Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes {Soft & Fluffy}
Easy lemon raspberry cupcakes recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft, moist, buttery, airy and paired with cream cheese frosting. They even have a fresh raspberry stuffed inside them.
*Thank you Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring today’s post so that I can share this recipe with all of you. As always, all opinions are mine*
I spent most of last Summer enjoying these Blueberry Cupcakes and this week, I made these refreshingly delicious cupcakes that are perfect for serving at Easter or Spring parties! They have the best fluffy texture. I paired them with lemon lime cream cheese frosting. Whatever you do, don’t skip the frosting. It really takes these cupcakes up a notch. To enjoy more raspberries this season, try this Chocolate Raspberry Cake {With Cake Mix}, Easy Raspberry Mousse {Light & Fluffy}, or these Raspberry Rose Cookies.
Table of contents
How To Make Raspberry Cupcakes Recipe From Scratch?
- Combine wet ingredients– This includes butter, sugar, and eggs.
- Add remaining ingredients– This includes milk, lime zest, lemon zest, lemon extract and lime extract.
- Whisk dry ingredients– This includes all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda.
- Combine mixtures– Dump dry into the wet mixture and mix.
- Fill liners with batter quarter of the way- Place fresh raspberry and add more batter until liners are half full.
- Bake– Until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Make frosting– Mix together cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, lime zest, lemon extract, lime extract, gel coloring, powdered sugar.
- Frost cupcakes– Then, top them off with fresh raspberries and slices of lime.
Key ingredients
- Flour– Use a combination of all-purpose flour and almond flour for best texture.
- Granulated sugar– This adds sweetness.
- Butter– It should be unsalted and at room temperature.
- Milk– Use full fat for maximum richness.
- Eggs- This makes the cupcakes moist and also structure and height.
- Flavors- Use fresh lime zest, lemon zest, lemon and lime extracts.
- Baking powder and baking soda– Both these leavening agents help the cupcakes rise and become fluffy.
- Raspberries– These should be fresh.
- Cream cheese frosting– This has a subtle tang that pairs perfectly with this cupcake flavor.
Variations For Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Add an Easter egg– Add a chocolate Easter egg to the center of the batter instead of a raspberry for an Easter theme.
Make mini cupcakes– Skip adding the fresh raspberry in the center. Also, note that baking time will be shorter.
Chocolate raspberry cupcakes– Pair with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
Omit the fresh raspberries– Bake without them. Then, you can add your own fillings after baking such as raspberry jams and preserves.
Try other frostings– Such as this Lemon Frosting (Lemon Buttercream), Best Cream Cheese Frosting, or American Buttercream Frosting Recipe.
Add chocolate chips– Like mini white chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips.
Drizzle with white chocolate ganache– Follow this Easy Chocolate Ganache {2 Ingredients} and use white chocolate instead.
Use different frosting techniques- By checking out this post about How to Decorate Cupcakes and see what magic you can bring to the table!
I used Bob’s Red Mill almond flour and organic all-purpose flour in this recipe. I stand by this brand’s high quality ingredients because my baked treats always turn out perfect.
Tips and variations
Don’t use frozen raspberries– Because the water content is too high and will ruin the cupcake and make them soggy.
Adjust the amount of sugar in the frosting– Based on your preference. If you want a thicker consistency, add more powdered sugar and if you prefer a thinner consistency, add less powdered sugar. Please note that piping is harder with thinner consistencies.
Omit the zests and just use extracts– If you are planning on piping on your cupcakes like I did, I suggest omitting the zests since it will clog your tips.
What kind of flours to use? These cupcakes are made with a combination of Bob’s Red Mill organic unbleached all-purpose white flour and almond flour. The almond flour added a nice boost of proteins and vitamins to these cupcakes. This organic all purpose flour is great because it’s not enriched with any additives and it’s also high in protein.
Don’t over-mix batter– Because you want your cupcakes light and fluffy! However, if you over-mix you will have cupcakes that are chewy and dense.
All ingredients should be at room temperature– Because this allows all the ingredients to mix together more fully and smoothly, giving a better overall texture.
Let cupcake cool before decorating- Otherwise the frosting will start melting all over and you will have a mess that isn’t very pretty. A cooled cupcake allows for the decorations to stick and stay in form.
Don’t over bake- Your cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. They should be soft, but not gooey, and you don’t want them to be so over-cooked that they are dense, heavy, and hard!
What to do if icing is too soft to pipe? Chill in the fridge for 30-40 minutes, and then try again.
Storage Of Frosted Cupcakes
Refrigerate– In a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Room temperature- Store in a covered box for 2-3 hours away from direct heat.
Freeze– These do not freeze well with the raspberry in the center. I do not recommend it.
More Summer Cupcakes
- Bee Cupcakes {Bumblebee or Honey Bee}
- Watermelon Cupcakes {Pull Apart Cupcakes}
- Easy Orange Cupcakes {With Whipped Cream}
- Strawberry Cupcakes {Soft & Moist}
- Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 All-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Almond flour
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Butter, Unsalted, Room temperature
- 1/2 cup Milk, Whole
- 2 Eggs, Large
- 1 tsp Lime zest
- 1 tsp Lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp Lime extract
- 1/2 tsp Lemon extract
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 12 Raspberries, Fresh
Lime Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1/2 cup Butter, Unsalted, Room temperature
- 8 oz Cream cheese, Full fat
- 5 cups Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Lime extract
- 1 tsp Lemon extract
- 1/2 tsp Lime zest, Optional
- 1/2 tsp Lemon zest, Optional
- Green gel coloring, Optional
Decoration
- 12 Limes, Cut into thin circular slices
- 12 Raspberries, Fresh
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl.
- Add eggs and mix again.
- Add milk, lime zest, lemon zest, lemon extract and lime extract and mix everything until it's properly combined with no lumps.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and baking soda.
- Dump this dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
- This will be a thick batter but DON’T over-mix!
- Pour this batter into cupcake liners.
- Place a raspberry in the center of each cupcake and add 1 teaspoon of cupcake batter on top of the raspberries to cover them.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow these cupcakes to cool down and make the icing.
- Add the cream cheese, butter, lemon zest, lime zest, lemon extract, lime extract, gel coloring in a deep bowl and mix everything until there are no lumps.
- Then, start adding powdered sugar while continuing to mix.
- Start with 1 cup of sugar and work your way up.
- If your icing is too soft, chill in fridge for 30-40 minutes.
- Frost your cupcakes with this icing and top them off with fresh raspberries and slices of lime. Enjoy!
Notes
- Read all my tips above.
- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
