Vanilla Slice with Fresh Raspberries and a Raspberry Mascarpone Frosting

Jump to Recipe

Vanilla Slice with Fresh Raspberries and a Raspberry Mascarpone Frosting has a layer of light and fluffy vanilla sponge, studded with fresh raspberries, all topped with a luscious, creamy raspberry mascarpone frosting. Dreamy and luxurious, you would never guess how little sugar there is in this recipe! I’m not claiming that this is a health food, but if you are craving cake and trying to cut back on sugar, this could be the recipe for you.

Quick and easy to make, the cake batter is whipped up all in one bowl in less than a minute and frosting is equally simple. Using raspberry jam to flavour and colour the frosting is a simple, convenient and speedy yet incredibly tasty way add more raspberry flavour, not to mention the beautiful pink colour!

A quick and delicious cake batter whipped up all in one bowl in less than a minute. The cooked cake is light and fluffy and this batter can be used to make round cakes, loaf cakes and cupcakes.

This cake is ideal to make at altitude:

Our house in Switzerland is at over 1600m altitude and this makes baking difficult. Some traditional bakes will not rise but cakes made with oil fare better. I love the texture of cakes made with oil but often find they lack the flavour of cake batters which use butter. This cake is the best of both worlds; it has a similar texture to cakes made with oil but with the benefit of the butter flavour as well. Whilst it works wonderfully well at altitude, I regularly make it in London as well – I just love the light and airy texture and the fact it can be whipped up so quickly.

• 

• 

How to make Vanilla Slice with Fresh Raspberries and a Raspberry Mascarpone Frosting

This recipe is based on my Butter and Oil Cakes – Core Recipe. For other recipes and inspiration using this cake, please see here.

Collect all your ingredients together and line the baking tin:

In order to guarantee the correct texture of your cake, it is important to use the correct size tin – in this case it is a 20cm/8inch square tin. If your tin is larger the depth of your cake batter will be less and the cake will cook more quickly. Equally if the tin is smaller, your cake batter will be deeper and cook more slowly.

1. Sit the tin on greaseproof paper making sure the paper is large enough to line the tin, come up the sides and have a little overhang.
2. Cut out the corners of the paper so it will fit easily into the tin
3. Fold the paper from corner to corner so the size of the centre of the paper matches the base of the tin. Slot inside the tin.

• 

• 

• 

For the cake –

• unsalted butter, cubed
• plain/all-purpose flour
• cornflour
• fine salt
• baking powder
• bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
• caster sugar
• vegetable oil
• large egg
• vanilla extract (optional)
• milk
• natural yoghurt
• fresh raspberries

For the frosting –

• mascarpone cheese
• double/heavy cream
• icing sugar
• raspberry jam, sieved – I use Bonne Maman

How to make this fabulous slice:

1. Using a microwave safe mixing bowl, melt the butter in a microwave. Leave to cool a little whilst you collect all the remaining ingredients together.
2. Add the remaining ingredients: flour, cornflour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla extract, milk and yoghurt
3. Beat with a balloon or electric whisk until incorporated – be careful not to over-mix. It should take 30 seconds to a minute and you may need to stop half way to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
4. The batter is quite liquidy. The easiest way to transfer the cake batter to the cake tins/cake cases is by pouring it. I use a mixing bowl with a spout or you could transfer to a jug.
5. Scatter the raspberries over the top of the cake – they will sink down as it cooks (I forgot to photograph that bit!)
6. Cook in a preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes or until cooked. It is cooked when:
   • the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains
   • a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean
   • when the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin.
7. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer the cake to a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. Here you can see the raspberries have sunk down as the cake cooks.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Make the Raspberry Mascarpone Frosting:

1. Sieve the jam – if it is very thick, gently heat it first in the microwave or in a saucepan.
2. Beat mascarpone until light and creamy.
3. Add the cream, sugar and 90% of the jam.
4. Beat until thick and fluffy.
5. Top the cooled cake with the frosting and make swirly patterns over the top of the cake.
6. Drizzle the remaining jam over the top of the cake.
7. Swirl this into the frosting with a knife.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.