Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
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!
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
Lemon Raspberry Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
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.
- Add the raspberry frosting to a piping bag fitted with your preferred piping tip and pipe it on top of the cupcakes.
Can I make this without the sour cream?
You can replace with plain Greek yogurt.
Hi Danielle
I’m enjoying your recipes and photos
I live in India and just wonder if I can replace sour cream with yoghurt? Or half yoghurt half cream?
Thanks !
Yogurt should be fine in place of the sour cream.
Will using salted butter be fine if I were to skip the use of regular salt?
You can reduce the salt in the cupcakes to 1/4 teaspoon. I haven’t used salted butter in the frosting though.
My daughter and I just made these! So delicious.
Do you think we could add less icing sugar to make the icing a little less sweet? Or do u think it would affect the consistency?
Hi, Lisa! I wouldn’t suggest it for this frosting because it may make it too thin to pipe. If you used some blended freeze-dried raspberries instead of the jam, you could definitely reduce the sugar by 1/2-1 cup.
Do you feel the raspberry seeds when you make this frosting? I really like the idea of this flavor combination but worry about the seeds.
I don’t notice it too much when I make this frosting. You could use seedless jam if you’re worried about it or blend some freeze-dried raspberries and mix that into the frosting instead (just add a little more heavy cream if needed).
Made this frosting today for a lemon cupcake. It came out pretty good. Just a little disappointed I didn’t the pink frosting like yours. Definitely making it again.
You can add a few drops of pink food coloring or food gel and that should help. Glad you enjoyed the cupcakes, Allison!
These were delicious! I made them for a bake sale to benefit my friend’s charity organization. They were not only a breeze to make and super tasty, but they turned out incredibly cute topped with a raspberry, lemon wedge and mint leaf. I think they’ll be a huge hit!
Your toppings for the cupcakes sound so cute, Laura! Glad you liked them as well!
Hi!
Do you think this ‘recipe will work with almond milk?
That should be fine, Denise. I find that full-fat milk is best in these cupcakes though.
These are fun to make and delicious. VERY sweet!!!
Glad you liked the cupcakes, Ruth!
Made these with my daughter. Absolutely delicious. We doubled the recipe and sent a couple dozen off to work with my husband. The agents loved them too! One was heard saying… OMG the frosting…and he doubled back for a second cupcake. This recipe is a keeper!!! Thank you for sharing it with us!
That is so wonderful to hear, Karen! I’m glad everyone enjoyed the cupcakes!
These look amazing! How long will they stay fresh for? Can I bake Thursday night for a Saturday event? Thank you!
They’ll stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can prep the cupcakes and frosting ahead of time, but I would wait to frost them until the night before or the day you plan to serve them. You can refrigerate the cupcakes and frosting seperately, then just bring them both to room temperature before frosting the cupcakes.
I made these for my coworkers and they loved them. One of my coworkers was so in love I had to share the recipe with her. They were over the moon with the raspberry frosting. Perfect cupcakes to celebrate spring! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂
How far in advance can I make these without them drying out?
You can make them about two days in advance and store them in the refrigerator, just bring to room temperature before serving.
Hello Danielle! I tried your recipe over the weekend and they came out gorgeous! I absolutely loved them, thanks for sharing! The frosting was delicious, but it seems I didn’t do something quite right as it was pretty runny and not malleable enough to decorate the cupcakes with; even after about an hour in the fridge and some time in the freezer. Any tips on how to avoid runny frosting? I suspect that the raspberry jam was the culprit. Thanks!
Hi, Jess! I’m glad you liked the cupcakes! I find that some preserves/jams tend to work better than others in this frosting. I really like Bonne Maman preserves, if you try these again you may try that brand and see if it helps. You could also use freeze-dried raspberries, grind them up in a blender, and mix them in the frosting with another tablespoon of heavy cream. I can never find them where I live, but if you can get your hands on some they work really well in terms of flavor and keeping the frosting thicker. Hope that helps!
This looks amazing. Could the batter be used in 8 inch cake pans?
I haven’t tried it yet, but I imagine that you could bake it in an 8-inch cake pan. I’m not sure on the baking time though.
Hi Danielle in your lemon cupcakes recipe you’ve put granulated sugar ive always used caster sugar never heard of using granulated in fillings for cakes , does it not make the filling crunchy . Hope you can make sence of this .
Hi, Ann! In the US, granulated sugar is what we typically use. It’s similar to caster sugar, but caster sugar is finer. It doesn’t give the filling a crunchy texture using or anything. I think it would be fine to use caster sugar in place of the granulated sugar though.
Can the same recipe be used without lemon? Will it change the texture?
I haven’t tried these without the lemon, so I’m not quite sure how they would turn out.
Yep! These are a winner. So moist..and easy to make. My husband has given them the big thumbs up! Delicious. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
So glad you both liked the cupcakes, Edith!
Well, My daughter won first prize at our Holiday craft fair at our church!
These cupcakes we’re amazing!
She followed your recipe perfectly and Won!
Thanks for posting!
That is so wonderful to hear, Cynthia! Tell your daughter I said congratulations! 🙂
Really great cupcake recipe. I converted it to gluten free by substituting Better Batter gluten free flour blend. The cupcakes came out light, fluffy and had a tender crumb. Fabulous. The buttercream wasn’t such a hit. I tried using the 1/3 cup of jam to flavor it (sour cherry) and there just wasn’t much cherry flavor. But no one turned them down. Thanks for the great cupcake recipe!
So glad you liked the cupcakes, Christine! As for the frosting, I really like to use Bonne Maman preserves. I feel like the flavor is stronger and better too. I’ve also found that freeze dried fruit works really great in frosting as well. I have a post on how to make buttercream frosting here: http://www.livewellbakeoften.com/how-to-make-buttercream-frosting/. One example is with freeze dried strawberries, but you can use another kind of freeze dried fruit instead!
Really excited to make these! But I have cake flour, is there any difference using that over the all purpose flour?
Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, so it creates a more delicate texture in baked goods. I haven’t tried it yet, but I *think* it would work okay for these cupcakes. A general rule of thumb is to use 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of cake flour in place of 1 cup of all-purpose flour. I would suggest using 1 and 1/2 cups + 3 tablespoons of cake flour in place of the all-purpose flour in this recipe if you do use it. I hope that helps!
These are the best lemon cupcakes I’ve ever made! And I’ve made a lot. 🙂 Thank you for sharing the delicious recipe! Do you think adding fresh blueberries would work with the recipe? Thanks!
That’s so wonderful to hear, Kelly! Adding blueberries should be fine. I would use about 1 cup of blueberries and toss them with 1 tablespoon of flour, just to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes.
I’m planning on making these for school, but I wanted to make them mini cupcakes instead of regular sized ones. How should I adjust the baking time/oven temp? I don’t want to accidentally ruin them!
I haven’t tried these as mini cupcakes yet, but I would keep the oven temperature the same and maybe adjust the baking time to 11-13 minutes. When they’re finished the tops will be set and a toothpick will come out clean. Maybe check them at 10-11 minutes and go from there. Hope that helps!
I made them today, and they turned out beautifully! I did what you suggested, and it only took about 11-12 minutes, and for me, I got about 48 mini cupcakes! Can’t wait to eat them!
So glad to hear that, Georgia! And thanks for commenting back with how long they took, that will be helpful for others as well 🙂
I love your recipes! Cupcakes are always perfect! And so yummy! Do you know if you can transfer that receipt into a cake? Thank you!
So glad you like the recipes, Anastasia! I haven’t tried this as a cake yet, but I think it would work. The baking time would need to be increased and it will vary depending on the pan you use too. I’ve been planning to work on a lemon cake recipe and when I do, I’ll come back here and link to it. In the meantime, if you try this as a cake I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Just made this into a cake for my mom’s birthday. We made the cupcakes a couple months ago and they were so good! The cake just came out of oven, the batter made enough to fill one circular cake pan, so double recipe if you want the typical two later round cake. It took about a half hour in oven. Smells great!
Thank you so much for sharing, Aimee! I’ve been meaning to test this recipe out as a cake, so I’m glad to hear that it worked great for you. Hope your mother enjoyed the cake for her birthday! 🙂
Hi! You can find freeze dried raspberries at Trader Joe’s!
Thanks for sharing, Helen! Unfortunately I don’t have one anywhere close to me, but if I find one I’ll definitely stock up on some freeze dried raspberries 😉
These are so gorgeous Danielle! I just adore the combo of lemon and raspberries! Pinned!
You’re so kind, Jess! Thank you!
You’re inspiring me to make some cupcakes, Danielle! Yours look picture picture (I need to work on my piping skills big time!). Such a good idea to use preserves instead of fresh berries in the frosting. I’ve had some fails when it comes to all that extra moisture from fresh berries so I’ll be using that tip for sure.
Thank you, Alyssa! It took me a while to figure out how to pipe decently, but it’s easier once you get the hang of it. Definitely give it a try!
I love making and photographing cupcakes too but I rarely do! Is that weird? I think I only maybe have one… maybe two cupcake recipes on the blog? That is so wrong! I definitely need to make more (and start with these!).
They really are so easy to photograph! Thanks, Ashley!
These look awesome! Like Gayle, I also have zero cupcake recipes on my site- I don’t know why. I loooove eating them, but I just can’t compare my decorating skills!
Thank you, Medha!
Can you believe that I don’t have even one cupcake recipe on my site? Although I love them, my frosting skills need some work! These cuties look gorgeous, Danielle! I love the light flavors from the lemon and raspberry frosting. This just screams summer!
Thank you, Gayle! I think you would do just fine frosting them, if I can do it anyone can 😉