If you're looking for a balanced and bright dessert that screams spring, you need to try these Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes. The cake itself is incredibly moist with a subtle citrus flavor and plenty of pops of fresh raspberries. The frosting contains even more fresh berries and lemon to tie it all together. Plus, this recipe is entirely homemade!
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 18
- 🍴 Servings: 12
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Soft, fluffy lemon cupcakes bursting with fresh raspberries and topped with tangy raspberry cream cheese frosting.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Garnished with fresh raspberries or lemon slices and paired with tea or coffee.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Bake a day ahead and refrigerate frosted cupcakes up to 4 days, bringing to room temperature before serving.
Summarize and Save This Content On
This easily shareable dessert is an amazing choice for a party, potluck, or any special occasion. Not only do they have such great flavor, but they're also gorgeous! Pipe the frosting to make it look nice and clean, and then add fresh garnishes to really take them to the next level.
More treats made with fresh raspberries that you should try my raspberry cookies and raspberry buttermilk cake.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's oil-based for extra moisture: I use oil instead of butter for better moisture retention so the cupcakes stay soft longer.
- The frosting holds well at room temp for serving: The cream cheese in the frosting keeps it stable, making it perfect to leave at room temperature for a couple of hours when serving the lemon raspberry cupcakes to a crowd.
- The cupcakes are easy to transport: These raspberry lemon cupcakes are easy to handle and move to different locations, so you can feel confident about bringing them to an event or gathering.
Ingredients
The ingredients that are most important for the texture and flavor of these lemon and raspberry cupcakes are listed below. You can get them at your local grocery store any time!
- Sour cream: I add this to the batter to make the cupcakes nice and tender, and it adds richness without making them too heavy. These mini pound cakes with strawberry glaze also contain sour cream in the batter.
- Lemon: There's lemon juice and zest in the cupcakes, and then more lemon juice in the frosting. I use just enough to get that bright lemon flavor without it being overpowering. The zest also adds aromatic oils, so you get that authentic lemon scent, too.
- Buttermilk: It has a few important uses; the first is that it helps the cupcakes rise better and be fluffier. The slight tangy flavor also enhances the natural flavor of the lemon!
- Raspberries: Fresh, ripe raspberries add amazing texture to these lemon raspberry cupcakes. I use some of them to make a fresh puree to add to the cream cheese frosting.
- Cream cheese: The biggest reason this is a cream cheese frosting is for stability. It helps it hold its shape after it's decorated. Ensure you take it out of the refrigerator to soften.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Try lime or orange: Swap the lemon juice and zest with either orange or lime to get a slightly different flavor profile.
- Add white chocolate chips: Fold 3 tablespoons of white chocolate chips into the cake batter for extra richness.
- Swap the berries: Try this recipe with blueberry (like my blueberry lemon cupcakes), chopped strawberries, or even mixed berries.
Check out these lemon poppyseed cupcakes if you loves recipes like this with lemon.
How to Make Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 350F and line your cupcake tin with liners before you get started on this lemon raspberry cupcake recipe.
Step 1: Make the batter and add the raspberries. Combine the dry and wet ingredients separately before mixing them. Then, fold in the flour-coated raspberries.
Step 2: Scoop into the cupcake tin and bake. Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners and fill each one about ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for about 16-18 minutes. Check the doneness with a toothpick: they're done if it's inserted into the center of a cupcake and comes out clean! Remove from the oven and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool all the way down.
Step 3: Prepare the frosting. While the cupcakes are cooling, combine the cream cheese and homemade raspberry puree to make the frosting. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag.
Step 4: Frost the cupcakes and serve. When the cupcakes are cool, add swirls of frosting to the top of each cupcake. Garnish with fresh raspberries and lemon slices to make them fancy! Enjoy one with a cup of hot chocolate made with one of these strawberry hot cocoa bombs.
Expert Tips
- Don't overmix the batter: Overmixing the cupcake batter will make them dense and chewy. Only stir until the ingredients are combined.
- Cool completely before frosting: Ensure that your cupcakes are fully cooled before you frost them to prevent the frosting from melting and sliding off.
- Bake them ahead: I like being able to make the cupcakes ahead of time for parties. You can keep them in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 24 hours, and then frost them fresh before serving.
- Storage directions: Store leftover raspberry lemon cupcakes in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can freeze them for up to 3 months unfrosted or 2 months frosted.
If you enjoy the combination of lemon and raspberry, you'll love this lemon raspberry loaf cake.
Check out my raspberry buttermilk cake if recipes like this make your heart sing.
Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy a scoop of ice cream with your lemon raspberry cupcake. I enjoy Fruity Pebbles ice cream and white chocolate raspberry ice cream with this recipe.
- Fill the cupcakes with lemon curd or this raspberry jalapeno jam if you really want them to be unique.
- Enhance the raspberry by preparing a raspberry martini to sip while you eat your cupcake.
- Make a fancy dinner featuring pan-seared lamb chops and finish the meal with a homemade raspberry lemon cupcake.
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes Recipe FAQs
One of the important steps in this recipe is coating the fresh raspberries in flour so they suspend in the batter. If the berries are still wet, this won't work. Ensure that you thoroughly dry the raspberries before coating them in flour.
Cold ingredients can cause the cupcake batter to become lumpy or look curdled. This is why all of the ingredients must be at room temperature. This includes the sour cream, buttermilk, and eggs.
Yes. However, do not thaw them first. This will release excess juice, making them wet and causing them to sink to the bottom of the cupcakes. Use them straight from the freezer and coat them in flour as you would with fresh raspberries.
It's likely the homemade puree was still warm. Allow the raspberry puree to cool completely before you mix it with the cream cheese. If the frosting seems a bit loose, you can refrigerate it for 10-15 minutes to allow it to thicken a bit before frosting the cupcakes.
Another great cupcake recipe that uses cream cheese is my chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese filling.
More Delicious Cupcake Recipes
Do you like cupcake recipes? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for coating raspberries
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish
- Fresh raspberries or lemon slices
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently until just combined. Slowly stir in the milk until the batter is smooth. Do not overmix.
- In a small bowl, toss the raspberries with 1 tablespoon flour. Gently fold them into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the raspberry cream cheese frosting
- Add the raspberries, lemon juice, and granulated sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down and the mixture thickens slightly, about 6-8 minutes.
- Blend in a food processor until pureed, and let cool completely before using.
- In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered sugar gradually until combined.
- Add the cooled raspberry puree, and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- If the frosting is too soft, gradually add more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency, or refrigerate for 15-20 minutes before piping.
- Frost fully cooled cupcakes. Garnish with fresh raspberries or lemon slices if desired.
Notes
- Ensure your raspberries are dry before you coat them in flour, or they will still sink to the bottoms of the raspberry lemon cupcakes.
- Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent dense and chewy cupcakes.
- You may use frozen raspberries instead of fresh in the cupcake batter. Don't thaw them first!
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