Raspberry Cupcakes

raspberry cupcake on parchment paper with more cupcakes behind it

These raspberry cupcakes are soft, fluffy, and topped with a creamy raspberry buttercream! They can be made using fresh or frozen raspberries!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Low Lactose, Vegetarian

Prep Time 40

Bake Time 20

Total Time 1

Servings cupcakes

Calories 450kcal

Author Gabby

Equipment

Blender or Food Processor
Muffin tin
Standing or handheld mixer
Small Saucepan
Mesh Sieve/Strainer

Ingredients

Raspberry Cupcakes

¼ cup +2 Tablespoons butter (regular or vegan)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 egg white
1 cup milk of choice (regular or vegan)
1¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour, seperated SEE NOTES
¾-1 cup raspberries (frozen works best) SEE NOTES

Raspberry Buttercream

2½ cups fresh or frozen, thawed raspberries SEE NOTES
1 cup butter, softened (vegan or regular)
½ cup vegetable shortening (or butter - SEE NOTES)
3-3½ cup powdered sugar (icing sugar)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Raspberry Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with 12 liners. Line a second muffin tin with 3 more liners - this recipe makes 15 cupcakes.
In a medium bowl, combine 1 ¾ flour, baking powder, and salt and set it aside.
In the bowl of a standing or handheld mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, around 1-2 minutes. Add in the eggs and egg white, one at a time, then add in the vanilla extract and milk.
Pour in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-mix!
Put 1 tablespoon of flour in a seperate bowl and toss the frozen raspberries in it until they are covered in flour. If the raspberries are really big you can break them up a little bit, but not too small.
Fill the muffin tins ⅔ full with cupcake batter then push 3-5 raspberries into each one. You can also fold the raspberries right into the batter before filling the muffin liners.
Bake the cupcakes for 16-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely while you make the buttercream.

Raspberry Buttercream

Pour the raspberries into a blender or food processor until fully pureed. Add the pureed raspberries to a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Allow the raspberries to boil for 30 seconds then turn the heat down to a low simmer. Continue stirring every few minutes for between 5-15 minutes, or until the amount of raspberry puree is about ½ of the original amount.
Remove the puree from the heat and push it through a mesh strainer into a small bowl, leaving behind the seeds. You may have to scrape the underside of the strainer to get the puree into the bowl. You should have around 3-4 tablespoon of puree.
Let the puree cool completely, then add butter and shortening to the bowl of a standing or handheld mixer. Beat them together until smooth, then add in the puree, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add in powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time. If the buttercream is too thin, add more powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency. You can also refrigerate it before frosting the cupcakes to firm it up more.
Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!

Video

Notes

MEASURING FLOUR: Properly measure your flour using the scoop and level method or a kitchen scale.

SHORTENING: if you are making these cupcakes using regular (not dairy free) butter, you can replace the shortening with equal amount of butter. If you are making the buttercream using a soft dairy free butter, the shortening will help the buttercream to hold its shape.

Raspberries:

IN THE CUPCAKE BATTER - For the cupcake batter, frozen raspberries works best, but you can use fresh raspberries and put them in the freezer until they are frozen solid before making the cupcakes!

IN THE BUTTERCREAM - For the buttercream, you'll want to use fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries that have been thawed so that they are easier to puree in the blender/food processor!

DEHYDRATED/FREEZE DRIED RASPBERRIES: 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).

REFRIGERATING THE BUTTERCREAM: To make the buttercream easier to work with, refrigerate it for 20 minutes at least, or even for a few hours. This will really help firm it up before piping.

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

The frosted cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To freeze, wrap the unfrosted cupcakes individually in plastic wrap then put them all in an airtight freezer bag. To defrost, unwrap each cupcake and place on a cooling rack at room temperature.

Buttercream can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Before using, let it thaw in the fridge for a couple of hours, then stir to fluff it up.

Nutrition