Search
Your taste buds are going to go crazy over this one —–> Soft and Fluffy Lemon Cupcakes topped with homemade Raspberry Buttercream. Dessert doesn’t get much better than this!
Aside from chocolate, fruity desserts are definitely my favorite. Now that Spring is here – and Summer is just around the corner (woot woot!) – we’ll be getting fruity around here far more often 🙂
To kick things off I give you lemon cupcakes with raspberry buttercream! They’re fruity, flavorful, and so fun to make. Trust me when I say combing vibrant lemon cupcakes with a gorgeous pink raspberry swirl is sure to make you a baking big shot.
We have a lot to cover today, so let’s dive right into the recipe details.
The first thing I want to talk with you about is the raspberry buttercream frosting. It’s the star of the show, in my opinion! And easy to make, as long as you have a little patience and pay close attention to the recipe below.
Here are a few tips to help you along your way:
1) Make sure your raspberry puree has cooked down to a thick puree and has reduced to 1/4 cup. Removing the puree from heat too soon will leave you with too much liquid, so this is very important to keep in mind.
2) Please (please please please) let your raspberry puree cool completely; 100%; all-the-way! If it’s even still a little warm when you add it to the mix it will throw off the consistency of the frosting and most likely leave you with a gloppy mess. We don’t need that drama in our lives now do we? The puree typically takes 30 minutes to cool (in the fridge), and can be made ahead of time if need be.
3) You want to make sure your butter is very soft. I like to leave two sticks out on the counter for at least an hour before unwrapping them and getting busy, but yours may soften slower or quicker depending on the temperature of your house. The butter temperature is very important here, as it gives this buttercream shape and texture. You will know your butter is soft enough when you can press your finger into the top and an indentation is effortlessly made. Cold butter as well as melted butter should never be used when making this buttercream. In short, it will not work.
4) Once all of the sugar has been added, beat beat beat! You will beat the frosting on medium-high for 2 whole minutes. You will need to use a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer for this step. Beating the frosting on high makes it SUPER luscious and fluffy.
5) If for some reason your frosting seems a bit thin, add a little more confectioners’ sugar; if it seems too thick, add a touch of cream. I like to start with a 1/4 cup when adding more sugar, and 1 tablespoon when adding more cream.
6) Don’t forget the salt! Many readers have (and even friends) have informed me they don’t add in the salt called for in dessert recipes because “they don’t like salty sweets”. I feel you! But most times the salt called for is to help balance out the sweetness, and in this case, is quite important for achieving a balanced taste.
I know, I know! I’m such a nerd with my tips! But I just really want to make sure your cupcakes (and frosting!) turn out beautifully 🙂
Which brings us to the cupcakes. The easy part, in my opinion 😉 These cupcakes are fabulously fluffy and exploding with bright lemon flavor in every bite.
The secret ingredient for these cupcakes is cake flour. Cake flour is lower in protein than all-purpose flour, and results in light and airy cupcakes.
Pro tip: In a pinch you can make your own cake flour by sifting together 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. This will make one cup of cake flour.
Decorate with extra raspberries and serve to people you love! Cupcakes this pretty just beg to be shared 🙂 xoxo
Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
Ingredients
For the lemon cupcakes:
- 1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream (I used full fat)
- 1/2 cup milk (I used whole)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of one lemon (about 3 teaspoons)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the raspberry buttercream:
- 1 1/4 cups frozen raspberries (I think fresh would also work just fine)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, VERY soft
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar (more if needed), sifted
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream (more if needed)
- 1/4 cup fresh raspberries, for decorating (optional)
Instructions
For the lemon cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 12 mold muffin tin with paper liners; lightly spray the paper liners with non-stick baking spray; set aside.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt; mix well to combine; set aside.
- In a large measuring cup or bowl combine sour cream, milk, and egg; mix well to combine; set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the sugar and lemon zest; rub the lemon zest into the sugar until fragrant and well combined.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the melted butter and lemon sugar on medium-speed until well combined; about 2 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and beat for another minute on medium-speed. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar combination, beating until just combined. Add in sour cream/milk/egg combo and beat on low until *just combined. Over-mixing will result in a dryer/denser cake.
- Divide the cupcake batter evenly into the 12 molds, then place the pan in the oven. Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean (or with just a few solid crumbs). Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling wrack to cool completely. Once cool, frost with the raspberry buttercream and extra berries.
For the raspberry buttercream:
- Combine the raspberries and lemon juice in a small saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, stir the mixture occasionally, breaking up the berries with a wooden spoon, until the raspberries have become soft enough to mash effortlessly. It will look like raspberry jam. Once the mixture can coat a spoon (you should have about 1/4 cup of raspberry puree) remove from heat. Allow mixture to cool completely before using. <--- That part is SUPER important!
When ready to make buttercream:
- Place the softened butter in a large bowl or in the body of a stand mixer. With a handheld mixer, or with the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, beat butter on medium-high (scraping down the sides as needed) until completely smooth; about 2 minutes. Add in the raspberry puree and beat until completely combined; about 1 minute (don't worry if the mixture looks weird at this point). Add in the confectioners sugar, one cup at a time, on low speed. Once all of the sugar has been added, add in the cream and salt, then beat on high-speed for a full 2 minutes - this thickens up the frosting and makes it nice and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
The colour of this frosting is too gorgeous. I need to try your b/cream recipe. Can never add that much puree into any buttercream.
This looks amazing and that icing doe.
The cream looks just fantastic! Must try recipe 🙂
I was going to use your lemon cupcake recipe with blackberry reduction buttercream and then I ran across this recipe as well. The blackberry recipe uses egg whites only, so I am wondering why you used whole eggs for this lemon cupcake? I am debating whether to use egg whites or whole eggs now.
Um… You might want to change #11 to “raspberry purée”…
Place the softened butter in a large bowl or in the body of a stand mixer. With a handheld mixer, or with the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, beat butter on medium-high (scraping down the sides as needed) until completely smooth; about 2 minutes. Add in the blackberry puree and beat until completely combined; about 1 minute (don’t worry if the mixture looks weird at this point). Ad
You state in your tips:
6) Don’t forget the salt! Many readers have (and even friends) have informed me they don’t add in the salt called for in dessert recipes because “they don’t like salty sweets”. I feel you! But most times the salt called for is to help balance out the sweetness, and in this case, is quite important for achieving a balanced taste.
Where & when do we add this salt?
Mine is already made… Sans salt as I wasn’t aware it was missing till I saw it sitting on the counter after the fact. 🙁
Hi Lea. I’m not sure I understand why you didn’t see the salt. It is in both the ingredient list as well as the instructions. Don’t worry if you didn’t add it though. You frosting will just be a little sweeter than intended. Also, thank you for pointing out the blackberry typo; that is all fixed now!
Hi,
I plan to make this icing recipe for a bridal shower the day of, and so I don’t want to make any mistakes with it. I have made icing from scratch before…and with butter cream I have found that it is better to refrigerate the icing for a little right after mixing it so it is easier to decorate with and so it stiffens up a little. In the past I tried piping it on to the cupcakes right after mixing it and it was too thin…but once refrigerated …it would stiffen up and pipe out better for decorating with. Would you think it is better to refrigerate this icing prior to decorating cupcakes? Or doesn’t it matter?
Thanks for your thoughts!
Hi Danae. Thank you for your thoughtful question. While I have never had an issue piping the icing out onto cupcakes right away, you may absolutely do this yourself – especially if the finished frosting appears too thin to pipe. One word of advice: be sure the buttercream doesn’t get too cold or it will seize up and become impossible to pipe. If it does seize, simply place it on the counter and let it come back to room temperature, mixing it with a spatula when possible. Please let me know if you have any more questions!
Would it turn out okay if I made the frosting the day before and then brought to room temp the day of? I’m trying to save as much time as possible the day of my daughters birthday party.
Hi Rebecca. I think that should work just fine 🙂 Happy birthday to your daughter!
Hi! I’m making these tomorrow for my sisters 40th birthday. I started the raspberry purée tonight just to be sure I got it right, but I was wondering if you were supposed to strain out the seeds or leave them in. Mine just looked like a purée of nothing but seeds. I tried to strain them out then I was only left with like a tablespoon of liquid. Whoops and help!!
Hi Morgan. You may have reduced the puree a little too much. I don’t instruct straining the seeds because I didn’t find them bothersome in the frosting. I would use the liquid you have, and maybe add a tablespoon of unsweetened raspberry jam if you happen to have some on hand. You could also make more puree, but I know that a whole project on its own.
Thank you!
Do you recommend refrigerating the cupcakes after they are frosted? I frosted mine tonight and just need them to keep until tomorrow evening. I’m worried leaving them out on the counter all night will make them melt.
Hi Morgan. Yes; keep them in the fridge until serving. I recommend letting them sit at room temperature (on the counter is fine) for 30 minutes before serving to eat.
Hey, could you give measurements that are…absolute, I guess? I mean it’s probably okay to use any kind of container if it’s used for all ingredients, but since some of these are measured with cups and others with other stuff, different cups would make a difference. How much millilitres does your cup contain? And the ounce you mention with the butter is the one associated with weight, not the fluid ounce, right?
Hi Alex. I’d love to help but I’m not sure what you mean by absolute, as the ingredients listed are all exact measurements. In baking, for dry ingredients we use measuring cups that can be leveled off, and for liquid ingredients measuring cups that have a spout (for easy pouring). I mention the butter weight only because not all sticks outside of the US are the same size; it would be ounces for the stick solid (usually the seller will have the ounce weight typed somewhere on the paper).
These are the exact tools I use for measuring in my kitchen (affiliate links will take to the page):
Liquid Measuring Cup
Kitchenmade Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
I hope that helps, and please let me know if there’s anything else you need help with!
So black raspberry’s are ripe in my yard and I wanted to do something with them and came across this recipe. It tastes great I did not have a lemon cake mix but I did have an orange cake mix that I used as a base, I think lemon would have been better but it still was good. I really just wanted to try the icing. I am wondering if you could freeze the reduction for use in the winter do you think that would work? I have a lot of berries.
Hi Tammy. While I’ve never tried freezing it myself, I have a feeling it would work. I would recommend doing a small trial batch and if it’s successful using up the rest of the berries. Good luck! And I would love to hear how it works out.
These look delicious! I hope to make them sometime soon. I will be making for a biggish crowd and was thinking of doubling this recipe. Have you ever done that? I wasn’t sure if it would turn out right, I know sometimes doubling can make it not turn out. Thanks.
I just made these for a 4th of July BBQ and followed your instructions exactly. They turned out absolutely perfect! Sometimes when I try to bake using others recipes the cake can end up too dense or the frosting too sweet. This recipe is absolutely perfect! The frosting is delicious and the cake is light and fluffy. You’ve gained a new follower! Thank you for the recipe!
Amber you just made my day! I’m genuinely thrilled to hear these cupcakes will be joining your 4th of July festivities 🙂 And more than that, really happy you’re happy with the results. I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.
Made this for a bridal shower last weekend and it was amazing! The frosting turned out better than i had imagined, the cake was a little dense (probably from refrigerating it?) but everyone raves over them! Thank you for sharing!!!
Hi Kim! I’m so happy you enjoyed the cupcakes!
Cakes will typically be a little more dense once chilled, so it’s possible they lost some of their “fluff” in the fridge. Thanks for letting us know this recipe was a success 🙂
I made these, and OH MY GAHHHH
seriously, so good. Everything. Everything came out perfectly, your recipe is flawless!
My only question is this: I made these cupcakes for a work party tomorrow. How do I properly store them so the buttercream doesn’t melt?
Thanks again! Definitely sharing 🙂
Hi Skylar. First of all: YAAAAAAYYY!!! SO happy these came out perfect for you 🙂 I love it.
To answer your question – just place cupcakes, covered, in the fridge, then take them out 45 minutes before serving; this will help them come back to room temperature.
Have an awesome work party!
I haven’t even got to frosting yet due to the fact my cupcakes flopped. Two things that may have occurred even though I was being careful in these areas. Cupcakes had a great lemon flavor but we’re very dense….did not rise was not fluffy. Should I have had all ingredients at room temperature ? Do I necessarily have to spray liners…maybe I over sprayed. These are the only 2 things I can think of that may have caused them to flop.
Hi Jan. I’m sorry to hear your cupcakes did not turn out. The first two things that come to mind, after reading your description of “flopped” would be one of your ingredients was expired (baking powder/soda/ or flour can all cause baked goods not to rise) or that perhaps your oven temperature was off? The cupcakes are dense but moist, making them a good vessel for frosting.
OMG. I did not make the cake, but used your raspberry buttercream frosting recipe for a raspberry cake I just baked. The frosting is to die for. So creamy and fluffy. It came out perfectly and I will it again for sure! Thank you so much for posting. Now, if I could stop eating the leftover by the spoonful….
Do you think I can use this buttercream to make a swirled rose cake? Will it hold its shape?
Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth. While I’ve never personally tried swirling this into roses, I think it should work. It holds its shape pretty well. Please let us know how it turns out!
Amazing !
If I have whole milk, do you think that will work instead of heavy cream for the frosting?
How much raspberry puree does your recipe yield? I already have some frozen puree that I’ll be using. Thanks!
Hi Brianna. Typically it’s around 3 tablespoons of puree 🙂
It looks so good and the cupcakes are just gorgeous, my question…can i use greek yogurt 0% instead of sour cream??? Thanks
Hi Chloe. Thank you! I don’t recommend subbing 0% yogurt for the sour cream as the sour cream has fats essential to a moist and fluffy cupcake. If you must use Greek yogurt, I suggest using whole/ full-fat.
Hi, so excited to try these cupcakes!! Having the fresh raspberries in the buttercream, how long do you think these could be left at room temperature without the risk of making someone sick? Please let me know, thanks!!!
Hi Tracy. I’d say these are OK in a room temperature setting for 2-3 hours.
Can you make the buttercream ahead of time
Can you make
Can raspberry buttercream be made ahead of time or frozen?
Hi Loretta. You can make it a few hours in advance, however I do not recommend freezing it.
Instead of starting with fresh raspberries, can you just use raspberry pie filling? How much? 1/4 cup?
I made this recipe for my husband’s birthday and they were delicious! Thanks for posting this yummy recipe! 🙂
That’s wonderful to hear, Isabella! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
How much buttercream does this recipe make? I’d like to double the cupcakes but not sure I need to double the frosting the way it looks.
Hi Liz. This makes about 3 cups of buttercream.
Can you make the frosting with blueberries instead of raspberries?
Hi Ann. While I’ve never tried using blueberries, I believe it should work just fine. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out.
Would this recipe be suitable to make cake with?
Hi Tammy. I’ve never tried converting this recipe into a cake, so I am unsure how it would turn out. You would need to adjust the baking time, depending on what size cake pans you use. If you give it a try, I’d love to know how it goes 🙂
These look incredible!! Cannot wait to try them. They would be perfect for Valentine’s Day!!
Thank you, Jessica! They really are so perfect for V-day 🙂
These are amazing! I have eaten 3 already. I doubt there will be any left when my family gets home. I could eat the frosting straight from the bowl.
Hello, I was considering using this recipe to ice about 60 cupcakes for my daughter’s Valentines Day dance. I generally am a little heavy handed when icing cupcakes, and wanted to ask how many batches you thought would be best? 5? Thanks in advance, I can’t wait to try this one…
Hi Morgan. For 60 cupcakes I would recommend making 5-6 batches of the frosting. Since you said you like to frost generously, I would go with 6 just to be safe 😉
Can I make a small cake instead of cupcakes?
I wish there was a way for me to upload a photo here so I could show you how amazing these cupcakes turned out. I made them for one of my employees who is getting married so we can celebrate at work. I haven’t baked in a really long time so I was a little bit scared, but this recipe was easy to follow and tasty to eat. With a piping bag and the right tip, the frosting came out looking like a pastry chef concocted the whole masterpiece. Yay for a great recipe and yay for me making it right!
Tina Lee, your comment just made me so happy!!! I am so thrilled these were a hit for you.Thank you for letting me know 🙂
Hello! So happy I stumbled across this recipe. Two quick questions for you:
Do you see any issue with tripling recipe?
Will a hand mixer work?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try for a friends baby shower!
Hi Laura! I have never tripled the recipe, but other readers have with good results! I think a hand mixer should work just fine 🙂 I hope they’re a hit at the baby shower.
Pinching the raspberry buttercream recipe to decorate my daughters dragon cake for her third birthday – I hope she loves it! 🙂
Yay! A dragon cake sounds AWESOME, Ruth. Happy birthday to your little girl 🙂
I made these late last night for an event today and this morning, they are horribly dense. I don’t understand, I followed your instructions and they were light and fluffy last night. What happened?
Hi Hayley. How did you store them? I recommend storing the cupcakes in an airtight container, in the fridge, and then bringing them to room temperature before serving.
Seedless raspberries?
I’m sorry, Anita – is that a question?
Hi! What piping tip did you use to frost the cupcakes? They’re absolutely beautiful!
Made these last night….holly molly this icing. I could eat it straight. The pro tips are awesome btw.
i made these the other day and they were delicious except my cake part of the cupcake came out a little spongy and caved in a little bit. I was wondering what i could have done wrong?
I had one of these cupcakes at a bridal shower. The young lady who baked them did a fabulous job. Absolutely the BEST cupcake I have ever tasted. Do you have, or can you provide a recipe for a full size cake, that would have the same result for taste and texture? Thank you.
Hi Francine. I’m so happy you got to try these cupcakes at a bridal shower, and even more happy to hear how much you enjoyed them 🙂 Right now I do not have a recipe for this flavor combination in a layer cake form, but I can certainly try to make one for you! I will keep you updated if the recipe is posted on my website.
Made the raspberry buttercream last night. Followed instructions step by step. Have to say hands down best buttercream i have ever made. This is definately going into the favourite folder. Thank you!!!!
Is there a reason this cake recipe doesn’t use vanilla extract?
Hi,
Theses cupcakes came out pefect!
Can you please tell me which tip you used for piping the icing?
Hello!
Is it possible to substitute seedless raspberry jam for the raspberry purée?
Thank you!
Hi Lauren! I don’t think the results will be the same, but it might still work. You may want to thin the jam a little with lemon or orange juice, as it will be much thicker than the puree.
Amazing cakes.
Thanks for posting the recipes.
Great combinations.
Hi, I’m from the UK and havnt heard of ‘cake flour’ wondered whether cake flour is plain or self raising flour? Going to make these cakes for my mums 50th birthday :).
Thanks, Jess.
Hi Jessica, Cake flour is neither plain nor self rising flour. It’s typically labeled cake flour in the stores, but if you can’t find it you can either order it online (click here to check out the brand I use) or you can make it yourself by combining 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons cornstarch for every cup of flour called for. Just be sure you don’t pack your flour and you sift the flour and cornstarch together well before using. Wishing your mum a very happy birthday!
Can I use a cake pan to make this instead of cup cakes? If I use a round cake pan what size should I use?
Such a great frosting recipe. I followed it to a tee and it was perfect. Pro tips were a wonderful addition!
I just made these for my birthday and they turned out delicious! I substituted the raspberry for jelly/ jam and it turned out fabulous! I wish I could attach a photo.
I küsst made this recipe and j think i didn’t miss a step or missed anything up in the order. I loved the lemon cupecakes! They turned out amazing!
But coming to the frosting the butter wouldn’t mix with the raspberry purée and it would become all flaky/watery and does not look good at all.
Are you able to please explain the ‘cake flour’ ingredient?
Is it 3/4 cup OF ALL PURPOSE FLOWER + 2 tablespoons of ALL PURPOSE FLOWER and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
This recipe makes very dense, not fluffy at all cupcakes. I should’ve known this when it called for mixing solids before liquids, a big no-no in pro bakers world. Total waste of time, sorry.
I had the same experience. I also was suspicious about the ‘method’ of mixing, but decided to follow the recipe. Hockey pucks!
I too wrote a review, but I see that it has not been posted. The buttercream icing was delicious.
Thank you for this recipe it is definitely a one to keep in my book, I made it for a baby shower without the raspberry purée as I didn’t have time to make it and still turned out good, I also tripled the recipe to fill 58 cupcakes. Not sure how to share the picture
Can I use half butter and half shortening for a firmer buttercream consistency? Would it taste weird?
I just made the cupcakes and followed the directions exactly. I don’t know what happened but my cupcakes are not light and fluffy at all. Some even fell on a little in the middle. Help! What went wrong. I’ve made the buttercream several times but used a lemon cake mix so I was surprised when these fell in the middle and turned out dense.
I have been baking for a long time and I have never seen frosting this amazing it tastes soooooo good I am amazed. You are awesome!!!
I would like to make a cake rather than cupcakes…Any advice for baking temps & time when using 9” pans and would this be enough batter for 2 layer cake?
I saw your raspberry lemon cake, but don’t want raspberries right in the batter…can I use that recipe and just leave the berries out?
One of the best cupcakes I have ever tasted. I have made these twice, they turned out perfectly both times. Your tips are excellent don’t ever feel like they are too much. Thank you for one of the best cupcakes ever.
Should I sift my cake flour?