Naturally fruit flavored raspberry cupcakes with fresh and fruity raspberry frosting; both infused with real, pureed raspberries for a naturally delicious flavor and beautiful color.
What's better than fruity, pink raspberry cupcakes? These raspberry cupcakes and raspberry frosting are flavored and colored with real raspberries!
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These pink raspberry cupcakes are fresh, pretty, and delicious. The consistency of the raspberry frosting is perfect for piping, or simply spreading on. Elevate them more by garnishing with fresh raspberries and mint leaves.
You can use fresh or frozen raspberries (thawed), although I prefer fresh because they are usually sweeter and more flavorful.
Ingredients
Raspberries- fresh or frozen, but thawed.
Freeze dried raspberries- totally optional, but the best way to intensify the raspberry flavor of both the frosting and cupcakes is to make a raspberry powder from freeze dried raspberries.
Flour- all purpose or cake flour.
Butter- salted, and melted, then cooled.
Baking soda- no substitutions.
Milk- Whole or 2 %, is best. Can substitute skim or 1%
Eggs- large or medium, whites only.
Intensifying the Flavor
To naturally increase the raspberry flavor and color, purchase freeze dried raspberries, and make a raspberry powder. It's a simple process that only takes a minute.
Step by Step Instructions
Before you start: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., and line a cupcake/muffin tin with liners, or grease.
Step 1: Puree the raspberries, and strain the seeds by pushing the puree through a wire strainer. Set puree aside.
Optional: To intensify the raspberry flavor and color of the cupcakes and the raspberry frosting, use freeze dried raspberries.
Pulverize freeze dried berries in a blender until powdery. Just like with pureed fresh or thawed frozen raspberries, sift the blended freeze dried raspberry powder to remove seeds.
Step 2: Combine the dry and wet ingredients for the cupcake batter in separate, medium sized bowls.
The butter should be melted, but not hot.
Step 3: Whisk the raspberry puree into the wet ingredients, then fold in the dry ingredients until the batter is combined.
If you are adding the freeze dried raspberry powder to intensify the flavor and color, do that while folding in the flour mixture of dry ingredients until blended.
Step 4: Fill lined or greased cupcake pan two thirds of the way full with the batter and bake for 20-24 minutes.
Remove cupcakes from pan as soon as they are cooled enough to handle.
Cool raspberry cupcakes completely before decorating with the raspberry frosting.
Raspberry Frosting
The raspberry frosting can be made in advance and stored in the fridge if necessary. Just be sure to allow it to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before decorating.
Combine softened butter with vanilla, raspberry puree, freeze dried raspberry powder (optional) and a pinch of salt.
Add the powdered sugar one cup full at a time and beat on low speed until combined. Don't overmix the frosting.
Spread frosting on cooled cupcakes or pipe with any desired piping tip.
If you are looking for additional decorations, fresh raspberries make a beautiful garnish, or even a few mint leaves. You can never go wrong with sprinkles!
Recipe Notes
- If using frozen raspberries, thaw them first, but most importantly, drain off all the excess water once they are thawed so it doesn't dilute the raspberry puree.
- The butter for the raspberry cupcake batter doesn't have to be melted to the point that it's piping hot; just enough to eliminate lumps. Make sure it's warm (not hot) before incorporating into the step.
- The butter for the raspberry frosting should be completely softened at room temperature- do not melt it.
This raspberry buttercream can "break" if you try to add more raspberry puree than what is called for. Use freeze dried raspberry powder if you want to intensify the raspberry flavor after the raspberry puree.
Yes, but thaw them first and drain off the excess water left behind.
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If you tried these raspberry cupcakes or the raspberry frosting, please leave a rating using the stars (1-5) in the recipe card below. This helps surface this recipe for others to try out.
Recipe
Raspberry Cupcakes
Equipment
- Oven
- blender or food processor
- Fine strainer
Ingredients
Raspberry Puree
- 3 cups raspberries fresh or frozen, pureed
Raspberry Powder
- 2 cups freeze dried raspberries pulsed in a blender until powdered
Cupcake Batter
- ½ cup salted butter (1 stick), lightly melted
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 6 egg whites
- 2 ½ cups cake flour or all purpose
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup raspberry puree strained of seeds
Raspberry Frosting
- ½ cup salted butter (1 stick), softened at room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup raspberry puree strained
- ¼ cup raspberry powder optional, for intense flavor and color
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Raspberry Puree
- Puree raspberries in food processor or other blender and blend until smooth.
- Push puree through a fine mesh strainer and mash through (using a pestle or blunt spoon works well here) into a bowl. Discard remaining seeds.
Raspberry Powder
- Pulse freeze dried raspberries in a blender or food processor until powdered in texture.
- Just like with fresh raspberry puree, "sift" the powdered, freeze dried raspberries through a fine mesh strainer, over a bowl and discard seeds.
For the Batter
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees; prepare cupcake pan by lining with cupcake papers or grease the wells with butter, shortening or cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, beat together the melted butter, sugar (1 ½ cups) and vanilla (1 tsp) until smooth. Add the 6 egg whites and beat until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, stir together 2 ½ cups flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp baking powder.
- Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
- Stir in the 1 cup milk and 1 cup raspberry puree until just combined. If using raspberry powder, also add ¼ cup of it at this time as well.
- Fold in one cup of the raspberry puree.
- Fill prepared cupcake pan two-thirds of the way full and bake for 18-22 minutes, until top springs back when gently touched, or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- Remove cupcakes from pan, and cool completely.
Raspberry Frosting
- On low speed, beat completely softened (not melted) butter (½ cup), ¼ tsp salt, and raspberry puree (¼ cup) plus raspberry powder if you choose to add that (¼ cup, optional).
- Add powdered sugar (4 cups) 1 cup at a time; beating on low speed until smooth and fluffy. If necessary, add additional powdered sugar to achieve a more sturdy consistency.
- Use a knife or spatula to frost cool cupcakes, or pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes with desired tip and piping bag.
Notes
- For cupcake batter: Don't melt butter until it's piping hot. By microwaving (or on low heat on stove top) until it's almost melted, and allowing the residual heat to melt the rest, you avoid overheating the butter which can "cook" the eggs if added too soon.
- Raspberry seeds don't have to be sifted out, but it will result in a smoother texture.
- Raspberry powder is optional, but is the best way to intensify the raspberry flavoring in both the cupcake batter and frosting, without altering consistency.
- For frosting: Soften butter completely at room temperature so that it can be stirred without lumps.
Emma
I found this recipe to be wonderful. I changed the raspberry to strawberry. Even with the change of berry, the recipe came out amazing. I did add a lot more powdered strawberry to the frosting. I love the punch of flavor these cupcakes give. Even without the frosting the cupcakes are delicious. Im thinking of changing the raspberry to mango as well.
Jacki
I don't understand when it says this:
"Puree raspberries and sugar in food processor or other blender and blend until smooth."
What sugar? I am seeing that the sugar goes in the batter, but it doesn't say to add any amount of sugar to the raspberry puree?
Erin
Jacki! You're right! If the raspberries are a little bit tart, (I find this happens with frozen raspberries), go ahead and add a tablespoon or so of sugar with the puree. Thank you 🙂
Kat
What reduced raspberry flavor? It only exists in that one step
Erin
Thank you Linda! The puree can be strained of seeds raw, or simmered to reduce and concentrate the flavor before straining of seeds. The latter would require more raspberries to produce the 1 cup of puree, but would result in a stronger fresh raspberry flavor.
Kat
I see you updated the recipe, but it still has two cups of raspberries in the body of the recipe and the ingredients only calls for one. I made them just using the puree and they were great, but I'm curious as to what it might have been.
Nanette
These are the best raspberry cupcakes I’ve ever had! Full of flavor!
Erin
Thank you Nannette! They just got an upgrade for even more raspberry flavor 🙂
Sunnie
I’m wondering what the consistency should be like when you’re done mixing the wet and dry ingredients? I got some soft chunks of butter in there, but was afraid to over mix. Maybe I didn’t let the butter truly get to room temp?
Erin
Hi Sunnie! The butter does have to be completely softened, especially if you aren't using a mixer. The reason you don't want to overmix is because of the flour, so to be on the safe side it's best to cream the softened butter and sugar together first to get the lumps out. Thanks for your feedback 🙂