These raspberry cupcakes have raspberries in every layer! The moist cupcakes are filled with both freeze dried raspberries and a fresh raspberry salsa. They are filled with a homemade raspberry jam and topped with a raspberry cream cheese frosting. These are the ultimate raspberry cupcakes!
These raspberry cupcakes are heavily inspired by my strawberry filled cupcakes and blackberry cupcakes. They are filled with a jam, but they also use fresh raspberries and freeze dried raspberries.
Since these cupcakes are loaded with raspberries, they have such a STRONG flavor in each bite!
If you are looking for another cupcake recipe, try my chocolate peanut butter cupcakes.
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Why You Will Love These
- Raspberry cupcakes- I used both freeze dried raspberries and fresh raspberry salsa. (Which is lightly pureed raspberries). They are super moist, and have a fresh raspberry flavor by themselves!
- Raspberry jam- These cupcakes are filled with raspberry jam. The jam is super easy to make, and it takes the cupcakes to the next level.
- Raspberry cream cheese frosting- This cream cheese frosting uses both freeze dried raspberries and some of the raspberry jam filling. It creates such a pink looking cupcake.
- Easy to make- These cupcakes, have 3 layers, but trust me. They are so easy to make!
Ingredients
These are some notes on the ingredients.
- Freeze dried raspberries- I got mine at Target. You can also get them at Whole Foods or here.
- Baking powder- Make sure your baking powder isn't expired. It's shelf life is only 6 months. If it's older, you need to replace it!
- Dairy ingredients- All dairy ingredients need to be pulled out 2 hours before baking.
- Raspberry salsa- This is 1 cup of washed raspberries. Use a food processor and pulse a few times until resembles the texture of salsa. It will have small pieces and medium pieces.
- Buttermilk- Use fresh buttermilk from the store for the best results. You can use ½ cup of cow milk with ½ tablespoon of lemon juice. Let it sit for 10 minutes before using. It isn't the same as buttermilk, but it can work in a pinch.
- Raspberries for jam- Fresh raspberries is best. You can use frozen and let them thaw before using.
- Lemon juice- Freshly squeezed is best, but for this recipe I used lemon juice from a bottle.
Step By Step Instructions
Here are the steps to make, fill, and decorate these cupcakes.
STEP 1: First, use a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin liners. Then, mix your dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Measure your freeze dried raspberries, then grind into a fine crumb using a blender. I grind both the cake and frosting freeze dried raspberries, so they are ready to go. In the same blender, pulse fresh raspberries into a light chunky puree. See picture.
STEP 2: Beat the butter, oil, and sugar. It needs to be beaten on high for 3 minutes. It will become very light in color almost white. Next, add in the vanilla, sour cream, raspberry salsa and eggs. Mix well.
STEP 3: Add in the dry ingredients and buttermilk. Alternate these 2 ingredients. You will have a light pink cake batter. Scoop the batter into the pan. Use a cookie scoop and fill ⅔rds full.
STEP 4: Bake for 23-25 minutes. Let the cupcakes chill completely.
STEP 5: Next, start the jam. Heat all the ingredients in a pan. Heat until a jam forms and it thickens slightly. It will thicken a lot as it cools.
STEP 6: Make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter on high. Then, add in the powdered sugar and freeze dried raspberries. Then, add in the jam, vanilla and heavy cream. It should be thick enough to pipe.
STEP 7: Use a cupcake corer to core the cupcakes. Fill to the top with jam and top with frosting. I topped these with a raspberry and ground freeze dried raspberries.
Baking Tips
When you are making the cupcake batter expect there will be leftover cupcake batter. You can make extra cupcakes, but there won't be enough jam to fill them all.
The jam is very easy to over bake. It should still be pretty liquid, but it will cover the back of a spoon when it is ready. Let it cool and thicken before stuffing it into the cupcakes.
When you make the frosting, the butter needs to be slightly cold. This is to help the frosting be firm enough to pipe. If you used room temperature butter, it will be too soft.
FAQ
Fresh is best, but you can use frozen. Let them thaw completely first.
I have not recipe tested these with no eggs. If you make them vegan, let me know!
Yes. You do need them. If you don't, then it will be a very weak raspberry flavor.
Yes you can. Homemade jam is best though since there are no preservatives. If you do use store bought, get a high quality raspberry jam.
Yes it can! For an 8X8 cake, keep the recipe the same. For a 9X13 and three layer 8 inch cake, double the cake recipe. Also, double the frosting for the layered cake.
Your frosting is gritty because it needs to be sifted before you use it. Packaged powdered sugar is very lumpy. You do need all the powdered sugar because if not the frosting would be like a glaze and not strong enough to pipe at all.
Storing and Freezing
These raspberry cupcakes need to be stored in the fridge in an air tight container like this cake carrier. They are best if you let them sit at room temperature for 1 hour before eating.
Freezing
These cupcakes can be frozen; just the cupcakes. Wrap the cupcakes in cling wrap and store in an air tight container. Freeze them for up to 30 days. Thaw for 1 hour before filling and decorating.
Other Cupcake Recipes To Try
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📖 Recipe
Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Raspberry Cupcakes
- ¼ cup Freeze dried raspberries measured and ground into fine crumb
- 1 ¾ cup All-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 6 tablespoon Unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoon Oil canola or vegetable
- ¾ cup White granulated sugar
- ⅛ cup Sour cream room temperature
- ½ cup Raspberry Salsa 1 cup whole raspberries see instructions
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- 2 Large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup Buttermilk room temperature
Raspberry Jam
- ½ lb Raspberries fresh
- ¾ cup White granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¾ cup Unsalted butter slightly cold
- 4 oz Cream cheese room temperature
- 4 ½ cups Powdered sugar sifted
- ¼ cup Freeze dried raspberries measured and ground to fine crumb
- 1 ½ tablespoon Raspberry jam
- 2 ½ tablespoon Heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Raspberry Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a food processor/blender, pulse freeze dried raspberries into a fine crumb. Mix with the dry ingredients.1 ¾ cup All-purpose flour, ½ tablespoon Baking powder, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Make the raspberry salsa. Use a food processor/blender and blend 1 cup of raspberries. Blend until it looks like salsa with very small pieces and medium pieces. Measure it out to ½ cup.½ cup Raspberry Salsa
- Using a mixer, beat the butter, oil, and sugar on high for 3 minutes. It will be very pale in color and fluffy. Add in the sour cream, raspberry salsa, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add in the eggs and mix until combined.6 tablespoon Unsalted butter, 2 tablespoon Oil, ¾ cup White granulated sugar, ⅛ cup Sour cream, ½ cup Raspberry Salsa, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract, 2 Large eggs
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and half of the buttermilk. Mix until almost combined. Add another ⅓rd of the dry ingredients and the rest of the buttermilk. Finish with the rest of the dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl and mix for another 10 seconds.½ cup Buttermilk
- Scoop the batter. Use a cookie scoop to scoop the batter. Fill the tin ⅔rds full. Bake for 23-25 minutes. The cupcakes are done baking when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes sit in the hot pan for 10 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
Raspberry Jam
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir until the sugar is melted and the juice starts to separate. Reduce heat to medium. Lightly mash the raspberries. Heat until the jam thickens. 5-8 minutes.½ lb Raspberries, ¾ cup White granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- Pour the jam into a glass container. Let it cool completely before using in the cupcakes.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Let the butter sit on the counter for 30 minutes to get slightly cold. Sift the powdered sugar. Mix the ground freeze dried raspberries with the powdered sugar.¾ cup Unsalted butter, ¼ cup Freeze dried raspberries, 4 ½ cups Powdered sugar
- Using a mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese on high for 1-2 minutes. It should be fluffy with no butter/cream cheese chunks remaining.4 oz Cream cheese
- Add in the powdered sugar/ freeze dried raspberries. It will be thick. Scrape the bowl. Add in the raspberry jam, heavy cream, and vanilla. Mix on high for 2 minutes until fluffy.1 ½ tablespoon Raspberry jam, 2 ½ tablespoon Heavy cream, 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
- Use a cupcake corer or a sharp knife and cut a hole in the cupcakes ⅔rds down. Throw away the tops. Fill to the top with the jam. Pipe the tops with the frosting.
Jordan says
I brought these in to my coworkers a couple of months ago and they got instantly addicted. They won't stop asking for more. I don't think that they will ever let me stop making them. Only make these if you want people to become hopelessly addicted to your baking