This raspberry coffee cake has a light texture and perfect crumb. Filled with tart raspberries and topped with crunchy almonds, this coffee cake makes for a beautiful addition to any brunch menu.
It’s no secret how much I love family recipes. And not just my own family’s recipes, either!
I love when friends and loved ones share their family recipes with me, from brown sugar fudge from my friend Kathleen to peanut butter rice krispie bars from our daughter’s bio family.
Our daughter’s birth mama, Taylor, works at a retirement home and assisted living facility. Last year, she found an old recipe box in a pile of discarded belongings left behind by a resident’s family.
The recipe box was clearly handmade, likely by the woman’s husband due to the inscription on the bottom, and was full of handwritten recipe cards and printed recipes clipped from newspapers and magazines. She knew that it must have at one time been cherished by the woman it belonged to, so she scooped it up and brought it home.
When we visited later that month, she showed me the box and told me to take any of the recipes I wanted. I gleefully looked through each and every recipe, leaving some behind (mostly jello salads made with mayo and olives) but taking home quite a few.
This raspberry coffee cake recipe is one that I grabbed, and I’m so glad I did. It’s just about one of the best coffee cakes I’ve ever had and is so easy to make.
Believe me, you’re gonna want to add this one to your next brunch menu.
What makes this raspberry coffee cake so great?
Listen, I’m gonna be upfront with you: One of the things I love about this recipe is that it starts with a cake mix.
I know, I know. I’m usually more of a baked-from-scratch kind of girl, but I do love using a cake mix from time to time.
After all, my great-grandmother’s blueberry crumb cake recipe also uses a cake mix and I requested that for my birthday cake several years in a row as a kid.
In this case, this raspberry coffee cake starts with a white cake mix. It means that the cake comes together in minutes, so you have more time to make a batch of blueberry lemon scones or sit in silence and drink a cup of coffee.
You know, you do you.
Aside from being quick to make, this coffee cake is absolutely delicious. It’s bursting with tart raspberries paired with nutty almonds on top.
There’s also a full teaspoon of almond extract in the cake. It gives me total almond croissant vibes but in coffee cake form.
Topped with a dusting of powdered sugar, this light, perfectly sweet coffee cake is everything you want for brunch or an afternoon snack.
How to make this raspberry coffee cake
Are you read to see how we turn a totally average white cake mix into this totally delicious raspberry coffee cake?
Ingredients you’ll need
You will start by prepping the topping for the cake. For that, you will need:
- ½ cup of cake mix from a 15.25-ounce white cake mix: Don’t worry, we will use the rest of the cake mix in a minute!
- ⅓ cup lightly packed light brown sugar: Brown sugar will sweeten the topping and give the top of the cake a slight richness.
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter: This will get cut into the other ingredients just like if you were making homemade pie crust, so make sure it is cold!
- ½ cup sliced almonds: I like using sliced almonds in this topping, but you could roughly chop whole almonds as well.
For the raspberry coffee cake batter, you will need:
- The rest of the white cake mix: This makes up the dry ingredients for the cake batter.
- ½ cup buttermilk: A little buttermilk adds tang and moisture to the cake.
- ½ cup room-temperature unsalted butter: This time, make sure your butter is softened to room temperature.
- 2 large eggs: A couple of eggs help to bind the cake together.
- 1 teaspoon almond extract: Almond extract adds extra almond flavor to the cake and gives it that almond croissant flavor.
- 6 ounces of raspberries: You can use fresh or frozen raspberries in this cake. If you are using frozen raspberries, do not thaw them first.
Leaving frozen raspberries frozen will keep them from breaking down too much and discoloring the cake batter when you fold them in.
Making this recipe
This raspberry coffee cake can be made in a 9-inch springform pan or a 9×13-inch cake pan. It just depends on the look you are going for.
Whichever pan you decide to use, spray it with nonstick spray and set it aside.
Start by mixing together the topping. In a bowl, combine the ½ cup of cake mix with the brown sugar, then cut the cold butter into this mixture until it resembles a coarse meal.
Stir in the almonds, then set the topping aside.
To make the cake batter, use an electric mixer on low speed to mix together the rest of the cake mix, buttermilk, softened butter, eggs, and almond extract for about 1 minute.
Increase the mixer to medium speed and mix for another 2 minutes. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
Gently fold in the raspberries and spread the cake batter into your prepared pan. Sprinkle the topping over the cake batter – use your hands to form it into small clumps as you add it.
Bake the cake at 325°F. It will bake for 1 hour if using a 9-inch springform or for 40 minutes if using a 9×13-inch pan. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Set the raspberry coffee cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
If you used a springform pan, run a knife around the sides of the pan before removing springform sides. You can also use an offset spatula to loosen the cake from the base and slide it onto a cake plate if desired.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar before serving and watch the compliments roll in!
Storage tips
Store any leftovers of your raspberry coffee cake covered at room temperature for 2-3 days. You could also refrigerate it for up to 4 days.
If you want to freeze the leftover slices, store them in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month.
The cake slices should thaw pretty quickly at room temperature (within an hour or two), or you can microwave them for 30-60 seconds to both thaw and warm the cake through.
Recipe FAQs
Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the topping:
- ½ cup from a 15.25-ounce white cake mix
- ⅓ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cut into pieces
- ½ cup sliced almonds
For the cake batter:
- Remaining white cake mix
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 6 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries if using frozen, do not thaw
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan or a 9×13-inch cake pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Make the topping:
- In a small bowl, combine the ½ cup cake mix and brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the almonds. Set aside.
Make the cake batter:
- In a large bowl, add the remaining cake mix, buttermilk, softened butter, eggs, and almond extract. Using an electric mixer, mix on low speed for about 1 minute to combine, then increase the speed to medium and mix for an additional 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Gently fold in the raspberries and spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the topping over the cake batter, using your hands to form it into small clumps as you go.
- Bake for 1 hour if using a 9-inch springform pan or for 40 minutes if using a 9×13-inch pan, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. If baked in a springform pan, once cool, run a knife or offset spatula around the edges of the pan before removing the sides of the springform. If desired, use an offset spatula to loosen the cake from the base of the pan and slide it onto a serving plate.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving.