raspberry cupcakes

These homemade raspberry cupcakes feature a classic vanilla cupcake with fresh raspberries folded in and a creamy and bright raspberry buttercream! It is such a fun dessert for any occasion. The cupcakes are soft and moist, while the frosting is velvet and smooth.

Get ready for a cupcake that is so beautifully pink and full of natural flavor. These raspberry cupcakes are perfect for any occasion, from potlucks, Valentine’s Day, baby showers, or a Mean Girls party?! The vanilla cupcake base is moist and tender, with fresh raspberries folded in. Then, it is topped with a vibrant raspberry buttercream that requires no food coloring! 

Now, raspberries are one of my favorite berries. I am a sucker for summer berries. It truly is a season I look forward to. So next, you must try my raspberry crumble bars, raspberry pound cake tiramisu, and raspberry cheesecake milkshakes! 

Professional Tips for Making Raspberry Cupcakes

• Use fresh raspberries if possible. Fresh raspberries bake better in the cake, giving you a more intense flavor. If using frozen, I suggest defrosting and draining them before folding them into the cake. Frozen raspberries can be used for the quick jam. 
• Be careful not to over-mix or over-bake. Over-mixing or over-baking the cupcakes will cause them to be tough and dry. 
• Adjust the buttercream to the desired thickness. If the buttercream is too thin, add more powdered sugar, and if it is too thick, add more raspberry jam or milk. 
• Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting them. If the cupcakes are too warm, the buttercream will melt right off. Allow them to cool fully at room temperature on a cooling rack or in the refrigerator.

Ingredients & Substitution

• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour has just the right amount of gluten to make a tender, soft cake. I have also tested the cake with King Arthur’s gluten-free flour, and it worked great!
• Baking Powder: Double-acting baking powder helps the cupcakes rise evenly in the oven. 
• Kosher Salt 
• Unsalted Butter
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs: Whole large eggs help bind the cake together for a texturally perfect cake. I’ve tested with chia, flax, and vegan egg substitutes, and they don’t work well with this cake. 
• Vanilla Extract
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds a nice tangy flavor to the cake. You can replace it with milk mixed with one tablespoon of lemon juice. 
• Fresh or Frozen Raspberries: Fresh raspberries will bake better in the cake. If you would like to use frozen, I suggest defrosting them first. Save those frozen raspberries for raspberry cinnamon rolls! 
• Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar adds sweetness to the buttercream and also thickens it. 
• Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice enhances the raspberry flavor. Raspberry lemon is an excellent flavor combo, if you want to put a little lemon zest in there as well for some lemon raspberry cupcakes!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Use different berries. Make these cupcakes with strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries! They will also make some beautiful buttercreams! 
• Add extracts or alcohol. Mix almond, mint, or lemon extract into the cake or the buttercream. Try adding cognac, rum, or bourbon to the buttercream. 
• Use a different cake base. This buttercream would be so much fun with a chocolate cupcake, caramel, or coconut cake base. You could use my vanilla cupcakes or funfetti cupcakes recipes! They’d all also be fabulous with my favorite cream cheese frosting.

How to Make Raspberry Cupcakes

Use these instructions to make the perfect raspberry cupcakes every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Prepare the cake: 

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cupcake/muffin tin with paper liners.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

Step 4: Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the pure vanilla extract.

Step 5: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, mixing until just combined.

Add the next round of dry ingredients before the first is fully incorporated. It will help prevent over-mixing. 

Step 6: Gently fold in the fresh raspberries into the cupcake batter, being careful not to overmix.

Step 7: Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full with the cupcake batter.

Step 8: Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Step 9: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the quick jam:

Step 10: In a small saucepan, add raspberries, lemon juice, and granulated sugar. My raspberries were very sweet, so I did not need much sugar. 

Step 11: Heat over low heat until the raspberries soften and release their juices, stirring and smashing occasionally. Increase heat to medium or medium-low and simmer until the juices evaporate and you are left with a jam that will hold a line on the back of a spoon. Reduce the heat back to low as the jam thickens to keep it from sticking to the bottom and burning.

Step 12: Strain through a metal sieve to remove seeds into a frozen bowl. No one wants the crunch of raspberry seeds in their buttercream.

Press the jam through the sieve, then run the silicone spatula over the bottom to release the thick part of the jam. The thicker jam will actually keep more jam from pressing through. I repeat this 3 times to make sure I get every little bit of raspberry jam off the seeds. 

Step 13: Pour into a cold or frozen glass/pyrex bowl and refrigerate until cold. Adding cold jam to the buttercream will keep it nice and thick, and pipeable. 

Prepare the buttercream: 

Step 14: Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until lightened and soft. 

Step 15: Slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla and salt. 

Step 16: Once the buttercream has come together, add the raspberry puree 2 tablespoons at a time until the desired flavor and consistency is reached.

In this recipe, we are replacing the typical heavy cream in American buttercream with raspberry jam. You can add additional lemon juice or heavy cream as desired. I prefer to add lemon juice to contrast with the sweetness! I used all the jam that I made (1/3 cup) and didn’t need to add any additional lemon juice. 

Step 17: Place the buttercream in a piping bag and pipe it onto the cooled cupcakes! Top with fresh raspberries or sprinkles.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!

Raspberry Cupcakes

5 from 3 votes

Author: Addison LaBonte

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Category: Dessert

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Description

These homemade raspberry cupcakes feature a classic vanilla cupcake with fresh raspberries folded in and a creamy and bright raspberry buttercream! It is such a fun dessert for any occasion. The cupcakes are soft and moist, while the frosting is velvet and smooth.

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

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Raspberry Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice added
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

Raspberry Buttercream Frosting:

• 6 ounces raspberries fresh or frozen
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed and strained
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or more if needed
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch kosher salt

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Instructions 

• Prepare the cake: 
• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a cupcake/muffin tin with paper liners.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the pure vanilla extract.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, mixing until just combined.
• Gently fold in the fresh raspberries into the cupcake batter, being careful not to overmix.
• Fill each cupcake liner about two-thirds full with the cupcake batter.
• Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
• Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the quick jam:

• In a small saucepan, add raspberries, lemon juice, and granulated sugar. My raspberries were very sweet, so I did not need much sugar.
• Heat over low heat until the raspberries soften and release their juices, stirring and smashing occasionally. Increase heat to medium or medium-low and simmer until the juices evaporate and you are left with a jam that will hold a line on the back of a spoon. Reduce the heat back to low as the jam thickens to keep it from sticking to the bottom and burning.
• Strain through a metal sieve to remove seeds into a frozen bowl. No one wants the crunch of raspberry seeds in their buttercream.
• Pour into a cold or frozen glass/pyrex bowl and refrigerate until cold. Adding cold jam to the buttercream will keep it nice and thick, and pipeable. 
• Prepare the buttercream: 
• Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until lightened and soft.
• Slowly add the powdered sugar, followed by the vanilla and salt.
• Once the buttercream has come together, add the raspberry puree 2 tablespoons at a time until the desired flavor and consistency is reached.
• Place the buttercream in a piping bag and pipe it onto the cooled cupcakes! Top with fresh raspberries or sprinkles. 

Notes

• Yield – 12 cupcakes 
• Flavor Tips -Fresh, in-season raspberries will give you the best flavor for the buttercream and cake. If making these cupcakes out of season, use fresh to frozen raspberries, or you may get lucky and find some perfectly ripened raspberries at the grocery store. 
• Variations – Add some melted white chocolate chips for a delicious white chocolate raspberry buttercream. 
• Storage – Frosted cupcakes can be stored well-wrapped at room temperature for three days or in the fridge for a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 519kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 3gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 130mgPotassium: 88mgFiber: 2gSugar: 60gVitamin A: 773IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 1mg

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