This Raspberry Snack Cake is so easy and delicious, it only takes one bowl to mix and is perfect for any small celebration or for when you feel like eating cake but don’t want to make a whole cake!
Raspberries (or red currants) and poppyseeds are a very common combination in cakes in Germany – the berries add a burst of freshness while the poppyseeds add some welcome texture.
What is a Snack Cake?
From what I have found, a snack cake was originally something along the lines of a Twinkie. However, since then, it has come to mean a single layer cake – usually thicker than just a sheet pan cake – that is cut into squares and eaten much less formally than a traditional cake.
Is this cake German?
While the concept of a snack cake is not traditionally German, the combination of eating raspberries or red currants and poppyseeds together in a cake is. Similarly, snacking on cake is something that Germans have been doing for years; hence the afternoon Kaffee & Kuchen (coffee and cake) get togethers.
Substitutions
Can I substitute the yogurt in the cake?
Yes, instead of yogurt in the cake base, you can also use sour cream, créme fraîche, or quark. However, if you plan to make the cream cheese and yogurt icing I wouldn’t substitute any of those in place of the yogurt.
Can I use fresh raspberries instead of frozen?
Fresh raspberries will definitely work in place of frozen but the weight would be adjusted because frozen raspberries are heavier. I would start by adding in 2 cups of fresh raspberries and see what the batter looks like to determine if more should be added.
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Tips for making Simple Raspberry Snack Cake
- Don’t over mix the batter. To avoid this, whisk all of the dry ingredients together first, then add in the wet and whisk again until almost fully combined. Add in the raspberries and mix until everything has just been incorporated.
- Grease or line the baking pan to ensure that none of the cake gets stuck. Usually I will just use a baking spray that includes flour but if you want to be extra safe, line the pan with parchment paper.
- Allow the cake to cool until the pan is just warm to the touch. If you try to remove the cake too early, it will break.
- Use cold cream cheese and yogurt for the topping. This will help it to stay in place on the cake because it is stiffer than if it is warm.
Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour should work for this snack cake! I have not yet tried any other flours with this recipe.
- Poppyseeds: Mohn (poppy seeds): I recommend looking for poppy seeds in bulk rather than in the spice jars at the grocery store because the jars don’t have very much in them and are quite pricey. I find mine at a local bulk store and at a Mediterranean specialty grocery store. You can also order them through the link at the beginning of this section.
- Sugar: There is less than a cup of granulated sugar in the dough and only 100 grams of powdered sugar in the yogurt icing.
- Salt: A tiny bit of salt balances out the sweetness of the batter.
- Baking Soda: Always make sure that your baking soda has not expired. It acts as the main leavening agent for this recipe so it is important that it is working.
- Lemon Zest: Lemon zest always works well with poppyseeds and especially with raspberries. It adds a little extra flavor and freshness to the cake.
- Greek Yogurt: The yogurt is in both the cake and the icing. I use non fat greek yogurt but 2% or 4% will work as well.
- Oil: Any neutral oil will work in this cake. Oil is used rather than butter to help keep the cake moist and tender.
- Egg: 3 eggs are used in this raspberry snack cake recipe. I use standard large eggs from the grocery store.
- Vanilla Extract: I like to use vanilla extract to add a little extra flavor to the dough and to the streusel.
- Frozen Raspberries: The batter for this cake is pretty thick and therefore I find that frozen raspberries are able to hold their shape better. However, fresh raspberries will definitely still work in this cake if you can’t find frozen.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese works to add a little extra tang to the icing on the cake as well as give more stability to the yogurt.
How to make Raspberry Poppyseed Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F or 325 F if baking convection (convection is preferred with this recipe). Place an oven rack just below the center of the oven.
- Line an 8″ x 8″ square pan with baking spray or parchment paper.
Cake Batter
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, poppyseeds, and lemon zest.
- Add in the oil, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla extract and whisk until almost no dry bits remain.
- Pour the frozen raspberries into the bowl and use a spatula to fold them in until they are evenly dispersed.
Bake the Cake
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top with a rubber or offset spatula.
- Bake for 30 – 35 min until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake, comes out clean.
- Once fully baked, remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool until the pan is just warm to the touch.
- When the pan is cool, carefully tip or lift the cake out of the pan and place on another wire rack to finish cooling.
Yogurt/ Cream Cheese Icing
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the cream cheese and powdered sugar together using the balloon whisk attachment until the powdered sugar is incorporated.
- Turn the speed to high to whisk the cream cheese until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as need.
- Add the yogurt into the bowl in 3 additions, making sure to scrape down the bowl in between.
Assembling
- Scoop the yogurt icing on top of the cooled cake, into the center. Use a rubber spatula, offset spatula, or spoon to spread the icing out.
- Use your tool of choice to create a fun swirl or texture in the icing to give more life to the cake. Then top with fresh raspberries before serving.
Simple Raspberry Snack Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 330 grams ap flour
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lemon zest
- 50 grams poppyseeds
Wet Ingredients
- 140 grams oil neutral
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 140 grams greek yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 grams frozen raspberries
Icing
- 6 oz cream cheese cold
- 340 grams greek yogurt cold
- 75 grams powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F or 325 F for convection.
- Place an oven rack just below the center position.
- Line an 8" x 8" metal baking pan with baking spray or parchment paper.
Make the Batter
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk again until almost combined.
- Add in the frozen raspberries and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and level out the top with a rubber or offset spatula.
Bake the Cake
- Place the cake into the oven and bake for 30 – 35 minutes until golden brown. If not baking on convection, rotate the cake after 20 minutes to ensure even browning.
- A skewer or toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.
- Once fully baked, remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack until it is just warm to the touch.
- Then carefully lift or tip the cake out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool fully.
Yogurt/ Cream Cheese Icing
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Use the whisk attachment and start on low speed until all of the powdered sugar is incorporated.
- Then, increase the speed to high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the greek yogurt into the cream cheese mixture in three additions, making sure it is fully incorporated before adding more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Assemble
- Scoop the icing out onto the cooled cake. Use a spatula or back of a spoon to spread the icing out and create a swirl pattern or texture.
- Optionally, top the icing with fresh raspberries.
Notes
Nutrition
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