2 cups of frosting evenly over the cut surface of the bottom layer, then add 2/3 cup of the crushed Loacker Quadratini Wafers on top to add a satisfying crunch. Top that layer of filling with the second half of the cake, then spread the rest of the frosting over the top.
Step 4: Garnish the cake
Now that you have a beautiful layer cake, garnish the cake with the remaining raspberries and Loacker Quadratini Wafers before serving. I like to trace the lines for the cuts I’ll make in the frosting with a knife so everyone gets a garnish on their slice of cake.
Here’s What I Thought
I absolutely loved this cake. From the flavors to the textures, it really highlighted everything great about summer desserts. I’d love to try this recipe again with some other berries to see what different flavor combinations (like the classic lemon and blueberry) might taste like. After being so delighted with this recipe, I can’t wait to try some other Giada recipes, like this classic tiramisu. In the meantime, I’ll be making this lemon raspberry sheet cake for all of my summer pool parties.
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