Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
These lemon raspberry cupcakes are bright, fresh, and bursting with flavor. Soft and tender lemon cupcakes are studded with juicy fresh raspberries, then topped with smooth and creamy lemon buttercream frosting. Finished with fresh raspberries and lemon slices, they’re a beautiful and delicious treat for any occasion.
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
These lemon raspberry cupcakes bring bright, upbeat energy and will put the boom boom into your heart.
Soft, tender lemon cupcakes studded with fresh raspberries and topped with creamy lemon buttercream are the kind of dessert that makes you really want to wake up before you go-go.
The fresh citrus and juicy berries create a sweet, vibrant flavor to make you wanna hit that high.
Finished with fresh raspberries and lemon slices, they’re colorful, fun, and totally irresistible. One bite and you might just feel like jitterbugging your way back for another cupcake.
If you believe that lemon + berry = delicious, check out my lemon blueberry cupcakes, strawberry frosted lemon cookies, and raspberry lemon bars.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Bright, fresh flavor: The combination of lemon and raspberries creates a perfectly balanced sweet and tart cupcake.
- Soft and tender cupcakes: These lemon cupcakes bake up light, fluffy, and incredibly moist.
- Fresh raspberries in every bite: Juicy raspberries baked right into the cupcakes add bursts of fruity flavor.
- Creamy lemon buttercream frosting: Smooth, fluffy lemon buttercream adds a sweet citrus finish that pairs perfectly with the cupcakes.
- Beautiful presentation: Garnished with fresh raspberries and lemon slices, these cupcakes look just as impressive as they taste.
Recipe Ingredients
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder + baking soda
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon zest
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Vegetable oil – Use your favorite neutral baking oil.
- Egg – Room temperature.
- Sour cream – Room temperature.
- Whole milk – Room temperature.
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed.
- Raspberries – Fresh raspberries chopped into small pieces.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice + lemon zest
- Heavy cream
- Salt
Additional Ingredients
- Fresh raspberries
- Lemon slices
How to Make Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Make the lemon cupcake batter.
Fold in the finely chopped raspberries.
Portion the cupcake batter into cupcake liners.
Bake and cool the lemon raspberry cupcakes.
Make the lemon buttercream frosting.
Frost the cooled cupcakes with the lemon buttercream and decorate with lemon slices and fresh raspberries.
Courtney’s Expert Cupcake Baking Tips
- Bring the chilled ingredients to room temperature before making the cupcake batter. This helps create a smooth batter and results in soft, fluffy cupcakes.
- Use fresh lemon zest and lemon juice for the best and brightest lemon flavor. Be sure to zest the lemons before you juice.
- Massage the lemon zest into the granulated sugar before making the cupcake batter to release the natural oils and to enhance the lemon flavor.
- Cut the raspberries into small pieces so they distribute throughout the cupcakes and bake evenly.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake liners. Fill the liners about ⅔ full using a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons).
- Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for even heat distribution and to help the cupcakes rise properly.
- Lemon slices can dry out over time. If you plan to serve the cupcakes more than a day later, wait to add the lemon slice garnish until just before serving for the freshest look.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, fresh raspberries work better than frozen. If you only have frozen raspberries, you can use them, however, you will want to thaw the raspberries and then blot them with paper towels to remove the excess moisture. Frozen raspberries can also cause some of the juices to bleed into the cupcake batter and tint the batter.
Fresh lemon juice is highly recommended for the best flavor. Bottled juice can taste dull or slightly bitter, and since lemon is the star of this recipe, fresh makes a big difference.
For this recipe, you don’t need to toss the raspberries in flour. Since the raspberries are cut into small pieces, they aren’t heavy enough to sink to the bottom of the cupcakes. Additionally, coating cut raspberries in flour can cause the flour to become clumpy.
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Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp (0.75 tsp) baking powder
- ⅛ tsp (0.125 tsp) baking soda
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp (6 g) lemon zest
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 (1 ) large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) sour cream (room temperature)
- 5 tbsp (75 ml) whole milk (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- ½ cup (60 g) fresh raspberries (finely chopped)
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) heavy cream (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) lemon zest
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
Additional Ingredients
- 13 (13) lemon slices
- 13 (13) raspberries
Instructions
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line cupcake pans with 12-13 cupcake liners.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingers, gently rub the zest into the sugar to release the lemon oils to infuse the sugar with lemon flavor.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the lemon-infused granulated sugar, unsalted butter, and vegetable oil for a few minutes until light and creamy. Add the egg and sour cream and mix well until smooth.
- Add in half of the flour mixture and mix until mostly combined. Then, pour in the whole milk and lemon juice and mix. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until the cupcake batter is combined and smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are fully combined. Fold in the finely chopped raspberries until they are well dispersed throughout the batter.
- Portion the cupcake batter into the cupcake liners using a large cookie scoop about ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 20 minutes or until the cupcakes bounces back when gently touched. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined.
- Add in the lemon juice, heavy cream, lemon zest, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. Mix on low speed for several minutes or mix by hand to remove any air pockets.
- Optional: To smooth out the buttercream, melt ½ cup of the frosting in the microwave for 15 seconds. Pour the melted frosting back into the mixing bowl and mix the frosting on low speed until the buttercream is super smooth and creamy.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M piping tip with lemon buttercream frosting. Pipe a generous swirl of the lemon buttercream onto the cooled lemon raspberry cupcakes. Decorate the cupcakes with lemon slices and fresh raspberries.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Serve at room temperature for the best taste and texture.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
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