My new White Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Cake will steal your heart the moment you bite into it. With white chocolate cake layers, brownie-filled raspberry cream filling, chocolate ganache and white chocolate buttercream, this cake is light and decadent all at the same time!
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White Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Cake
It’s time to thank Westin again for his brilliant flavor combination! White chocolate, raspberries, and brownies were made for each other – and putting them into a cake was a winning idea! Thanks, Westin!
For this delicious White Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Cake, we’ll be making white chocolate cake layers, raspberry cream filling, brownies, chocolate ganache, and white chocolate buttercream.
It may sound like a lot, but don’t let that stop you from making this cake! You can easily spread out the different elements over the course of a few days. Plus, we’re using a box brownie mix to speed up the process just a tad!
Table of Contents
How to Make White Chocolate Cake
This white chocolate cake is adapted from my White Chocolate Peppermint Cake. In the white chocolate peppermint cake layers, we’re using melted white chocolate. The melted white chocolate adds great flavor, but does make the cake slightly more dense.
I wanted to play around with this recipe a bit, so I switched up the melted white chocolate for white chocolate instant pudding mix – with hopes of getting great flavor and a light and fluffy texture.
Success!
These layers are just as delicious as they are light and fluffy.
FAQ About White Chocolate Cake
No stress! You can use the recipe for my White Chocolate Peppermint Cake (minus the peppermint extract) and still get an awesome flavor and texture in your cake.
Of course! If you make your cake layers ahead of time, allow the layers to cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until you’re ready to decorate. Thirty to 60 minutes before you plan to stack and decorate your cake, remove layers from the freezer.
Cake layers are done with a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
This one is a bit of a lengthier answer, so check out the section below for all my tips for making moist cake layers.
Tips for Making Moist Cake From Scratch
- Start with room temperature ingredients – the eggs, butter, and buttermilk should all be room temperature before you start making the cake batter. These ingredients better blend together and are better absorbed by the dry ingredients, which helps your cake to rise well and stay moist.
- When mixing the butter, sugar, and eggs, beat the mixture on medium-high to high speed until light and fluffy, almost the consistency of a fluffy buttercream frosting. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Once you start adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, turn the mixer to low and mix until just combined. Over-mixing will cause the cake to be dense and sink.
- Watch the cooking time. Remember, all our ovens are different. My time is a guide, so check your cake toward the end of the bake time I’ve given. The cake is done when you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it.
Easy Raspberry Cream Filling
This raspberry cream filling is seriously SO easy to make. Three ingredients (freeze-dried raspberries, sugar, and heavy whipping cream) and less than 5 minutes are all you’ll need.
Where do I get freeze-dried raspberries? I have found freeze-dried fruit at most of my grocery stores, as well as Target.
The Best White Chocolate Buttercream
This white chocolate buttercream frosting is so incredibly delicious and pairs so well with many different cake flavors. I especially love using it with cakes that have fruit in them.
How to Make the Best Buttercream Frosting
To get a light and fluffy homemade buttercream frosting, I have a detailed post: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTERCREAM to give you in-depth instructions for making your buttercream unreal! Here’s a quick overview.
- Sift your powdered sugar
- Use slightly cold butter and mix on its own for 2 to 3 minutes
- Use heavy whipping cream
- Beat for 5 minutes
- And then stir by hand to push out air pockets
You’ll want to check out the post linked above for more details on each step to make sure you get the best buttercream frosting. And remember, these steps can be used for any buttercream recipe on my blog.
Convert This Cake
How to Make a Layered Cake a Sheet Cake or Cupcakes
I get asked almost every day if one of my layered cakes can be turned into a sheet cake or cupcakes. The answer? Yes!
For baking temperature and time, the temperature will always remain the same. The time for a 9″x13″ sheet cake will be about 10 minutes longer than listed and the time for cupcakes will be about 5 to 10 minutes shorter.
Sheet Cake
If I were making this cake into a sheet cake, I’d stack it just like I would the layered cake:
- Cake
- Raspberry brownie cream filling
- Freeze-dried raspberries and a drizzle of ganache
- White chocolate buttercream (piped on)
Cupcakes
If I were making this cake into cupcakes, I’d fill and decorate them like this:
- Scoop a small hole out of the center of the cupcake
- Fill with brownie raspberry cream filling
- Pipe with buttercream
- Sprinkle on freeze-dried raspberries
- Drizzle on ganache
Cake Stands for This Cake
For a tall, 6-inch round cake, I like using 7 or 8-inch cake stands. I tried to find this pink cake stand at Target for you, but it’s a little old and it’s not online anymore. However, this scalloped one is so cute, it’s inexpensive and it’s the perfect size for this cake.
For shorter, 8-inch round cakes,I like using 10-inch cake stands. This one by Hearth and Home is on my list to get because you can never have too many white cake stands. I love how it doesn’t have any kind of lip around the edge. This makes it super easy to transfer your cake from the cake board to the cake stand.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Best Chewy Brownies from Scratch
- Chai White Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie Bars
- Chocolate Raspberry Swiss Roll
- Raspberry Oreo Cake with Cookies and Cream Filling
- Pink Velvet Cake with Raspberry Buttercream
White Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 3 cups (345 g) cake flour
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon (1.4 g) salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 3 ounces white chocolate instant pudding mix
- 3 whole eggs, room temperature
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup (262.5 g) buttermilk, room temperature
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces (150 g) white chocolate chips
- 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
- 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.
FOR THE RASPBERRY CREAM FILLING
- 1/4 cup (15 g) freeze dried raspberries, measured and then pulverized into a powder
- 1/4 cup (40 g) sugar
- 1 cup (225 g) heavy cream
For the Brownies
- One batch of your favorite boxed brownies. I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate brownies.
For the Ganache
- 8 ounces chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray four 6-inch round cake pans (or three 8-inch round cake pans) with nonstick spray, line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside
- In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high until light in color. Add the sugar and pudding mix and continue to mix until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to medium-low, add in the whole eggs, egg whites, and vanilla. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix on medium-high for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should be smooth and silky.
- With the mixer on low, alternately add in the dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Pour batter into prepared pans (about 12 to 13 ounces in each 6-inch pan) and bake until slightly golden in on top, 30 to 35 minutes. (A few moist crumbs should come out on a toothpick when testing the centers).
- Let the cake layers cool about 10 minutes in the pans and then invert onto wire cooling racks.
- When the cake layers are room temperature, level each layer (if needed), with a cake leveler. Wrap each layer with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream and the pour it over the white chocolate to melt. Stir until the mixture is smooth and silky. If needed heat the mixture for another 20 to 30 seconds and stir until the chips are melted. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed for about two minutes.
- Slowly add the white chocolate ganache and mix until smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to incorporate all of the white chocolate.
- With the mixer on low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for another minute.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for about 3 to 5 minutes, until light in color and texture.
FOR THE RASPBERRY CREAM FILLNG
- In a food processor or blender, pulse the freeze dried raspberries until they resemble a powder.
- Add the sugar and cream. Scrape down the sides and corners to gather all the fruit powder.
- Pulse the mixer for about 1 to 2 minutes or until the texture becomes thick like Greek yogurt. Keep chilled until ready to use.
For the Brownies
- Make brownie batter according to directions. Bake in a 9″ x 13” pan for about 10 mins less than recommended time. Allow to cool completely before using.
For the Ganache
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the heavy cream.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and stir to melt.
Assembly
- Chop brownies into bite size pieces. Fold in about 1 cup of the brownie pieces into the raspberry cream filling. Reserve remaining brownies to decorate the top of the cake (and for snack, of course).
- Place the first cake layer, top side up, in the center of a cake board or cake plate.
- Pipe a rim of buttercream around the edge of the cake and fill the center with raspberry brownie filling. (For the 6-inch layers, you'll use a generous ½ cup of the filling between each layer. If you make three 8-inch layers, you'll use about one cup of filling between layers).
- Sprinkle crushed freeze dried raspberry pieces over the filling, followed by a drizzle of chocolate ganache.
- Repeat these steps for the next two layers (if making a four layer 6-inch cake, or the next layer, if making a three layer 8-inch cake).
- Place final cake layer, top side down, on the filling.
- Apply a thin layer of buttercream around the cake. This is the crumb coat. Freeze the cake for about 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Continue frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream. Use remaining ganache for a drip, if desired.
Can I use freeze dried strawberries instead of raspberries?
Of course!
How many cupcakes would this make?
About 24
Best brownie texture for this? Cakey? Chewy? Fudgy?
You didn’t explain how to get the stripes
https://cakebycourtney.com/tip-tuesday-how-to-make-buttercream-stripes/
Could you use raspberries that aren’t freeze dried?
You can’t use fresh or frozen. Needs to be freeze dried.
should I follow first pudding mix instruction or put it straight into whipped butter?
Put it in straight.
Does this cake have to stay refrigerated after it is finished? Thanks
For leftovers I cut into slices, wrap in saran and keep in the freezer.
Does this cake need to be refrigerated?
I never refrigerate! for leftovers I cut mine into slices, wrap in saran and put in the freezer.
Hi there! How far in advance could I bake and freeze the cake layers? My sister is getting married and wants this as her cake but the week of will be so chaotic that I thought baking it ahead of time would work best for our timeline. Thanks!
Yes! You can do it a few weeks before honestly!
1/4 cup cream was not enough liquid to adequately melt 8oz of white chocolate chips. There ended up being micropieces of unmelted chocolate in the buttercream, which in turn ruined it’s supposed-to-be smooth texture.
I also found that the ratio of cream to chocolate for the ganache ended up making a ganache that was too thick to create a good drip for the cake. E
Getting the right consistency for the drip will depend on the type of cream and chocolate you’re using. If you’re using a melting chip (like the wilton brand chocolates), you’ll need a lot more cream. However, if you’re using a higher quality white chocolate like the Guittard white chocolate baking chips I recommend, you will only need about 1/4 cup cream. Also, if you use a high fat heavy cream like 40% fat, you’ll need more of it. If you use a lower fat heavy cream like 36%, you won’t need as much.
That’s because 8 ounces is 226 grams and she has it wrong in the recipe. It calls for 8 ounces white chocolate but 150 in grams. So maybe it’s 150 grams for which one fourth cup is adequate
Hi!
I’m not sure where I went wrong but my cake batter was really thick and didn’t smooth out when I cooked it and isn’t very fluffy. They only had sugar free instant pudding and I had 2.5 oz not 3. I also made my own buttermilk with whole milk and vinegar. I want to try to make it again so just trying to figure out where I went wrong!!
Thank you!!
Oh my gosh, this is divine. My daughter insisted on strawberry instead of raspberry and my family wouldn’t let me add the freeze dried strawberries on top of the filling, but holy cow, so yummy. And what a genius way to make filling! I was like wait, that’s it? So easy and absolutely delicious. The balance of flavors is perfect!! And come on, brownies between the layers? I am so there for this. Served this yesterday, ate it for breakfast and lunch today. I am never disappointed with your cakes. In fact, I barely even liked cake until I found your blog. Now my favorite thing is converting other cake nay-sayers with your amazing recipes. Thanks for continuing to come up with incredible flavor ideas that deliver!!
Can you please give me the exact recipe for the freeze dried raspberry cream recipe? I’d love to try it!!
It’s listed in the recipe above. enjoy!
I’m making the into a number can’t buy rent to know if I need to refrigerate if I make the day before or if I should wait to assemble the day of. Once made- can it sit at room temp for the day? I’ve made the elements and they are all so delicious- can’t wait to put it together!
Let me retry this: I’m making this into a number cake but want to know if I need to refrigerate if I make the day before or if I should wait to assemble the day of. Once made- can it sit at room temp for the day? I’ve made the elements and they are all so delicious- can’t wait to put it together!
Hi!
I’ve made this before, it’s delicious and now I’m making it for my own birthday! If I want to make it fully assembled and decorated, how long will it last in the fridge? Can I do this 48 hours prior to the party? Will it still be fresh and delicious? Thanks!
I would keep it in the freezer until the morning of the party. Move into the fridge about 6 hours before the party!
Best brownie texture for this? Cakey? Chewy? Fudgy?
Delicious! Everyone loved it on Christmas eve!!!
Hi Courtney.
First of all, thank you so much for your wonderful recipes and for your fabulous Cake Camp. I really enjoyed the camp and learned so much.
I cannot seem to find white chocolate Jell-O anywhere. Could I use vanilla Jell-O instead, and if so, should I add anything additional for the white chocolate flavor, or is there a different/better option? Thank you in advance for your help.
I’d also love to know the answer to this one. It’s really hard to find instant white chocolate pudding mix here in Australia. Can’t wait to try this recipe:)
I found this as a possible sub: https://www.eurogrocery.com.au/products/dr-oetker-white-chocolate-flavored-pudding-38g
In your Instagram video demonstrating the assembly of this cake, I noticed that you didn’t drizzle the chocolate ganache over the raspberry filling in the layers, as stated in the recipe directions. How much ganache should be drizzled over the layers?
About a 1/2 cup!
I made the raspberry filling today, and I’m wondering if I did something wrong. I got the raspberries from Target like you suggested, and I believe I followed the recipe exactly. It isn’t sweet at all, and I’m scared putting in between the cake layers will ruin the whole cake. Was I supposed to use powdered sugar? Should I add more freeze dried raspberry powder? Is it just supposed to be this way and it will balance out with the ganache and freeze dried powder on top? Help please!