Name: Easy Raspberry Cupcakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 cup frozen raspberries ((140g)); ½ cup unsalted butter (melted and slightly cooled (113g)); 1 cup granulated sugar (200g); 2 large eggs (room temperature); 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon pure almond extract* (optional); ¼ cup sour cream (room temperature (60g)); ½ cup buttermilk (room temperature (120mL)); ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (188g); ¾ cup unsalted butter (room temperature (170g)); ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar (210g); ¼ cup raspberry jam (80g**); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons heavy cream (30mL)

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From scratch raspberry cupcakes are moist and tender. Made with a vanilla cupcake, stuffed with frozen raspberries and topped with a raspberry jam buttercream swirl. They are packed with fruity flavor!

raspberry cupcake showing soft crumb interior on a plate with a fork

Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Cupcakes are a perfect dessert for any celebration! Raspberry cupcakes are small and easy to transport, which makes them great for taking to parties. They are also easy to serve because you don't need to cut them or serve with utensils.

As a busy mama and lifetime baker, I have been making cupcakes for decades. I have loads of tips and helpful information to help you make cupcakes that look like they came from a bakery, like these chocolate raspberry ganache cupcakes.

Fresh raspberries are one of my favorite fruits! I love the slightly tart, but sweet flavor they bring to raspberry almond cake and raspberry brownies. This simple cupcake recipe uses frozen raspberries, so you can enjoy them year round.

My raspberry cupcakes recipe uses a hint of almond extract to give them an extra special flavor {don't worry, you can leave it out if you want}. The easy recipe is made using buttermilk and sour cream to give them the best moist and soft texture.

💗 why you will love these fruit filled cupcakes

Yields 12 cupcakes ~ no need for an extra muffin pan!
Made with frozen raspberries ~ means they can be made year round, not just when fresh raspberries are in season.
Quick and easy to make ~ the from scratch batter comes together quickly with melted butter in one bowl. No mixer needed for the cupcakes.
Make them your own ~ add lemon frosting or fill with raspberry jam, the options are endless!
Perfect for celebrations ~ whether it is a birthday, wedding, Christmas or Valentine's Day, these homemade cupcakes will be sure to please.

🧁 why are my cupcakes dry?

Dry cupcakes are often a result of too much flour or over baking. A kitchen scale will ensure that you have the correct amount of flour; this is the scale I use.

Cupcakes are smaller, so they bake quickly and can be over baked if you aren't paying attention. It is better to err on the side of under baking them; look for a few moist crumbs on your toothpick instead of a clean toothpick when checking for doneness.

raspberry cupcake on a plate with fresh raspberries and a fork

🛒 ingredients and substitutions

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

All-purpose flour ~ adds structure. If not using a kitchen scale, be sure to use the spoon and level method. {Fluff the flour in the container, then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife}.
Baking powder and baking soda ~ add some height to the cupcakes.
Kosher salt ~ helps to balance the flavors.
Granulated sugar ~ brings the sweetness.
Eggs ~ 2 large eggs needed. Having the eggs at room temperature will provide the best results.
Sour cream ~ making cupcakes with sour cream brings extra moisture by working to shorten the gluten strands in the flour, which results in a tender and soft cupcake. For the best cupcakes, use full fat sour cream and bring it to room temperature.
Vanilla ~ adds a nice burst of flavor to the cupcakes. For the best tasting raspberry cupcakes, use pure vanilla extract.
Almond extract ~ pure almond extract adds a little special flavor to the cupcakes. You can leave the almond extract out with no other changes to the recipe.
Buttermilk ~ brings moisture to the baked cupcakes; can be substituted with 1%, 2%, whole milk or kefir. Having the buttermilk at room temperature will give you the best cupcakes.
Unsalted butter ~ brings richness to the cupcakes. The butter gets melted and slightly cooled before adding to the cupcake ingredients. If you only have salted butter, leave out the kosher salt.
Raspberries ~ frozen raspberries, chopped small are needed for the cupcakes. After you measure and chop the raspberries, return them to the freezer until you are ready to add them to the batter. Do not thaw them!
Raspberry jam buttercream ~ ingredients shown farther down in the post; you'll need butter, confectioners' or powdered sugar, raspberry jam, vanilla and heavy cream.

🧁 how to make raspberry cupcakes without a mixer

Start by chopping the frozen raspberries into small pieces, then place in a bowl and put back into the freezer.

Then melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 12 count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.

cup measure filled with frozen raspberries

I prefer to weigh my ingredients for more accurate baking, but if you only have cups, this is what my cup looked like to have the correct amount of frozen raspberries.

granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and sour cream in a mixing bowl

In a large bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, almond extract* {optional} and sour cream until well combined.

wet ingredients mixed together in a mixing bowl

The wet ingredients after they have been whisked together.

Then whisk in the buttermilk.

Now whisk in the melted and cooled butter.

baking powder and baking soda added to wet ingredients in a mixing bowl

Whisk in the baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt.

frozen raspberries coated with flour in a bowl

Then add most of the all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients and mix until just barely combined. Get the chopped raspberries out of the freezer and toss them with the little bit of flour you held aside.

raspberry cupcake batter in a mixing bowl

Then gently fold into the cupcake batter. The batter is on the thick side.

cupcake batter in liners in a baking tin

Divide the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake liners. They will be about ⅔ full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Allow the raspberry cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

how to make raspberry jam buttercream

When you are ready to frost the cupcakes, make the buttercream frosting.

Ingredients needed for the raspberry buttercream frosting. I prefer using seedless raspberry jam, but you can use seeded jam as well.

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a handheld mixer, beat the butter and kosher salt for 5 minutes on high, stopping about half way through to scrape the bowl.

raspberry jam, confectioners' sugar and vanilla added to whipped butter in a mixing bowl

After 5 minutes, scrape up and down the mixer bowl and add one cup the confectioners’ sugar, half the jam and the vanilla. Mix on low until combined, then increase the speed and beat until fully incorporated.

raspberry jam buttercream in a mixing bowl

Stop the mixer, scrape up and down the bowl, and add the remaining confectioners’ sugar, jam and the heavy cream. Again mix on low until incorporated, then increase the speed to high and beat another 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.

👩🏻‍🍳 expert tips for soft and fluffy cupcakes

Use room temperature ingredients. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen you will want to pull out the milk, sour cream and eggs about 2 hours before baking. {My kitchen is on the cooler side, so I usually go 2-3 hours before baking}.

I've been making this cupcake recipe for years and have cheated and not brought my ingredients to room temperature. This will work, but for the BEST texture I highly recommend bringing the cold ingredients to room temperature.

Don't over mix the batter. When cake and cupcake batter is over mixed, it creates a more dense cake crumb. We are going for fluffy and moist!

Use good liners. These Paper Chef liners are my very favorite and the only brand I use in my kitchen. {not sponsored, just a fan!}

Use a cookie or ice cream scoop to get even amounts of batter into each liner. This helps the cupcakes to bake uniformly.

For the best, moist and tender cupcakes, don't over bake them. Remove them from the oven when a toothpick or cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

raspberry cupcakes on a plate with fresh raspberries and flowers in the background

💬 frequently asked questions

can I make ahead?

Yes! The freezer is your best friend when wanting to bake easy raspberry cupcakes ahead of time. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the cupcakes defrost, then decorate them.

can I use fresh raspberries?

I do not recommend using fresh raspberries. They will break apart too easily when mixed into the cupcake batter.

why did my raspberry cupcakes turn blue?

Raspberries contain anthocyanin, which has a reddish color when in the fruit's natural acidic environment. When the anthocyanin comes in contact with an alkaline ingredient, like baking soda, it can cause a chemical reaction turning baked goods blue.

I find the best way to keep my cookies and cakes from turning blue is to not over mix the raspberries when mixing them into the batter. Using frozen berries usually works better for me too.

💡 flavor variation ideas

Raspberry filling ~ you can add raspberry jam to the center of the cupcakes. If you need help with how to stuff cupcakes, see this Baileys cupcakes post. If you want the filling without seeds, be sure to use seedless jam.

Lemon frosting ~ my easy lemon buttercream frosting would be delicious!

White chocolate frosting ~ you can use this American white chocolate buttercream or this Swiss meringue white chocolate buttercream.

Cream cheese frosting ~ substitute freeze dried raspberries in this strawberry cream cheese frosting.

🌀 how to decorate cupcakes

Sprinkles, fruit, crushed freeze dried fruit and candy can all work to decorate your cupcakes.

A Wilton 1M, Wilton 2D or Wilton 8B are my favorite tips for decorating cupcakes.

When piping swirls of buttercream frosting, use even pressure the whole time. I start in the middle of the cupcake and create a circle around the cupcake. You can stop there and have a rosette or keep building with smaller circles on top of each other until you reach the height you want. Release the pressure when you reach the end and lift the bag away.

🫙 how to store

Cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 day. They can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but they will be more prone to drying out.

The raspberry cupcakes can be frozen in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before serving. I freeze mine with buttercream all the time!

Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Easy Raspberry Cupcakes. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

💗 more desserts made with raspberries

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!

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