Raspberry Cupcakes

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These raspberry cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and filled with bursts of raspberry flavor. They're topped with a creamy raspberry frosting and perfect for any occasion!

a raspberry cupcake with a bite taken out of it

This recipe was originally published in January, 2021. It has been updated with new photos, detailed instructions, and a step-by-step-video.

I love cupcakes! You can never go wrong with a classic Vanilla Cupcake or if I'm craving chocolate, I love making Chocolate Orange Cupcakes.

But once in a while, when I'm feeling fancy and craving fresh, summery flavors, raspberry cupcakes just hit the spot.

I love these raspberry cupcakes because they can be made for so many occasions! They're perfect for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, baby showers, bridal showers, birthdays, Fourth of July...even Christmas!

Why You'll Love These Raspberry Cupcakes

These raspberry cupcakes use fresh raspberries or frozen fresh raspberries, so they can be made year round, not just when raspberries are in season!
The cupcakes are naturally flavored and topped with a creamy raspberry buttercream made from real raspberries.
This recipe has been tested to work with either dairy free ingredients or regular dairy ingredients.
The cupcakes and the buttercream can be made ahead of time and frozen!

Ingredients Needed

I don't recommend any substitutions to most of the ingredients in this recipe, as it will affect the texture of the raspberry cupcakes, but here are a few notes about the ingredients:

Butter: You can use regular unsalted butter or dairy free butter for both the cupcakes and the buttercream. You can also substitute for a neutral oil, like grapeseed or canola oil.
Milk: I like to use unsweetened soy milk, but you can use any dairy free milk that you have on hand or regular dairy milk.
Raspberries: The raspberry cupcakes should be made with frozen raspberries, but if you only have fresh raspberries, you can freeze before making the cupcakes so that they don't bleed into the batter. For the buttercream, fresh raspberries work great, or you can thaw your frozen raspberries so that they can be easily pureed. You can also use freeze-dried raspberries in the buttercream.
Vegetable Shortening: This helps keep the buttercream more firm if you are using vegan butter. If you are using regular butter (not dairy free), feel free to replace the shortening with butter.

Step by Step Instructions

Note: Full ingredient measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Step One: Preheat the oven to 350°F, then combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set it aside for later. In the bowl of a standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light in color and fluffy (1-2 minutes).

Step Two: Beat in the two eggs and egg white then add in the vanilla extract and the milk.

Step Three: Add the dry ingredients into the batter and mix it all together - careful not to overmix! The batter will be thick.

Step Four: Remove the raspberries from the freezer and toss them with 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl. This step helps ensure the raspberries don't sink to the bottom of the cupcakes.

Step Five: Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners until they are two thirds full, then gently push 3-5 raspberries into each one. (Alternatively, you can fold them in very gently so that the color doesn't bleed into the cupcake batter).

Step Six: Bake for 16-22 minutes. You'll know they're ready when a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out completely clean! Let the cupcakes cool completely while you make the buttercream.

step by step process showing how to make raspberry cupcakes

Step Seven: Mix the thawed or fresh raspberries in a blender or food processor until they become a puree.

Step Eight: Add the raspberry puree to a small saucepan and bring it to a boil on medium heat.

Step Nine: Reduce the heat to low/simmer and stir every few minutes until there is about half as much raspberry puree as there was in the beginning. This could take anywhere from 5-15 minutes.

Step Ten: To remove the seeds, pour the raspberry puree into a bowl through a mesh strainer, pushing it through the strainer with a spoon. You might have to scrape the raspberry puree off of the underside of the strainer. You'll have around 4 tablespoon of puree.

Step Eleven: While the puree is cooling, beat the butter and vegetable shortening in a mixing bowl until they're fully combined.

Step Twelve: Beat in the puree, then add in the powdered sugar a little bit at a time. Continue adding powdered sugar until the buttercream reaches your desired consistency.

step by step process showing how to make raspberry buttercream

FAQs and Expert Tips

Can I use dehydrated raspberries?

Yes! To make the buttercream with dehydrated raspberries, there are less steps involved so it's actually quite easy! Place around 1 cup of freeze-dried raspberries into a blender or food processor and grind them up into a powder (if there are a few small chunks that's okay).

Why do I have to use an egg white instead of a whole egg?

Egg yolks add more fat to the cupcakes, which gives them a heavier texture instead of that light and fluffy texture that we want in a cupcake!

Can I skip the raspberry buttercream?

Sure! These cupcakes also go great with vanilla buttercream or coconut whipped cream! You can even decorate them with fresh raspberries!

Why is my buttercream runny?

The reason the raspberries are boiled down is to prevent excess water from making the buttercream liquid. If you buttercream is runny, you likely didn't boil them down enough. Try refrigerating the buttercream before frosting the cupcakes to let it firm up more.

Expert Tips

Properly measure your flour - Over-measuring your flour will lead to dry cupcakes, which is why I highly recommend a $15 kitchen scale. If you don't have one, use the fluff, scoop, and level method to measure your flour. Scooping the flour right out of the bag using a measuring cup will result in too much flour!
Careful not to over-mix - When making the cupcakes, the dry ingredients should be mixed into the wet ingredients only until just combined. This is key to getting fluffy cupcakes!
Fill the liners only two thirds full - This prevents the batter from overflowing over the top.
Refrigerate the buttercream before frosting the cupcakes - This helps it to firm up quite a bit so that it's easier to work with. Refrigerate for 20 minutes at least or even overnight.

Storage and Freezing Instructions

The frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Storing the cupcakes in the fridge will dry them out so I don't recommend it.

These raspberry cupcakes can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap the unfrosted cupcakes individually in plastic wrap then put them all in an airtight freezer bag.

To defrost, just remove them from the freezer, unwrap each one and place them on a cooling rack at room temperature.

The raspberry buttercream can be frozen in an airtight container as well - then thaw it in the refrigerator and mix it with your beater again to bring back the fluffiness!

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If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.