Raspberry Cake Filling
Use this raspberry cake filling to level up your favorite cakes and cupcakes! It’s a simple 5-ingredient recipe that can be made with fresh or frozen raspberries, making it perfect for any time of year.
This homemade raspberry cake filling is somewhere between a raspberry jam and a sauce. It’s thick but spreadable, with a bold raspberry flavor that adds a delicious fruity freshness to any cake or cupcake recipe.
One of my favorite things about this filling is that it can be made with fresh or frozen raspberries. It also only takes about 15 to 20 minutes to throw together and cook.
I usually prepare it a day or two ahead to save time when I’m ready to assemble a layer cake or cupcakes. I love to pair it with my white cake recipe and lemon cake, but it’s delicious with so many other baked goods!
Watch The Full Recipe Video
Fresh Vs. Frozen Raspberries
Both fresh and frozen raspberries can be used to make this recipe, so feel free to use whichever you have on hand.
I personally prefer to use frozen raspberries though because the color is more vibrant (see the color difference between the two?!) and it tastes a little better. Plus, frozen berries are typically more budget-friendly and it allows you to make this cake filling year-round too.
If you do use frozen raspberries, there’s also no need to thaw them. You can just add them to your saucepan along with the other ingredients!
Tips For The Perfect Cake Filling
- Whisk together the cornstarch and water first. This will prevent any lumps from ending up in your filling.
- Use a potato masher to break up the raspberries. This makes for a smoother filling that’s easier to spread between your cake layers. If you don’t have a potato masher, you can use a fork or a rubber spatula to mash them instead.
- Don’t over cook it. The filling will thicken up slightly as it boils, but keep in mind that it will continue to thicken more as it cools. Don’t crank up the heat either – medium heat is perfect for this recipe!
How To Fill Cakes
This recipe makes about 1 ½ cups of raspberry filling, which is enough to fill a two layer 9-inch cake or a three layer 8-inch cake.
Before adding the filling, you’ll need to spread a thin layer of frosting over the top of the cake layer. This will act as a barrier that prevents the filling from seeping into the cake and making it soggy.
Then, pipe a border of frosting around the edge of each cake layer before spooning the filling into the middle and spreading it out with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. If you don’t pipe a border around the filling, it will ooze out the sides as soon as you stack the next cake layer on top. Trust me!
My buttercream frosting, ermine frosting, white chocolate frosting, or raspberry frosting would all work well with this filling!
How To Fill Cupcakes
Depending on how full you fill each one, you should have enough filling for 24 to 30 cupcakes. If you only have a dozen cupcakes to fill, then just cut the recipe in half.
To fill cupcakes, use a cupcake corer or small knife to cut a small cone out of the center of each cupcake (do NOT cut all the way through the bottom of the cupcake!). Then, spoon the filling into the hole making sure not to overfill it.
At this point, you can cut the top off of the piece you removed earlier and place it back on top or just go ahead and pipe some frosting on top to hide it. Either way will work!
Different Ways to Use It
- Use it to fill chocolate cupcakes, lemon cupcakes, or vanilla cupcakes.
- Spread it between layers of your favorite white cake, pistachio cake, yellow cake, or chocolate cake.
- Spoon it over slices of homemade cheesecake or mini cheesecakes.
- Serve it over buttermilk pancakes, crepes, buttermilk biscuits, or scones
- Swirl it into some no-churn ice cream
I think you’re going to love the sweet and tart flavor of this raspberry cake filling! If you end up using it, don’t forget to leave a comment below letting me know how it turned out and what you paired it with. Happy Baking!
Raspberry Cake Filling
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water (60 ml)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or cornflour (16 grams)
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries (340 grams; about 3 cups)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (10 ml)
Instructions
- Add the water and cornstarch to a large saucepan and whisk until well combined.¼ cup water,2 tablespoons cornstarch or cornflour
- Add the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice and stir well.12 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries,½ cup granulated sugar,2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Place the saucepan over medium heat. Once the raspberries start to soften slightly and release their juices, use a potato masher or a fork to gently mash them.
- Continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture starts to boil. Allow to boil for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until thickened. Keep in mind that it will thicken even more as it cools!
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Allow to cool completely to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Once the cake filling has cooled, use it to fill your favorite cakes or cupcakes. If you're making it ahead of time, you may store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The mixture will thicken quite a bit once it's refrigerated, so I recommend heating it in the microwave slightly to make it easier to work with.
