If you’ve already fallen in love with the cozy, fruit-filled goodness of my Raspberry Cheese Danish Bundt Cake, you’re going to be obsessed with this layered cake version. It’s got all the same flavor elements you love—but in a stunning, stackable format that’s perfect for birthdays, brunches, baby showers, and everything in between.
This layered cake version takes the same tender, vanilla cake base from the bundt and adds a rich, creamy cheese danish filling (inspired by my Cheese Danish Cake) between the layers. The whole thing gets finished with a fresh raspberry buttercream that’s light, fruity, and incredibly smooth.
Same Cake Batter, Different Format
The cake layers in this version are made using the exact same batter as my Raspberry Cheese Danish Bundt Cake—so you already know it’s moist and flavorful.
Instead of baking it in a bundt pan, you’ll divide the batter into three 8-inch round pans and bake them like a traditional layered cake. Be sure to adjust the baking time (as seen in the recipe below) slightly since the layers will bake faster than the deeper bundt pan.
💡 Pro Tip: Use good quality cake pans like these Fat Daddio pans and parchment rounds to help your layers come out flat and flawless!
The Creamy Cheese Danish Filling
To keep this cake true to its name, I used the same cream cheese filling from my Cheese Danish Cake. It’s smooth, tangy, lightly sweet, and the perfect contrast to the sweet cake and fruity frosting.
I like to pipe a buttercream dam around the edge of each cake layer, then spread the cream cheese filling in the center before stacking. This helps keep everything neat and contained when you assemble the cake.
Fresh Raspberry Buttercream
To finish, we’re swapping out the bundt glaze for something a little more luxurious—a fresh raspberry buttercream that’s bursting with bright berry flavor. I use real raspberry puree, strained to remove seeds, to get that gorgeous natural color and flavor.
The result is a light and silky buttercream that balances beautifully with the tangy cream cheese and soft vanilla raspberry cake. It’s summery, fresh, and totally irresistible.
Final Thoughts
Turning my Raspberry Cheese Danish Bundt Cake into a layered celebration cake is the perfect way to elevate this already-delicious flavor combination. It’s elegant, nostalgic, and bursting with raspberry and cream cheese in every bite.
Whether you’re celebrating something special or just want to try something new, this layered version is a must-bake. I can’t wait for you to try it!
👉 When you make it, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @cakebycourtney and show me your version!
Raspberry Cheese Danish Layered Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (218 g) grapeseed oil
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) vanilla bean paste
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 cup (about 125 g) fresh raspberries, sliced in half
FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, I use the Eagle brand
For the Raspberry Puree
- 1 pound raspberries, fresh or frozen
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 2 cups (508.5 g) unsalted butter, slightly chilled
- 4 oz cream cheese, slightly chilled
- 7 1/2 cups (937.5 g) powdered sugar measured then sifted
- 1/2 cup (119 g) raspberry puree
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE CAKE
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
- Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper, and spray again. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and oil and continue to beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes.
- With the mixer on medium, add the vanilla bean paste, followed by the eggs, one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl between each addition. Once all of the eggs are added, turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk in three additions, starting and finishing with the flour. Combine until incorporated, about 20 to 30 seconds.
- Gently fold in the raspberries.
- Evenly distribute the batter among the three cake pans (about 17-18 ounces of batter in each pan) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let cool in pans 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING
- In a medium size mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk.
- Use right away or cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Allow to get back to room temperature before assembly so it's easy to spread.
FOR THE RASPBERRY PUREE
- In a medium size saucepan, heat the raspberries on medium heat. When the raspberries start to soften and juices release, use an immersion blender to puree the raspberries. You can also remove the raspberries from the pan and use a blender or food processor to puree them (be careful of the steam that gets trapped), and then put the puree back into the saucepan over low heat uncovered. We want the water to evaporate.
- Continue to cook the raspberry puree until it thickens and the water is reduced. This can take a while, so be patient and do this ahead of time. If needed, you can add a teaspoon of cornstarch to help move the process along and thicken the mixture.
- Put a fine mesh sieve over a bowl. Pour the raspberry puree into the fine mesh sieve. Push the raspberry puree through and remove the seeds.
- Chill the puree until cool, or overnight.
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed for about two minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sifted powdered sugar until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for another minute.
- Add the raspberry puree and pinch of salt. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat the buttercream for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Use a spoon to mix the frosting by hand, which will push out the air pockets created by the electric mixer.
ASSEMBLY
- Place the first cake layer, top side up, on a cake board or cake stand. Spread about 1/2 cup of the raspberry buttercream over the cake, followed by half of the cheese danish filling.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the filling and repeat step 1.
- Place the final cake layer, top side down, on the filling. Apply a thin layer of buttercream around the entire cake and then freeze the cake for 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Once the cake is chilled slightly, continue to frost the cake with the remaining raspberry buttercream.