Inspired by Meghan Markle’s viral recipe from her new Netflix show, this Honey Lemon Raspberry Cake is the epitome of dessert perfection! I tweaked the Duchess’ recipe to make it even better, lower in sugar and gluten free friendly. It features a lemon olive oil cake brushed in honey lemon syrup and a swirl of mascarpone whipped cream frosting and raspberry preserves between each layer. It feels fancy yet is pretty simple, and perfect for Spring and Summer!
Have you watched Meghan Markle’s (or should I say Meghan Sussex) new show on Netflix called With Love, Meghan? There’s been a decent amount of controversy on social media about it, but I think it’s cute! Granted I’ve only watched a few episodes, but still. It feels really peaceful and leans into homemade gifts and treats, which I love.
Anyways, this Honey Lemon Raspberry Cake is inspired by Meghan Markle’s Honey Lemon Layer Cake that she makes on the show. It sounded SO delish and perfect for Spring, so I knew I needed to re-create it with a few of my own twists. It turned out to be so totally worth the hype. And it reminded me so much of our wedding cake, so I’m going to make it every year for our anniversary!
So how is my version different than Meghan’s? This Honey Lemon Raspberry cake is a stunning three layer cake that features moist lemon-infused cake brushed in honey lemon syrup, stacked with a mascarpone whipped cream frosting and raspberry preserves. I tweaked her recipe to be lower in sugar, gluten free, and also swapped out the buttercream frosting because I thought it would be too heavy. And although I haven’t tried the original, I think my version is freaking phenomenal hehe. Hope you love it!
Why You’ll Love this Viral Meghan Markle Honey Lemon Raspberry Cake
- It’s inspired by Meghan Markle’s Honey Lemon Layer Cake, but made even better with a few twists!
- My version is gluten free friendly, lower in sugar and uses mascarpone whipped cream instead of buttercream as the frosting.
- This cake is light, fresh and perfect for Spring and Summer!
- It’s just as impressive as a bakery cake, but way cheaper to make at home.
- This honey lemon raspberry cake makes 15 servings, so it can feed a large crowd.
What You Need to Make Meghan Markle’s Honey Lemon Raspberry Cake
For the Honey Lemon Cake:
- Cane Sugar: Or granulated sugar. I actually reduced the amount in Meghan’s original recipe by about 20-25% and it worked out perfectly!
- Lemon Zest: From about 2 large lemons, but be sure not to get any of the pith (white part) or it will be super bitter.
- Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour: My favorite brands are King Arthur Flour and Bob’s Red Mill, both of which contain xanthan gum which is a crucial ingredient. If you aren’t gluten free, you can substitute an equal amount of normal AP flour!
- Baking Powder: This is the leavening agent for the honey lemon cake.
- Kosher Salt: This is NOT the same as table salt, which is way saltier.
- Eggs: 4 large eggs – sorry, I know they’re expensive right now!
- Milk: I used 2%, but whole milk is a great option too. To make this dairy free, use a high-fat non-dairy milk such as Malk or Elmhurst brands.
- Olive Oil: This honey lemon raspberry cake is made with olive oil instead of butter, which yields a super moist crumb!
- Honey: A bit of honey in the cake batter for added sweetness and flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: 1 tsp or just measure with your heart 😉
For the Honey Lemon Syrup:
You will NOT use all of the honey lemon syrup but leftovers can be stored in a jar in the fridge for quite a while in the fridge. I like adding it to my morning matchas or lattes!
- Honey: Most simple syrups are made with cane sugar, but this one uses pure honey!
- Lemon Juice & Zest: Using both the zest & juice provides so much bright, tangy lemon flavor.
- Water
For the Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting:
- Mascarpone: Mascarpone cheese has a rich, slightly sweet flavor and it helps to stabilize this whipped cream frosting. You can usually find it in the deli area with the other soft cheeses (goat cheese, etc).
- Powdered Sugar: Sweeten up this frosting with some sifted powdered sugar, also known as confectioners sugar.
- Heavy Cream: The heavy cream should be CHILLED and come directly from the fridge.
- Vanilla Extract: About 1 tsp.
- Kosher Salt: Just a pinch!
Finishing Touches:
- Raspberry Preserves: Between each layer of honey lemon cake is a swirl of raspberry preserves or jam! Feel free to make your own, but I used store bought for convenience.
- Fresh Raspberries: Garnish the cake with fresh raspberries that are halved lengthwise.
- Fresh Mint: Nestle some small mint leaves around the raspberries for the perfect finishing touch.
How To Make this Honey Lemon Raspberry Cake
Get Prepared:
First, preheat your oven to 350F. Spray three 8 or 9″ round cake pans with cooking oil, then add a parchment paper round and spray again. Set aside.
Massage Lemon Zest into Sugar, Add Remaining Dry Ingredients:
In a large bowl, add sugar and lemon zest. Use your hands to massage the lemon zest into the sugar, which will release the oils in the zest and add extra lemon flavor to the cake! Then, add in the flour, baking powder, salt and whisk until combined.
Whisk Together Wet Ingredients, Combine Wet & Dry:
In a medium bowl, add the eggs, milk, olive oil, honey and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and use a spatula to stir until just combined – if you’re using AP flour, be sure not to overmix.
Bake Cakes:
Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans. You can use a kitchen scale to ensure they’re all the same weight. Transfer cake pans to the oven to bake for about 20-25 minutes for 9″ pans, or 25-30 minutes if you’re using 8″ pans. They’re done when a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cakes from the pans, discard the parchment rounds, and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare Honey Lemon Syrup:
Meanwhile, add all honey lemon syrup ingredients to a small pot over medium heat and stir. Once it just starts to bubble on the edges, remove it from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool down completely.
Brush Cakes with Honey Lemon Syrup:
After your cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to carefully level out the top if necessary. Then, brush each of the cakes evenly with some of the syrup. You will NOT use all of it. Leftovers can be stored in a jar in the fridge, and make for a great coffee/matcha sweetener!
Prepare Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting:
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the mascarpone and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and combined. Then, add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract and kosher salt. Beat again until stiff peaks form.
Add Frosting & Raspberry Preserves to Plastic Bags:
Transfer mascarpone whipped cream frosting to a plastic bag and cut a large hole in the bottom corner. Repeat the process with the raspberry preserves. Alternatively, you can use piping bags if you have them on hand. I recommend keeping leftover frosting in the fridge while you assemble the cakes.
Assemble Cake Layers:
Pipe a line of frosting around the perimeter of your first cake layer. Then, working from the center outward, pipe a spiral of frosting, leaving unfrosted cake in between each section of the spiral. Working from the center outward, pipe a spiral of raspberry preserves in the open space between the frosting. Then, stack the second cake layer on top and repeat the process of frosting and raspberry preserves.
Decorate the Cake:
Finally, stack the third cake layer on top and spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top using an offset spatula. Decorate with raspberries and small mint leaves. Enjoy!
Expert Tips & Tricks:
- Use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients: This will yield the most accurate results! If you don’t have one, be sure to at least use the “spoon & level” method for measuring.
- Be careful not to zest the pith of the lemons: The pith is the white part and it’s really bitter! You just want the outermost yellow layer of the lemon.
- Massage lemon zest into sugar: This may seem like an unnecessary step but it helps release the oils in the zest to add lemon flavor to the cake batter. Meghan didn’t do this in her recipe, but you definitely should 😉
- Use COLD heavy cream & mascarpone: It should come directly from the fridge.
- Don’t pipe the frosting too close to the edge of the cake: Otherwise the frosting will seep out a bit when the cake is stacked and you try cutting into it.
How Should I Store this Honey Lemon Raspberry Cake?
Because this Honey Lemon Raspberry Cake features a mascarpone whipped cream frosting, it’s important that you store it in the fridge! You can keep it on the cake stand and cover it in plastic wrap, or transfer individual slices to an airtight container. It will last up to 5 days in the fridge, but will start to get a bit dry at day 3.
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for more Spring & Summer Baked Goods?
- Lemon Poppyseed Muffins
- Strawberry Snack Cake
- Lemon Pistachio Olive Oil Cake
- Key Lime Pie Cookies
- Savory Zucchini Cornbread Loaf
Honey Lemon Raspberry Cake (Viral Meghan Markle Recipe)
Equipment
- 3 eight or nine inch cake pans
- parchment paper
- microplane zester
- kitchen scale (optional)
- medium bowl
- whisk
- 2 large bowls
- spatula
- small pot
- wire rack
- Pastry brush
- hand or stand mixer
- 2 plastic bags or piping bags
- offset spatula
Ingredients
For the Honey Lemon Layer Cake:
- 1 ¼ cups cane sugar or granulated sugar (250g)
- 2 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 large lemons)
- 3 cups gluten free 1-to-1 flour or AP flour (360g)*
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups milk of choice (I used 2%, 355ml)
- ¾ cup olive oil (150ml)
- 3 tbsp honey (60g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Honey Lemon Syrup:
- ½ cup honey (172g)
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 1 large lemon)
For the Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting:
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted (124g)
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (355ml)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
For the Raspberry Filling:
- 1 cup raspberry jam or preserves
For Decorating:
- fresh raspberries halved lengthwise
- small mint leaves
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350F. Spray three 8 or 9" round cake pans with cooking oil, then add a parchment paper round and spray again. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add sugar and lemon zest. Use your hands to massage the lemon zest into the sugar, which will release the oils in the zest and add extra lemon flavor to the cake! Then, add in the flour, baking powder, salt and whisk until combined.1 ¼ cups cane sugar, 2 tbsp lemon zest, 3 cups gluten free 1-to-1 flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp kosher salt
- In a medium bowl, add the eggs, milk, olive oil, honey and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and use a spatula to stir until just combined – if you're using AP flour, be sure not to overmix.4 large eggs, 1 ½ cups milk of choice, ¾ cup olive oil, 3 tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans. You can use a kitchen scale to ensure they're all the same weight. Transfer cake pans to the oven to bake for about 20-25 minutes for 9" pans, or 25-30 minutes if you're using 8" pans. They're done when a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cakes from the pans, discard the parchment rounds, and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, add all honey lemon syrup ingredients to a small pot over medium heat and stir. Once it just starts to bubble on the edges, remove it from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool down completely.½ cup honey, ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup water, 1 tbsp lemon zest
- After your cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to carefully level out the top if necessary. Then, brush each of the cakes evenly with some of the syrup. You will NOT use all of it. Leftovers can be stored in a jar in the fridge, and make for a great coffee/matcha sweetener!
- In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the mascarpone and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and combined. Then, add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract and kosher salt. Beat again until stiff peaks form.8 oz mascarpone cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 ½ cups heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, pinch of kosher salt
- Transfer mascarpone whipped cream frosting to a plastic bag and cut a large hole in the bottom corner. Repeat the process with the raspberry preserves. Alternatively, you can use piping bags if you have them on hand. I recommend keeping leftover frosting in the fridge while you assemble the cakes.1 cup raspberry jam or preserves
- Pipe a line of frosting around the perimeter of your first cake layer. Then, working from the center outward, pipe a spiral of frosting, leaving unfrosted cake in between each section of the spiral.
- Working from the center outward, pipe a spiral of raspberry preserves in the open space between the frosting. Then, stack the second cake layer on top and repeat the process of frosting and raspberry preserves.
- Stack the third cake layer on top and spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top using an offset spatula. Decorate with raspberries and small mint leaves. Enjoy!fresh raspberries, small mint leaves
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.