Raspberry, Lemon and Almond Cake for Afternoon Tea

This Raspberry, Lemon and Almond Cake is a beautifully moist, flavour-balanced bake designed especially for Afternoon Tea sharing. Drawing on my experience creating reliable, celebration-worthy recipes, this cake combines almond meal and eggs for a tender crumb, plenty of lemon for freshness, and bursts of raspberry for natural sweetness. Finished with a tangy lemon drizzle icing, a toasted almond crown and fresh flowers, it makes an effortlessly elegant centrepiece.

Tender texture that stays moist for longer

This cake is made using the reverse creaming method, a gentle mixing technique that creates an exceptionally soft, even crumb and helps lock moisture into the finished bake. Instead of beginning by creaming butter and sugar together, the dry ingredients are first combined with the butter so the flour becomes lightly coated in fat before any liquid is added. This limits gluten development and results in a beautifully tender texture that stays moist for longer—perfect for cakes that will be displayed on an Afternoon Tea stand before serving. It’s a simple, reliable approach that gives consistent, elegant results every time, allowing the delicate flavours of raspberry, lemon, and almond to truly shine.

Why You’ll Love This Raspberry, Lemon and Almond Cake

• Beautifully balanced flavours – Sweet raspberries, bright lemon, and the gentle nuttiness of almond come together in a cake that feels fresh, light, and perfectly suited to Afternoon Tea.
• Exceptionally moist texture – Made with almond meal and the reverse creaming method, the crumb is soft, tender, and stays deliciously moist even after sitting on the stand.
• Elegant yet unfussy – With its almond crown, simple icing and a few fresh flowers, this cake looks effortlessly pretty without the need for complicated decorating.
• Perfect for sharing – Designed with gatherings in mind, it slices cleanly and serves beautifully alongside tea or coffee.
• Reliable and approachable – Clear steps and simple ingredients make this a lovely bake whether you’re preparing a special Afternoon Tea or just treating yourself to a quiet moment at home (I can’t stop eating it!)

Host a beautiful Afternoon Tea at Home with these useful links

Hosting an Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea at Home Checklist

Themes for Afternoon Tea

Finger Sandwich Guide

How to make Raspberry, Lemon & Almond Cake for Afternoon Tea

Preparation

Position your oven rack in the centre then preheat to 160 C fan/ 320 F fan.

Take a piece of baking paper and trace around the base of a 20cm/8 inch round cake tin. Cut out the circle. Grease the tin with a little extra butter then line the base with the baking paper. Add half a teaspoon of flour and tip the tin on an angle and roll the flour around the sides of the tin until well coated. Tap the excess flour into the bin. Leave the tin on the bench for now.

Zest the lemons until you have 2 teaspoons then chop finely. Now cut the lemons in half and juice. Set aside.

Cut the butter into cubes, place it in a microwave safe bowl and soften in 20 second bursts on HIGH, stirring between bursts.

In a small bowl, break up the eggs then add the vanilla and almond extracts. 

Toss one punnet (125g) of raspberries in 2 tsp of self-raising flour in a bowl until well coated. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.

Make the cake batter

Reverse creaming method: Place the flour, sugar, zest, almond meal, and the pinch of salt in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 30 seconds to combine.

Add the softened butter and mix on the lowest speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Add the egg mixture and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and mix again until you have a smooth batter. Reserve the rest of the lemon juice for the icing (cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate).

Remove the bowl from the mixer. Take a spatula and gently fold through the flour coated raspberries.

Tip the mixture into the cake tin, tap a few times on your bench to remove any air bubbles then bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Let it cool in its tin for 30 minutes (set a timer) then carefully turn out onto a wire rack, remove the baking paper circle then turn the cake over so it cools on the base not the top. See FAQ’s for storage and make ahead instructions.

Toast the almonds

While the cake is cooling spread the flaked almonds out in a single layer on a tray then toast in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes at 160 C fan / 320 F fan. Remove then leave to cool completely.

Make the lemon drizzle icing

Sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl. Add the lemon juice and stir until well combined.

Place the cake on a board or plate then drizzle the icing over the top allowing some of it to run over the sides.

Sprinkle over the toasted almonds then take a small sieve, add a small amount of icing sugar and dust over the top.

Garnish the Raspberry, Lemon and Almond Cake

Find the best angle for your cake then add fresh roses, rose buds, petals, mini chrysanthemums and a fresh raspberry on the right hand quarter of the cake.

To serve

Remove the edible flowers then cut into wedges. Serve with extra fresh raspberries on the side.

FAQs on how to store and make ahead

Uniced: Once the cake is completely cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before icing as above.

Freeze: Once the cake is completely cooled, wrap in two layers of plastic wrap followed by one layer of aluminium foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator then allow to come to room temperature on your bench before icing as above.

Leftover iced cake: Remove any flowers then place the cake in an airtight container lined with baking paper. Cover any cut areas with plastic wrap to reduce the chance of drying out. Cake will keep up to 5 days from the day it’s made.