This chardonnay cake is moist with the perfect crumb and topped with sweet raspberry buttercream. It’s a great spring recipe and perfect for entertaining!
It was so warm last weekend that I suggested to the bestie that we have dinner outside. There’s a nice little concrete patio in the backyard with a fire pit off to one side that makes eating in the yard so nice. I’ve so missed being able to have dinner outside and then transition to sitting around the fire pit with a glass of wine and plenty of recyclables to burn. So what better way to welcome spring than with a simple backyard picnic? That and this beautiful cake!
Last year I went berry picking for the first time and the result were jars and jars of homemade jams and jellies and with spring rolling around I’m ready for a taste of sweet spring and summer berries again. Raspberry and lemon seem to come together as one of my favorite flavor combinations over and over again and the freshness of the raspberries in this buttercream pairs so well with the chardonnay in the cake that you’ll have people begging you to bring this to all of their spring get togethers!
When I got the opportunity to work with Gloria Ferrer wines I was SO excited. The most important thing to remember about cooking or baking with wine is to use something that is great for drinking, too and since Gloria Ferrer wines have earned over 400 gold medals and 50 90+ scores in the last 5 years their chardonnay certainly delivers!
The opening aromas and flavors of peach and pear with pineapple and a hint of toast compliment the raspberries in the buttercream perfectly. The full flavors continue with tropical notes and meyer lemon {see I told you lemon and raspberry go perfectly together 😉 } and then round out with a little toasty oak. Serve this wine with a light seafood entree like scallops or lobster if you’re feeling fancy and then follow it up with a slice of this beautiful cake to bring the chardonnay flavor right through to dessert. You will love how elegant yet simple this cake is and your guests will, too!

Chardonnay Cake with Raspberry Buttercream
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 egg whites
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup Gloria Ferrer Chardonnay
For the Frosting:
- 5 sticks butter
- 10-12 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam*
- Pink food coloring, optional
- Fresh raspberries, optional for decorating
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add egg whites and vanilla and beat until well combined, scraping down bowl as needed.
- Sift together flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add dry and wet ingredients in 3 additions, beginning and ending with dry mixture.
- Divide batter evenly into 3 8" cake pans lined with parchment paper and greased. Be sure to spread batter into an even layer and tap lightly against the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes or until center of the cake springs back lightly when touched.
- Allow to cool 4-5 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- Beat butter in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and beat on a low speed until completely incorporated and soft peaks form then mix in jam and food coloring if using.
To Assemble:
- Carefully trim off cake domes with a serrated knife and set aside off cuts. Add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of butter cream to the top of the first cake and smooth into an even layer. Repeat with the second layer then add the third layer of cake on top.
- Crumb coat the cake and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
- Once chilled add remaining frosting to the top of the cake and smooth over the top and down the sides in an even layer using an off set spatula.
- Decorate with fresh raspberries if desired.
Notes
*You can use seeded jam if you prefer
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Caroline
Tuesday 29th of March 2016
Hello! I'm making this cake currently, but I think the recipe instructions might have left out when you add the Chardonnay?
Thank you!
Meaghan
Wednesday 30th of March 2016
Thanks for asking Caroline, you add the Chardonnay in with the milk as the wet ingredients :) I hope you love it! Let me know if you have any other questions!
~Meaghan
Paige
Monday 28th of March 2016
Totally BEAUTIFUL cake Meaghan! I love the raspberry and lemon flavor combo too, and I can only imagine how delicious this cake is with a chardonnay flavor - YUM!
Meaghan
Wednesday 30th of March 2016
Thank you! The chardonnay is perfect! The wine is just dry enough that it doesn't create an overwhelmingly sweet cake. It was a hit!
~Meaghan
Whitney
Friday 25th of March 2016
What a gorgeous cake! I love baking and DRINKING with wine. I've never tried this chardonnay but it seems fabulous!
Meaghan
Saturday 26th of March 2016
Thank you! I did some more experimenting with wine this weekend. Ice cream. HEAVEN!
~Meaghan
Byron Thomas
Friday 25th of March 2016
That, my dear, is one very pretty cake! I hope you finished off the bottle while you were savouring a big slice of this cake outside on your backyard patio. :)
Meaghan
Friday 25th of March 2016
Why thank you! And not yet but I will be keeping it close this weekend because I have plans to binge watch the entire season of my faaaaaaaaavorite show this weekend because someone tagged me in a spoiler post so now I have to watch it! lol
~Meaghan
Mary (The Godmother @ Goodie Godmother)
Wednesday 23rd of March 2016
Baking with wine adds such a nice flavor to desserts. I like the color contrast between the cake and the frosting very much!
Meaghan
Wednesday 23rd of March 2016
I got a little too happy with the pink food coloring since I forgot for a split second it was actually pink and not red mixing with white! Next time not so pepto bismal-y :P
~Meaghan