Raspberry Jelly Cakes with Cream (2024)

A twist on traditional lamingtons, pink jelly cakes are a classic Aussie treat! Light and airy vanilla cakes are dipped in raspberry jelly, coated in coconut and sandwiched together with a layer of whipped Chantilly cream. They’re bursting with raspberry flavour and are perfect for any occasion.

Why you will love this recipe

• Easy to make – just a few simple pantry ingredients like flour, sugar and vanilla and a few fresh ingredients (cream, milk and eggs) are all you need to get started.
• Perfect for celebrations – serve them at gatherings, bridal showers, birthdays, baby showers, Mothers’ Day or for a nostalgic afternoon tea treat.
• So delicious – the vanilla cakes are light and fluffy and each bite is bursting with raspberry and vanilla flavour.
• The cakes can be made ahead of time and frozen to be assembled later!
• No cake mix – this ‘from-scratch’ recipe uses a traditional vanilla cake recipe, no packet mixes required.

Ingredients you will need

**This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. This photo is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Jelly crystals – jelly (jello) crystals are dissolved in boiling water and chilled in the fridge for 1-2 hours until partially set. Once thickened (but not set), mini vanilla cakes are dipped in the jelly and then rolled in coconut. I use Aeroplane jelly crystals, but any will work and you can use vegetarian jelly crystals, if required. Raspberry flavoured jelly crystals are best, but you could also use strawberry flavour.
• Self-raising flour – flour that has a raising agent (baking powder) and salt added to it. Self-raising flour forms the structure of the cakes. If you don’t have any, you can make your own by whisking 2 teaspoons of baking powder into every cup of plain flour.
• Butter – a base of creamed butter and sugar helps to achieve soft, fluffy cakes. Make sure it’s real butter, softened at room temperature before using.
• Caster sugar – also called superfine sugar, caster sugar will dissolve more easily into the butter mixture. Regular white sugar can be used, if this is all you have.
• Milk – full fat, regular whole milk is best here, but you can swap for your preferred milk of choice.
• Vanilla – one of the main flavours and you want it to shine! Use a good quality vanilla paste or extract. It has the best flavour and the little specks of vanilla make the cakes look even better.
• Egg – one large, whole egg adds moisture and structure to the cakes. Make sure it’s at room temperature.
• Cream – whipped cream mixed with sugar and vanilla is piped between two jelly cakes, to hold them together. Use full-fat thickened cream for best results.
• Coconut – to coat the cakes. Use fine, desiccated coconut rather than thickly shredded coconut for best results.

Step by step instructions

Full ingredient notes and quantities can be found in the detailed recipe card below.

Step 1 – Make the jelly;

Mix the raspberry jelly crystals with a cup (250ml) of boiling water and mix until the crystals are mostly dissolved.

Add ¾ cup (185ml) of cold, chilled water and stir to combine.

* Use slightly less water than specified on the packet instructions to increase the raspberry flavour and help it thicken a little faster.

Place the jelly in the fridge for 1-2 hours, until slightly thickened to an egg-white consistency. Don’t allow the jelly to fully set, or it won’t soak into the cakes. Too runny, and the cakes will soak in too much liquid and become soggy. We want to aim for a slightly thickened, egg white consistency. Keep a close eye on it!

Step 2 – Make the cakes;

Cream the butter and caster sugar in a bowl until smooth, soft and fluffy.

Add the vanilla and egg and mix to combine.

Add half of the flour and milk and stir until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk.

Add heaped tablespoons of the cake batter into 2 dome trays or gem trays (or see notes below for alternatives) and bake until lightly golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed.

Step 3 – Soak the cakes;

Once the jelly has partially set to an egg white-like thickness, it’s time to start coating the cakes!

Working with one cake at a time, dip the cakes into the jelly until each side is completely coated and then roll them through the coconut. Place them on a plate to refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the jelly to soak into the cakes.

Step 4 – Fill with cream;

Once the jelly cakes have set in the fridge, pipe some cream onto the top of one cake, and then sandwich together using another cake.

You can also add a small amount of set raspberry jelly, raspberry jam or a fresh raspberry to the cream before adding the second cake.

Expert tips

• Measure the ingredients, for best results. Use a kitchen scale to weigh the dry ingredients in grams. Inaccurate measurements can cause the ratios to be off, resulting in dry cakes, or cakes that don’t rise. If you don’t have scales, fluff the flour with a spoon, spoon it into a measuring cup and level it with a knife.
• Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature before mixing, otherwise your batter can split.
• Make the jelly first and place it in the fridge to thicken (but not set!). This will take 1-2 hours, plenty of time to start on the cakes while you wait.
• It is important to get the consistency of the jelly right. If the jelly isn’t set enough, the cakes will soak in too much liquid. This will cause them to become soggy/fall apart. If the jelly sets too much, it won’t soak into the cakes. The jelly should be refrigerated until it partially sets to the thickness of a loose egg white. This will take 1-2 hours, but continually check so it doesn’t set too much!
• I used a silicone dome tray to make the cakes. But you could also use a gem cake pan with small, shallow holes. If you don’t have either, they could be made into regular cupcakes and cut in half to serve (baking times will vary).
• Silicone cake trays make the removal of the cakes much easier. Be sure to use a little oil spray to prevent sticking.
• The cakes should be bite-sized, so don’t overfill the cake tins. One heaped tablespoon is all you need for each cake.
• Cover and refrigerate the cakes for 30 minutes once they have been soaked in the jelly. This allows time for the jelly to absorb into the cakes and to firm up.
• Before filling with cream, the flatter side of the cakes cakes can be trimmed to remove any doming. Keep the nice, rounded side and trim the other side to flatten, if needed.
• Once the centres of the cakes spring back and a toothpick comes out clean, they are ready! They only take around 8-10 minutes, as each cake only has a heaped tablespoon of cake batter. Start to check them around the 8-minute mark and keep an eye on them from there. We want to avoid making the edges dark and overcooked, ensuring the cakes stay light, soft and moist.

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