These perfectly soft cupcakes are filled with raspberry flavor and topped with a delicious raspberry buttercream frosting to make the perfect sweet treat for any occasion. This is a simple recipe that will quickly become a favorite!
Recently, my son asked for raspberry cupcakes for his 5th birthday so I got to work developing a recipe using my basic vanilla cupcake recipe as the base for the cupcakes, and adding tons of raspberry flavor to the batter as well as the frosting.
The resulting cupcake is filled with fresh raspberry flavor and has the perfect amount of sweetness. They are the perfect cupcake for a spring birthday party, but would also be a great choice for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, a baby shower, wedding shower or any other party in the spring or summertime!
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Why This Recipe Works
- The cupcake is light and tender
- The buttercream is smooth and silky and bursting with raspberry flavor
- Freeze dried raspberries pack a punch of flavor in both the cupcake and frosting, without any of the mess of soggy fresh raspberries.
Ingredients
The basis of the cupcake is a simple vanilla cupcake batter using sugar, butter, eggs, flour, baking powder vanilla and buttermilk.
The buttermilk helps to create a tender and soft cupcake, while the softened butter keeps it moist. Crushed freeze dried raspberries are added to give the perfect amount of raspberry flavor without adding an extra liquid.
Raspberry Buttercream
A simple vanilla buttercream is transformed with raspberry powder and fresh raspberries. You won't believe how delicious this frosting is!
Variations
- Instead of having to create powder from the freeze dried raspberries, you can purchase raspberry powder.
- Add some lemon zest along with the raspberries for a delicious lemon-raspberry cupcake!
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set mixture aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on, mix together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Add the vanilla and mix on high speed until well combined. If the mixture looks curdled, mix a little longer, but it won't impact the final cupcake. (You can also switch out the paddle for the whisk attachment and beat it for a minute).
- Reduce speed to medium and add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk, mixing between each addition until just incorporated.
- Scrape down the bowl and mix until fully combined and smooth.
- On the lowest speed, mix in the crushed freeze dried raspberries.
- Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full with the batter.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully before frosting.
To Make The Raspberry Buttercream
Before making the frosting, the freeze dried raspberries need to be crushed to a fine powder, and then the seeds need to be separated. While I don't mind the seeds in the actually cupcakes, I find them a little pesky in the frosting. You could also just buy raspberry powder and completely skip this step.
Place freeze dried raspberries in a food processor or blender and pulse until a fine powder. Alternatively, put the raspberries in a baggie and roll with a rolling pin to crush into a powder.
Then, push the raspberry powder through a fine mesh sieve to separate the seeds from the powder. Discard the seeds.
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or using an electric hand mixer, beat butter on high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Turn the speed down to medium and add raspberry powder and 1 cup of confectioner's sugar.
- Gradually add the rest of the confectioner's sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating until well incorporated.
- Add vanilla, salt and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Beating on low-medium, add remaining cream by the teaspoon until desired consistency is reached.
- Turn speed up the high and beat well for 2 minutes.
- Pipe the cupcakes with the frosting and top with a fresh raspberry.
Storage
If you want to make these a few days ahead of time, simply store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature. Store the buttercream in the fridge in an airtight container, then allow to come to room temperature before piping.
Frosted cupcakes can sit out at room temperature for 2 days, but I recommend covering them with plastic or a glass dome to stop the frosting from crusting over.
If you're looking for a simple cupcake bursting with real raspberry flavor, then this is the right cupcake for you! No matter what occasion you choose to make these for, they will be a hit!
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Recipe
Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
For The Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour sifted
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- ½ cup freeze dried raspberries crushed
For The Raspberry Frosting
- ¾ cup freeze dried raspberries
- 6 oz unsalted butter softened
- 2½ cups confectioner's sugar sifted
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 12 fresh raspberries for decorating
Instructions
To Make The Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set mixture aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on, mix together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Add the vanilla and mix on high speed until well combined. If the mixture looks curdled, mix a little longer, but I won't impact the final cupcake.
- Reduce speed to medium and add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk, mixing between each addition until just incorporated.
- Scrape down the bowl, add the freeze dried raspberries, and mix until fully combined and smooth.
- Fill each cupcake liner about ⅔ full with the batter.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully before frosting.
To Make The Frosting
- Place freeze dried raspberries in a food processor or blender and pulse until a fine powder. Alternatively, put the raspberries in a baggie and roll with a rolling pin to crush into a powder.
- Push the raspberry powder through a fine mesh sieve to separate the seeds from the powder. Discard the seeds.
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or using an electric hand mixer, beat butter on high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Turn the speed down to medium and add raspberry powder and 1 cup of confectioner's sugar.
- Gradually add the rest of the confectioner's sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating until well incorporated.
- Add vanilla, salt and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream. Beating on low-medium, add remaining cream by the teaspoon until desired consistency is reached.
- Turn speed up the high and beat well for 2 minutes.
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