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    Home » Muffins and cupcakes

    Raspberry cupcakes

    Published: Jun 17, 2023 by Anna

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    Soft and moist, these raspberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are made with freeze-dried raspberries, which give the cupcakes an amazing raspberry flavor. 

    Cupcakes with raspberries decorated with raspberry cream cheese frosting are standing on a wire rack.
    Jump to:
    • Why you should try these raspberry cupcakes
    • How to make freeze-dried raspberry powder
    • Ingredients you will need
    • Cooking tips
    • Step by step directions
    • Flavor variations
    • FAQ
    • More dessert recipes you may like
    • Recipe card

    Why you should try these raspberry cupcakes

    • Prominent raspberry flavor – Adding freeze-dried raspberry powder in both the cupcake batter and the frosting gives these cupcakes a delightful burst of raspberry flavor. The powder intensifies the natural sweetness and tartness of the raspberries, resulting in a prominent and irresistible taste. If you're looking for more raspberry desserts, you have to try these Raspberry cookies that are also made with freeze-dried raspberries.
    • Soft and moist cupcakes – Nobody likes a dry and crumbly cupcake, and these raspberry cupcakes are anything but that. The combination of room-temperature butter, vegetable oil, and whole milk in the batter ensures a moist and tender texture.
    • Easy to make – Don't let the thought of baking from scratch intimidate you. This raspberry cupcakes recipe is straightforward and beginner-friendly, making it a great choice for everyone.

    How to make freeze-dried raspberry powder

    To make freeze-dried raspberry powder at home, start with crisp and moisture-free freeze-dried raspberries. Place the raspberries in a blender or food processor and blend them until they turn into a fine powder. Once the raspberries are ground to a powder consistency, use a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds, ensuring a smooth and seed-free powder.

    Ingredients you will need

    For the raspberry cupcakes

    • Flour – you can use all-purpose flour or cake flour to make this raspberry cupcake recipe.
    • Freeze-dried raspberry powder
    • Baking powder
    • Salt
    • Unsalted butter – Make sure you bring the butter to room temperature before whipping.
    • White granulated sugar
    • Vanilla extract
    • Oil – I use extra mild olive oil in this recipe, but any odorless vegetable will work in this recipe.
    • Eggs – Bring the eggs to room temperature before using.
    • Milk – I use whole milk at room temperature.
    • Frozen raspberries – You can use fresh raspberries instead.

    For the raspberry cream cheese frosting

    • Unsalted butter at room temperature
    • Powdered sugar
    • Vanilla extract 
    • Cream cheese – I use Original Philadelphia cream cheese. Take it out of the fridge one hour before using it. 
    • Freeze-dried raspberry powder
    A cupcake with raspberries decorated with raspberry cream cheese frosting is standing on a wire rack. One bite was taken.

    Cooking tips

    • Combine the dry ingredients before adding them to the wet ones. To ensure a well-incorporated and evenly distributed batter, it's important to combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl before adding them to the wet ingredients. This step helps prevent any lumps or clumps in the batter and ensures a smooth and consistent texture in your cupcakes.
    • Don’t mix the cupcake batter for too long. When incorporating the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, it's crucial not to overmix the batter. Overmixing can lead to gluten development, resulting in dense and tough cupcakes. 
    • Don’t overwhip the frosting. Overwhipping can lead to a runny consistency or even curdling of the cream cheese. I like to stop the mixer every 15 seconds to check if the cream is at the right consistency.
    • Don’t frost warm cupcakes. Warm cupcakes can cause the frosting to melt or become runny, resulting in a messy presentation. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack for a sufficient amount of time, usually until they are no longer warm to the touch, before applying the frosting.

    Step by step directions

    Making the cupcake batter

    1. Combine the flour, freeze-dried raspberry powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
    2. Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract for 3-5 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Then, add the oil and beat until incorporated.
    3. Add the eggs one at a time and beat to emulsify.
    4. Add the dry ingredients while alternating with the milk and mix on low, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. 
    The collage image shows six steps to make batter for cupcakes with freeze-dried raspberry powder.

    Baking the cupcakes

    1. Preheat the oven to 340F (170C) and line a muffin pan with 9 cupcake liners.
    2. Fill the paper liners ⅔ full spread the chopped raspberries on top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake in the middle of the pan comes out clean.
    3. Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes rest for 5 minutes in the pan. Then, transfer onto a cooling rack to cool down to room temperature before decorating with the cream.
    The collage image shows six steps to bake raspberry cupcakes and make cream cheese frosting with freeze-dried raspberry powder.

    Preparing the cream cheese frosting

    1. Beat the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until white and fluffy.
    2. Add the cream cheese and raspberry powder and beat until fully incorporated, smooth, and stable. 
    3. Place the cream into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle. Decorate completely cooled cupcakes. 

    Flavor variations

    • Lemon - Add the lemon zest of 1 lemon to the cupcake batter to make lemon raspberry cupcakes. You can also incorporate a teaspoon of lemon juice into the frosting to enhance the lemon flavor.
    • Chocolate – Fold ⅓ cup of semi-sweet or white chocolate chips into the cupcake batter (like I did with my Zucchini chocolate chip muffins) before baking the cupcakes.
    • Raspberry coulis – To add raspberry coulis as a filling to your raspberry cupcakes, first, core out a small portion from the center of each cupcake. Fill your cupcakes with some Raspberry coulis (with cornstarch version) and pipe the frosting on top.
    • Buttercream – If you are not a big fan of cream cheese, you can always use whatever frosting you like. American buttercream or raspberry buttercream made with raspberry puree will work great with these vanilla raspberry cupcakes.

    FAQ

    How to store raspberry cupcakes?

    Store them covered with plastic wrap on a plate or in a cake bow in the fridge for 4 days. Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for 4 days.

    Can you freeze raspberry cupcakes?

    You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes for 2 months. 

    More dessert recipes you may like

    Raspberry cookies

    Lemon curd cake

    Blueberry muffins

    Recipe card

    Cupcakes with raspberries decorated with raspberry cream cheese frosting are standing on a wire rack.

    Raspberry cupcakes

    Soft and moist, these raspberry cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are made with freeze-dried raspberries, which give the cupcakes an amazing raspberry flavor.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 9 cupcakes
    Calories: 628kcal
    Author: Anna

    Equipment

    • Digital kitchen scale
    • Stand mixer or hand mixer and a large mixing bowl
    • Muffin pan
    • 9 Cupcake liners
    • Piping bags
    • Piping nozzle

    Ingredients

    Cupcakes

    • 200 g all-purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoon freeze-dried raspberry powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 100 g unsalted butter at room temperature
    • 150 g white granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 20 g vegetable oil such as canola or sunflower oil
    • 2 large eggs at room temperature
    • 150 ml whole milk at room temperature
    • 70 g frozen raspberries whole or roughly chopped

    Frosting

    • 200 g unsalted butter at room temperature
    • 80 g powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 400 g cream cheese take it out of the fridge one hour before using it
    • 1 tablespoon freeze-dried raspberry powder

    Instructions

    For the cupcakes

    • Preheat the oven to 340F (170C) and line a muffin pan with 9 cupcake liners.
    • In a bowl, combine the flour, freeze-dried raspberry powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer and a bowl), add the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract and beat for 3-5 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Then, add the oil and beat until incorporated.
    • Add the eggs one at a time and beat to emulsify.
    • Add the dry ingredients while alternating with the milk and mix on low, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Should look like this – dry/half of the milk/dry/the rest of the milk/dry. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl and mix again until homogenous in consistency.
    • Fill the paper liners ⅔ full, and spread the chopped raspberries on top and bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake in the middle of the pan comes out clean.
    • Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes rest for 5 minutes in the pan. Then, transfer onto a cooling rack to cool down to room temperature before decorating with the cream.

    For the frosting

    • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer and a bowl), beat the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until white and fluffy.
    • Add the cream cheese and raspberry powder and beat until fully incorporated, smooth, and stable. It will take no more than 30 seconds. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl and beat again for 10 seconds.
    • Place the cream into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle. Decorate the completely cooled cupcakes.

    Video

    Notes

    Store in the fridge for 4 days.
    Freeze unfrosted cupcakes for 2 months.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Raspberry cupcakes
    Serving Size
     
    1 cupcake
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    628
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    46
    g
    71
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    27
    g
    169
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    12
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    155
    mg
    52
    %
    Sodium
     
    364
    mg
    16
    %
    Potassium
     
    151
    mg
    4
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    48
    g
    16
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    29
    g
    32
    %
    Protein
     
    7
    g
    14
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    1515
    IU
    30
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    3
    mg
    4
    %
    Calcium
     
    124
    mg
    12
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sugarpursuit or tag #sugarpursuit!

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    Comments

    1. Hanna says

      July 20, 2023 at 4:45 pm

      5 stars
      Best cupcakes ever! I don't like ABC, so I was happy to find a recipe with raspberry cream cheese frosting.

      Reply
      • Anna says

        July 20, 2023 at 5:09 pm

        I don't like American buttercream either. I'm glad that you like this recipe, Hanna!

        Reply
    2. Maika says

      October 25, 2023 at 11:37 pm

      Have you tried making a cake with this batter? How does it work?

      Reply
      • Anna says

        October 26, 2023 at 8:53 am

        No, I haven't. Typically, when I create a cake recipe, I use more sugar, liquids, and a bit more butter. However, I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be possible to bake a cake using this batter. This recipe should make two 6" cake layers or three thinner layers. I would also recommend baking them at 320°F/160°C for 25-30 minutes if you're making two thick layers. If you're making three thinner layers, reduce the baking time since there's less batter in each pan. I hope this helps!

        Reply
        • Maika says

          October 26, 2023 at 10:51 pm

          Anna, Thanks so much. That is very helpful. My son wants an Ometga Striker cake for his birthday this year, the disc that they play with in the game. Of course he wants a raspberry cake. I'm trying to figure out how to make a disc shape with out the sides collapsing. At any rate I was looking for a good raspberry cake recipe which lead me to your recipe. Any way thanks again for sharing the recipe.

          Reply
    3. Joanne says

      April 15, 2025 at 1:05 pm

      These look amazing! I would like to make these for Easter but we are a crowd. Can this recipe be doubled without making modifications to the recipe? I also have a hard time finding fresh or frozen raspberries where I live. Do you think it would work if I replace the fresh raspberries with raspberry jam?
      TIA🙂

      Reply
      • Anna says

        April 15, 2025 at 3:41 pm

        Thank you! Yes, you can double the recipe without any changes, and raspberry jam works great in the frosting instead of freeze-dried raspberries.
        As for the cupcakes themselves, it's a bit more complicated—I haven’t tried baking them with raspberry jam instead of freeze-dried raspberry powder. You can swap the 2 tablespoons of raspberry powder with 1 tablespoon of extra flour (so you’ll have 200g + 1 tbsp of flour per batch) to help maintain the right texture. Just before baking, drop a few dollops of raspberry jam on top of the batter and gently swirl it in with a toothpick. This should incorporate the jam without making the batter too wet or affecting the texture too much. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!

        Reply

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    Hey there! My name is Anna, and I am here to share with you my sweet and savory baking recipes and show you how to make beautiful cakes.

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