My raspberry cupcake recipe is inspired by my love of fresh raspberries. This recipe uses frozen raspberries which ensure raspberries in every bite and the reverse creaming mixing method produces cupcakes that are moist and tender. They're topped my sweet tart raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream.
This cupcake recipe is based on my vanilla cupcake recipe, which is incredibly moist and tender. I made a few tweaks to account for the moisture from the frozen raspberries. I learned the trick of using frozen raspberries, from one of my favorite pastry chefs, Cheryl Wakerhauser, who also lives in Portland.
The final cupcake is full of tart raspberry flavor and fluffy. You can use my raspberry buttercream recipe, which may just be one of my favorite frosting, or if you prefer, use a vanilla buttercream frosting. Either will work, but my favorite is raspberry.
Raspberry Cupcake Ingredients
- Frozen Raspberries: Frozen raspberries are essential to the flavor of these delicious cupcakes. They’re broken up into the small individual pieces for easy dispersal throughout the cupcakes.
- Fresh Raspberries: The fresh raspberries are used for decorating the cupcakes. You only need 12-14 whole raspberries.
- Sour Cream: The acid in the sour cream helps create a tender crumb. I purposely don’t add baking soda to the recipe because I don’t want to neutralize the acid and sourness of the sour cream.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Moist Raspberry Cupcakes
Before you start mixing make sure the butter, eggs, and sour cream are all at room temperature. For baking purposes, room temperature is between 65 - 65F degrees.
For this cupcake recipe and most of my other cupcake recipes I use the reverse creaming method. The reverse creaming method creates a light, airy cupcake by mixing the softened butter with the dry ingredients. This method coats the flour with butter which inhibits the development of gluten.
Step 1: In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, the vanilla extract, and part of the sour cream.
Step 2: Measure out the frozen raspberries into a small bowl and place them back in the freezer.
Step 3: Place the dry ingredients - all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix the dry ingredients on low until there are combined.
Step 4: Add the butter and the remaining sour. Beat on medium speed until the cupcake batter is creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula
Step 5: Add the egg mixture in two batches beating after each addition until the eggs are incorporated.
Step 6: Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are mixed together. The batter should be creamy and smooth.
Because of the design of the KitchenAid mixing bowl, ingredients settle at the bottom of the bowl and don't always get properly mixed in with the other ingredients. This is why it's important to scrape the bottom of the bowl.
Step 7: Place the frozen raspberries in a mini food processor.
Step 8: Pulse the raspberries a few times until the raspberries are broken up into the individual drupelets.
Drupelets are the individual seeds on fruits like blackberries and raspberries. Each drupelet has a tiny pit.
Step 9: Place the raspberries in a medium bowl, add 2 teaspoons of flour and toss them together until the berries are coated with the flour. The flour will help the raspberries stay suspended in the cupcakes as they bake.
Step 10: Add the frozen raspberries to the cupcake batter. Gently fold the raspberries into the batter until the berries are distributed throughout the batter.
Step 11: Spoon the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners. Each cupcake should be about 2/3 full and the amount of batter should weigh about 60 grams in each liner.
Step 12: Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes. The baking time may vary based on your oven.
Step 13: Remove the cupcakes from the oven. Let them cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling to room temperate before frosting them.
How to Frost the Cupcakes
Once the raspberry cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, it’s time to frost them. I love using this raspberry buttercream. It's creamy, tarty and absolutely delicious, but other options frosting or buttercream options include:
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (aka American Buttercream)
Using a Pastry Bag: Fit your pastry bag with a open star tip, such as the Wilton 1M, or your favorite decorating tip and fill it with frosting.
Using a Knife or Offset Spatula: Add about 2-3 tablespoons of frosting on top of the cupcake. Use the back of a spoon, a non-serrated butter knife, or a small offset spatula to spread the frosting to the edge.
Can I Use Fresh Raspberries in This Recipe?
No, you can't use fresh raspberries for this recipe. They need to be frozen or they will completely fall apart when you stir them into the cupcake batter.
However if you only have fresh raspberries, place them in a single layer on small baking sheet or board a day in advance and freeze them until they’re frozen solid. Then you can use them for this recipe.
Pro Tips
- For the best results use a food scale weigh the flour, butter and sour cream. Too much flour or too little butter will result in dry cupcakes. Using a scale will ensure the best results for your cupcakes.
- The butter, sour cream, and eggs should be a room temperature to ensure that the batter emulsifies properly. Cold butter won’t full incorporate and cold eggs will result in a dense rubbery texture.
- Only fill the raspberries 2/3 full. If you overfill the cupcake liners, the cupcakes will overflow the liners and possibly stick to the pan.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting. Otherwise the frosting will melt and slide off to the side.
Did you make this amazing raspberry cupcakes? If so, please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
Equipment
- Cupcake Liners
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups (165 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1-1/8 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large (50 grams) egg
- 1 large (20 grams) egg yolk
- 6 tablespoons (90 grams) sour cream room temperature, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 9 tablespoons (128 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2/3 cup (90 grams) frozen raspberries
- 2 teaspoons (5 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
Instructions
Raspberry Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line the muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Whisk together the egg, the egg yolk, 2 tablespoons of the sour cream, and the vanilla extract in a small bowl or 1 cup glass measuring cup. Cut the butter into 9 pieces. Measure out the frozen raspberries into a small bowl and then return them to the freezer until ready to incorporate into the batter.
- Place the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk the ingredients together for about 30 seconds to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
- Add the butter and the remaining sour cream to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment for about 20 seconds until the dry ingredients are moistened, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until it is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute . The batter should be well combined (no lumps of butter). Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the egg mixture in two batches, mixing on medium speed after each addition until the egg mixture is thoroughly incorporated into the batter. Scrape the sides and bottoms of the bowl and mix the batter by hand with a rubber spatula to ensure all the ingredients in the batter are mixed together.
- Put the frozen raspberries in a mini food processor and process them for a few seconds until the raspberries are broken down into separate little seeds, called drupelets. If you don't have a mini food processor, place the frozen raspberries in a freezer bag and gently tap them with a rolling pin until they are broken apart into the separate seeds.
- Place the raspberries in a small bowl and toss them with 2 teaspoons of flour until the berries are coated with the flour.
- Add the berries to the cupcake batter and fold the berries into the batter with a rubber spatula.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups of the muffin pan, about 60 grams each. Each muffin tin should be about 2/3 full. The batter will be noticeably stiffer because the raspberries are frozen.
- Bake the cupcakes for 23-25 minutes until they are done in the center. Check for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the center. When you pull it out there should be no or just a couple of crumbs sticking to the toothpick. You can also use an instant-read thermometer. The temperature should be about 205 degrees F.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the pan to a wire rack. Let the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting them.
- If making the cupcakes one day in advance before frosting them, store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature.
How to Frost the Cupcakes
- Frost the cupcakes with your favorite frosting. In addition to the Raspberry Buttercream listed in the ingredients you can also use my recipe for Vanilla Buttercream, or Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Using a Pastry Bag: Fit your 18-inch pastry bag with an open star tip or your favorite decorating tip and fill it with frosting. Starting at the outside edge of the cupcake, pipe frosting in a swirl with the tip about 1/4" to 1/2" above the cupcake, exerting even pressure on the bag continuously. Finish the swirl in the center of the cupcake by removing the pressure and lifting up the tip slightly as you near the center. If you’re new to decorating cupcakes it may take some practice.
- Using a Knife or Offset Spatula: Use a large tablespoon to add about 2-3 tablespoons of frosting onto the cupcake. Use the back of a spoon, a non-serrated butter knife, or a small offset spatula to spread the frosting to the edge. While pressing down on the frosting slightly, move your spoon or knife in a spiral pattern from the outside edge of the cupcake to the center of the cupcake, to create a pretty spiral or swoop.
Storing the Cupcakes
- The unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Frosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 days, depending on the type of frosting that is used.Cupcakes tend to dry out quickly so I recommend consuming them within 2 days of baking them for the best results.
EC says
The flavor was good and I enjoyed the use of the reverse creaming method, but these cupcakes ended up very dense. I followed the recipe exactly but wish they were a lighter and fluffier. They did stay moist for a couple days, but I wouldn’t use this recipe again.
Janet says
Can you make the raspberry cupcakes vegan using vegan butter and sour cream.?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Janet
Unfortunately I can't say how they would turn out if vegan butter is used instead. I did some research that said it's a 1:1 substitution. While I would love for you to experiment with my recipe, I recommend the site wwww.theloopywhisk.com. She has several vegan cupcakes.
Abby says
Do you have to use frozen raspberries?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Abby
For this recipe you have to use frozen berries for the method I use.