Soft and moist lemon cupcakes are topped with a swirl of raspberry buttercream in this easy lemon raspberry cupcake recipe that’s perfect for spring or summer!

Lemon raspberry cupcakes on a cake stand.

I first shared this lemon raspberry cupcake recipe nearly a decade ago (seriously can’t believe it’s been that long!). While the original recipe was delicious, I’ve learned a lot over the last 10 years and I knew there was room for improvement.

I took reader feedback into mind when creating this new and improved recipe and adjusted the ingredients in the lemon cupcakes to make them even softer and fluffier. Instead of using jam in the raspberry frosting (which resulted in a softer consistency), I swapped it out for freeze-dried berries for a thicker consistency and bolder raspberry flavor.

I truly can’t get over how delicious these lemon raspberry cupcakes turned out! They would be the perfect addition to any dessert table or a fun birthday treat for someone who loves lemon and raspberries. I hope you enjoy this new and improved version as much as I do!

Recipe Video

Cake flour, freeze-dried raspberries, and two lemons on the counter.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

Cake Flour

My original recipe called for all-purpose flour, but I decided to swap it with cake flour to make these cupcakes lighter and fluffier. My personal favorite brands to use are Pillsbury Softasilk and Swans Down. If you don’t have cake flour on hand, you can make your own cake flour using regular flour and some cornstarch.

Lemons

You’ll need 2 to 3 medium lemons to have enough juice and zest for the cupcakes. For an even stronger lemon flavor, you’re welcome to add extra lemon zest, but don’t add more lemon juice (the cupcakes won’t rise as well if you do!).

Freeze-Dried Raspberries

This is what gives the frosting such a strong raspberry flavor. If you want to use fresh or frozen berries in the frosting, you can follow the instructions in my raspberry frosting recipe. You can also swap the raspberries with freeze-dried strawberries to make a strawberry frosting.

An overhead view of creamed butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
An overhead view of lemon cupcake batter in a mixing bowl.
An overhead view of baked lemon cupcakes in a muffin pan.
An overhead view of raspberry frosting in a mixing bowl.

Tips For Making These Cupcakes

  • Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This will take several minutes, but don’t rush the creaming process because all that air in the butter is what makes the cupcakes so fluffy. I also recommend mixing the lemon zest with the butter and sugar! This releases more of the zest’s oil, giving the cupcakes a stronger lemon flavor.
  • Use room temperature ingredients. This will ensure that everything mixes together more evenly and give you a smoother batter. If you forget to set your ingredients out on the counter, you can speed up the process by cutting the butter into smaller pieces, placing the eggs in warm tap water, and microwaving the buttermilk for 15 to 20 seconds.
  • Avoid over mixing the dry ingredients. This is a surefire way to develop too much gluten, which translates to dense or rubbery cupcakes. You want to make sure to only mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
  • Only fill the cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full. The batter will rise quite a bit as the cupcakes bake! If you add too much batter to the liners, they will overflow and sink in the middle.
  • Sift the seeds out of the freeze-dried raspberry powder. Freeze-dried raspberries have a LOT of seeds in them. Sifting out the seeds will give you a silky smooth frosting and prevent all those tiny seeds from getting stuck between your teeth.
An overhead view of lemon cupcakes filled with lemon curd and raspberry filling.
A lemon cupcake being topped with raspberry frosting.

How To Fill & Decorate The Cupcakes

I used my raspberry buttercream and a Wilton 1M piping tip to frost these cupcakes. The freeze-dried raspberries give the frosting a gorgeous pink hue, so there’s really no need to add any food coloring. For an even prettier presentation, I also love to top the cupcakes with a small lemon wedge and a fresh raspberry.

If you’ve got a little extra time, you can use a cupcake corer or a small knife to hollow out the center of each cupcake and fill it with either lemon curd or raspberry cake filling. This step is optional, and you’d want to fill the cupcakes before frosting them!

Lemon raspberry cupcakes garnished with fresh berries and lemon slices.

Can I Use This Recipe To Make Mini Cupcakes?

Yes, you’re welcome to bake the batter in mini muffin pans to make mini cupcakes. You will need to reduce the baking time to 9 to 14 minutes.

Can I Make A Full-Size Cake?

Absolutely! This recipe yields enough batter for one 9-inch cake pan. For a layered cake, I recommend doubling the cake batter (or you can use my lemon cake recipe) and increasing the frosting by half.

A lemon raspberry cupcake with a bite missing, turned on its side.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of these cupcakes! If you try them, don’t forget to leave a comment below to let me know how they turned out. Happy Baking!

Several lemon raspberry cupcakes on a marble serving dish.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcake Recipe

4.97 from 53 ratings
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Soft and moist lemon cupcakes are topped with a swirl of raspberry buttercream in this easy lemon raspberry cupcake recipe that's perfect for spring or summer!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Leave a Review

Ingredients

Servings: 16 cupcakes

Lemon Cupcakes

  • 1 ¾ cups cake flour spooned & leveled (195 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113 grams; 1 stick)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (10 grams)
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (45 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup buttermilk at room temperature (120 ml)

Raspberry Frosting

  • 1 cup freeze-dried raspberries (1 ounce or 28 grams before removing the seeds)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226 grams; 2 sticks)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk (45 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

Optional Filling

Instructions
 

  • To make the lemon cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two regular 12-count muffin pans (or one 24-count muffin pan) with 16 cupcake liners and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
    1 ¾ cups cake flour,2 teaspoons baking powder,¼ teaspoon salt
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest together until light in color and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
    ½ cup unsalted butter,1 cup granulated sugar,2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
  • Mix in the eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then, mix in the lemon juice and vanilla extract until fully combined. The mixture may look curdled at this point, this is okay.
    2 large eggs,3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice,1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Mix in half of the dry ingredients until just combined, then mix in the buttermilk, followed by the last half of the dry ingredients. Make sure to only mix in each addition until just combined, you don’t want to over mix the batter! If needed, you can use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that everything is thoroughly mixed together.
    ½ cup buttermilk
  • Distribute the batter evenly between all 16 cupcake liners, making sure to only fill each one about ⅔ of the way full.
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly touched.
  • Remove from the oven, then carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • To make the raspberry frosting: Add the freeze-dried raspberries to a blender or food processor and blend into a fine powder. Strain the powder through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds. You should end up with a little under ⅓ cup or 16 grams of powder. Set aside.
    1 cup freeze-dried raspberries
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth.
    1 cup unsalted butter
  • Mix in the powdered sugar on low speed, one cup at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition.
    3 cups powdered sugar
  • Add the raspberry powder, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix on low-medium speed until fully combined, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
    3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk,1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract,⅛ teaspoon salt
  • To assemble the cupcakes: (Note: If you don’t plan on filling the cupcakes, you can skip this step). Using a sharp knife, cut a hole in the center of each cupcake and make a small tunnel. Make sure not to cut all the way to the bottom of the cupcake! You should end up with a cone shaped piece once you remove it. Spoon 2 to 3 teaspoons of raspberry cake filling or lemon curd into the center of each cupcake. Cut the top off of the piece you removed earlier and place it back on top of the filling.
    raspberry cake filling or lemon curd
  • Add the raspberry frosting to a piping bag fitted with your preferred piping tip and pipe it on top of the cupcakes.

Notes

Storage Instructions: Cupcakes may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 
Freezing Instructions: Cupcakes and frosting will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature and mix the frosting well before using it to frost the cupcakes.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Danielle Rye
Did you make this recipe?Mention @livewellbakeoften on Instagram or tag #livewellbakeoften.

More Spring and Summer Cupcake Recipes

Strawberry Cupcakes

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Triple Lemon Cupcakes

Pistachio Cupcakes