Raspberry Torte

I started dating my husband during the beginning of our Junior year of college. The first time he brought me home to meet his parents, he did it by asking if I wanted to go apple picking. Turns out, his parents had a HUGE garden and well over a dozen fruit trees. He was asking me to pick apples at their house! But all of that produce that they grew (and continue to grow) leads to some delicious recipes being made in their kitchen, including raspberry torte. 

My mother in law is notorious for ALWAYS having an option for dessert. Not just a piece of chocolate. There will always be a pie, a torte, cookies, something sweet to eat after both lunch and dinner. I, for one, am not complaining. 

One of the favorites is her black raspberry torte and they grow an impressive amount of berries. Now we grow them, but not near as many. I also prefer red raspberries and we grow and preserve a lot of them. So I thought, “How does this torte translate into a red raspberry torte?” 

That answer: It translates so well! And my family would say it gets better over a few days as the filling gets to rest. The first time I made it, the Mr gave me a sly eye and said, “It’s good. I think you definitely need to practice and make another one,” with a large large grin on his face!

So this is my take (just a few tweaks) on my mother in law’s raspberry torte. I hope you enjoy it as much as everyone has in my husband’s family! 

Your Ingredients for Raspberry Torte

Crust

  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar 
  • 4 ounces cool whip 
  • 5 cups red raspberries, measured from frozen
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup sugar 
  • 3-4 tablespoons cornstarch 
  • ⅓ cup cold water 

Your Steps  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9×13 inch pan. In a medium bowl, cream butter. Prepare the crust by adding the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cream until well combined. Press into the prepared pan and bake for 10-15 minutes. 

Allow the crust to cool. Once cool, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. 

In a medium sauce pan, combine the raspberries, sugar,  and lemon zest and juice. Cook until broken down and a smooth-ish sauce is made. That is, the raspberries should have mostly broken down. In a small dish, combine the cold water and cornstarch. Stir into the raspberries over a med-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the berries have thickened, about 4 minutes. 

Allow the berry mixture to cool. Then spread on top of the cream cheese layer. Now, I would eat it almost immediately. My family said it got better a few days later, but I will let you be the judge! 

Also, if you want to modify the amount of sugar added to the berries you absolutely can. Give them a taste before you add the cornstarch and water slurry and see if you want to add more. You can also add a little less, but I think ½ cup is the sweet spot, personally.

Raspberry Torte

Make this easy raspberry torte with a buttery crust, cream cheese filling, and raspberry topping. A tasty treat from Jess in the Kitchen.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

Crust

  • 1 stick butter softened
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 ounces cool whip
  • 5 cups red raspberries measured from frozen
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • cup cold water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9×13 inch pan.
  • In a medium bowl, cream butter. Prepare the crust by adding the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cream until well combined.
  • Press into the prepared pan and bake for 10-15 minutes.
  • Allow the crust to cool.
  • Once cool, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust.
  • In a medium sauce pan, combine the raspberries, sugar, and lemon zest and juice.
  • Cook until broken down and a smooth-ish sauce is made. That is, the raspberries should have mostly broken down.
  • In a small dish, combine the cold water and cornstarch.
  • Stir into the raspberries over a med-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until the berries have thickened, about 4 minutes.
  • Allow the berry mixture to cool. Then spread on top of the cream cheese layer. Serve immediately or keep chilled.

Notes

If you want to modify the amount of sugar added to the berries you absolutely can. Give them a taste before you add the cornstarch and water slurry and see if you want to add more. You can also add a little less, but I think ½ cup is the sweet spot, personally.
Keyword cream cheese, dessert, desserts, raspberries, Raspberry, raspberry torte, torte, tortes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other sweet treats?

Give some of these a try! Or you can always check out my baking page!

Raspberry Coffee Cake

My goodness, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve been here. Life got a little “lifey” and I have kiddos that do alllllll the things. Cooking and baking just needed to take a back seat to navigating all the things in our home. But school is out and I am so excited to be back in the kitchen creating and in the garden growing. And if you ask me, this beautiful raspberry coffee cake is the perfect way to jump back into Jess in the Kitchen.

I love to bake and am not ashamed to say I have a bit of a sweet tooth. As I was digging through our big freezer for meal prep, I realized I had an immense amount of frozen raspberries from the 2024 season that I hadn’t used up yet. I immediately got to thinking, “What can I bake?” 

My little one had developed a love for various coffee cakes from local coffee shops, so this seemed to be the ticket. I gave it a go, and was pleased with the results. Then I tried again, and improved upon it, upping the sweetness just a bit for the Mr because, well, his sweet tooth is a little bigger than mine. Each time I have made this raspberry coffee cake since, the two of them eat it every day for breakfast with smiles on their faces. I hope it brings a smile to yours too! 

Ready to start baking? Let’s do this thing! 

Your Ingredients to Raspberry Coffee Cake

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar 
  • ¼ cup butter, softened 
  • ⅔ cup milk 
  • 1 egg 
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract 
  • 2 cups all purpose flour 
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder 
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 
  • 1 cup frozen raspberries (do not thaw) 

Streusel Filling and Topping 

  • ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
  • ½  cup chopped nuts 
  • Pinch of salt 
  • 2 tablespoons butter, cold 

Your Steps to Raspberry Coffee Cake 

Preheat the oven to 375℉. Grease and line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. 

Beat the ¾ cup of sugar and ¼ cup softened butter in a large bowl. Add milk, egg, and almond extract. Beat until well mixed. Remove mixer and add flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Stir until just combined. Fold in the raspberries. It will be thick.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, chopped nuts, and a pinch of salt. (Reserve the butter for the time being) 

Spread about half the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the sugar and nut mixture on top. Carefully spread the remaining batter on top of the sugar and nuts (it is a thicker batter so do your best!). 

Cut the two tablespoons of butter into the remaining sugar and nuts until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the coffee cake. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

All baked

Raspberry Coffee Cake

Bake the ultimate raspberry coffee cake with a tender crumb, sweet streusel, and bright berry flavor—straight from Jess’s kitchen
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup butter softened
  • cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup frozen raspberries do not thaw
  • Streusel Filling and Topping
  • cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ cup chopped nuts
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter cold

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375℉. Grease and line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Beat the ¾ cup of sugar and ¼ cup softened butter in a large bowl. Add milk, egg, and almond extract. Beat until well mixed. Remove mixer and add flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Stir until just combined. Fold in the raspberries.
  • In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, chopped nuts, and a pinch of salt. (Reserve the butter for the time being)
  • Spread about half the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the sugar and nut mixture on top. Carefully spread the remaining batter on top of the sugar and nuts (it is a thicker batter so do your best!).
  • Cut the two tablespoons of butter into the remaining sugar and nuts until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the coffee cake.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Keyword Breakfast, coffee cake, dessert, raspberries, Raspberry, raspberry coffee cake
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other baking recipes?

Give my baking page a look or maybe one of the recipes below will tickle your fancy! And if you’re wondering why I have so many raspberries, we started planting some when we first moved to our home and they have created a beautiful patch. The Mr and I are big fans of Jung Seeds and Plants, located in Wisconsin!

Raspberry Salsa

Stop whatever you’re doing right now, and gather the ingredients for this Raspberry Salsa and get ready to prepare it! 

Okay, that was a bit demanding and strongly worded, but I am telling you, that’s what you’ll want to do once you see the recipe. 

Each year, I travel to Door County, Wisconsin, for a weeklong vacation with my dad’s side of the family. If you aren’t from Wisconsin, there’s a chance you’ve not heard of Door County. It’s been described as the Martha’s Vineyard of the Midwest. Just lovely, quaint, and full of so much to do. 

The county itself has five state parks within it and provides a perfect climate for orchards, most notably cherry trees. It is full of wineries, fun shops, and culinary delights. Once such delight is cherry and raspberry salsa that can be found at many wineries and roadside stands. And my goodness, I LOVE it. 

There’s something about slightly sweet, slightly spicy pairings that are just so dang good. And if you’ve been around Jess in the Kitchen much, you know that I have an abundance of raspberries; it seems I should try to make some salsa from them, right? 

The problem?

There really aren’t raspberry salsa recipes out there. If I did find one, it wasn’t written for canning. That is what I wanted to do. So research started, acidity levels of fruits checked, and a recipe was born using the ideas from a peach salsa recipe. And it’s just so good. I can’t wait for you to give it a try! And if you aren’t a canner, simply half the recipe (this will result in about three cups of salsa rather than six) and eat it fresh! 

My Canning Story 

I do want to share that I did not grow up in a canning household. I learned about ten years ago, as soon as we bought our home and started our first garden. And while I had some support from my mother in law (thank you so much!), I learned SO MUCH from reading. If you are a first generation canner like I was, let me share some of my favorite resources: 

Ball Complete Book of Home Canning: This book gives you a good idea of all the basics from the people who know canning forwards and backwards. I love that I can dig in and get just what I need. 

Not Your Mama’s Canning Book: Modern Canned Goods and What to Make with Them: This book is SO FUN. It has some out of the ordinary recipes. We especially love the tomato soup and seasoned black bean recipes. 

And finally, the National Center for Home Food Preservation has all the information you need for all sorts of food preservation, not just canning. I reference it often! 

But enough about resources, you want to make raspberry salsa, right? (But seriously, I am going to give you the basics. If you are a newbie (Yay!), head to any of those resources for more detailed information)

Your Ingredients for raspberry salsa

For approximately 6 half-pints, gather: 

  • 6 cups red raspberries 
  • 1 medium sweet pepper (green, red, orange, yellow, any will work), diced
  • 4-5 jalapeños, finely diced (remember to wear gloves!)
  • ½ cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
  • 1 medium red onion, diced 
  • ½ cup vinegar, 5% acidity
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons sugar 

The Prep Work

Fill the canning kettle with enough water that the jars will be covered by at least 2 inches of water. More is better in this case so over estimate. Begin to heat over high heat. Place the canning rack so that it is hooked over the side of the canner and put clean jars on it to keep them warm. Note: You don’t have to keep the jars in the rack, although it is helpful to keep them warm. You want the jars warm to prevent breaking when they are being filled. 

Set the clean rings aside. I like to simmer my lids on low low heat in a small saucepan. Not necessary, but I like to think it helps them seal better. 

The raspberry Salsa Making

If you have not already done so, dice, measure out, and combine all the ingredients in a shallow, wide kettle. Smash the fruit with a potato masher or with a fermentation tamper. (I LOVE the tamper and honestly have never fermented anything. It works great for smashing berries). Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. I like to smash the berries more as they are cooking down. Bring the salsa to a boil and then simmer for five minutes, to thicken just a bit. 

Once the salsa has thicken, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp, clean cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner, placing on the counter. Listen for the ping of the lids over the next 12 hours. Sealed jars are self stable. If any jar doesn’t seal, simply place it right in the refrigerator. 

Note: You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the salsa will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable salsa. That is, a salsa that can be stored on the shelf. 

Raspberry Salsa

This raspberry salsa has the sweet taste of summer in the berries and cilantro paired with the spicy kick from jalapeños. A taste sensation you’re sure to love!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Snacks
Cuisine Canning
Servings 6 1/2 pint jars

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups red raspberries
  • 1 medium sweet pepper green, red, orange, yellow, any will work, diced
  • 4-5 jalapeños finely diced (remember to wear gloves!)
  • ½ cup loosely packed cilantro chopped
  • 1 medium red onion diced
  • ½ cup vinegar 5% acidity
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions
 

  • Fill the canning kettle with enough water that the jars will be covered by at least 2 inches of water. More is better in this case so over estimate. Begin to heat over high heat. Place the canning rack so that it is hooked over the side of the canner and put clean jars on it to keep them warm. Note: You don’t have to keep the jars in the rack, although it is helpful to keep them warm. You want the jars warm to prevent breaking when they are being filled.
  • Set the clean rings aside. I like to simmer my lids on low low heat in a small saucepan. Not necessary, but I like to think it helps them seal better.
  • If you have not already done so, dice, measure out, and combine all the ingredients in a shallow, wide kettle. Smash the fruit with a potato masher or with a fermentation tamper.
  • Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. I like to smash the berries more as they are cooking down. Bring the salsa to a boil and then simmer for five minutes, to thicken just a bit.
  • Once the salsa has thickened, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space.
  • Wipe rims of the jars with a damp, clean cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight.
  • Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from the canner, placing them on the counter. Listen for the ping of the lids over the next 12 hours. Sealed jars are self stable. If any jar doesn’t seal, simply place it right in the refrigerator.

Notes

You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the salsa will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable salsa. That is, a salsa that can be stored on the shelf.
Keyword black raspberry, Canning, raspberries, raspberry salsa, salsa, salsa recipe, Waterbath Canning
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other ways to use up those raspberries?

Be sure to check out my canning and preserving page for all sorts of inspiration. Or perhaps I can recommend a few of my favorites below?