Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
This raspberry buttercream frosting is sweet, tangy, and beautifully pink. Homemade raspberry reduction adds natural raspberry flavor, making it shine on cupcakes, cakes, and cookies alike. It’s silky, pipeable, and surprisingly easy to whip up!
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
This raspberry buttercream frosting is the baking equivalent of Andie’s iconic prom dress—homemade, gorgeous, perfectly pink, and totally unforgettable.
Homemade raspberry reduction brings that natural “pretty in pink” color that would make Iona proud. It’s bright, tart, and sweet in all the right ways, like Blane finally asking that fateful question.
Pair this raspberry frosting with vanilla, chocolate, citrus, or almond desserts for the perfect pairing, like kissing your crush in the parking lot of the prom.
So crank up “If You Leave” by OMD and let’s whip up a batch!
If you think raspberries are totally rad, check out my chocolate raspberry cupcakes, raspberry cupcakes, and raspberry almond cake.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: An easy frosting recipe with simple steps using just a handful of ingredients.
- Real raspberry flavor: Made with real raspberries for a fresh, vibrant berry flavor.
- Silky smooth texture: Whips up light, fluffy, and easy to spread or pipe.
- Naturally pretty in pink: That soft pink color comes from the raspberry reduction—not food coloring.
- Perfectly versatile: Pairs beautifully with vanilla, chocolate, citrus, or almond desserts.
Recipe Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Raspberry reduction – Room temperature. Learn how to make raspberry reduction here.
- Heavy cream – Room temperature.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
How to Make Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
Whip the room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until it is fully combined with the butter.
Add in the raspberry reduction and mix until well incorporated.
Pour in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix until smooth.
Mix the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Melt 1 cup of frosting in the microwave, add it back to the buttercream, and mix on low speed to make it silky smooth.
Courtney’s Expert Buttercream Frosting Tips
- Make the raspberry reduction ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before making the frosting.
- Be sure the butter, raspberry reduction, and heavy cream are room temperature so they incorporate well.
- Whip the butter for a full 5 minutes before adding the additional ingredients. The butter will become light, creamy, and pale in color. This helps create a perfectly smooth buttercream.
- Don’t worry if the buttercream appears to split or curdle. This is normal. Just keep whipping for several minutes until it comes together. We are adding a water-based substance (raspberry reduction) to a fat-based substance (butter) and that takes a lot of whipping to emulsify.
- To make super smooth frosting, temper the buttercream. Heat 1 cup of the frosting in the microwave for about 20 seconds to melt it slightly. Then, add the melted buttercream back to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed for several minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Raspberry reduction is a concentrated raspberry sauce made from cooking, pureeing, and straining frozen raspberries. It adds intense raspberry flavor and a beautiful pink color to the frosting. You can check out my tutorial on how to make berry reduction.
Don’t worry if your frosting appears to look split or curdled. Just keep whipping for several minutes until it comes together. We are adding a water-based substance (raspberry reduction) to a fat-based substance (butter) and that takes a lot of whipping to emulsify. The temperature of the ingredients can also cause this to happen.
This recipe makes about 5 cups of frosting which can frost about 2 to 3 dozen cupcakes (depending on how much frosting you use) or a 3-layer 7-inch or 8-inch round cake.
For this recipe, I highly recommend going with frozen raspberries. Frozen raspberries are flash frozen at peak freshness so they create a bright and intense raspberry flavor. Additionally, the frozen raspberries create a little more liquid when they are thawed which helps to make the reduction.
Absolutely. It may require a bit more time and effort, but an electric hand mixer will work just fine!
I recommend using a paddle attachment to make buttercream frosting. The paddle does not mix as much air into the frosting and helps to create a smoother texture.
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Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (60 g) raspberry reduction (how to make raspberry reduction)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream (room temperature)
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
Instructions
- Before making the buttercream, make the raspberry reduction. You can make the raspberry reduction up to a week in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring the reduction to room temperature before making the buttercream.
- 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 raspberry reduction and mix on low speed until fully combined with the butter mixture. Then, add in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and continue to mix on low speed until combined and smooth. 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 3 to 5 minutes until it is smooth and creamy. If the buttercream looks split or curdled, this is normal, just continue to whip until it emulsifies and turns smooth and creamy. Then, turn the mixer to low speed and mix the buttercream for several minutes to remove air bubbles.
- Optional: To smooth out the buttercream, melt 1 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.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the frosting in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day.
- Refrigerator: Store the frosting in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. To use, bring the frosting to room temperature and re-whip with an electric mixer.
- Freezer: Store the frosting in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer for 3 months. To use, bring the frosting to room temperature and re-whip with an electric mixer.
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.
Very good and pretty. I may try subbing out 8 oz of the butter for 8 oz cream cheese next time and see how that goes. I think the tang of cream cheese would go well with raspberry flavor. The raspberry flavor was muted, even though I had the full amount of raspberry reduction. I used it for lemon cupcakes (delicious).
Thank you for trying out the recipe! Adding cream cheese sounds like a delicious idea!
Can I use seedless raspberry preserve?
I wouldn’t recommend it if you are trying to get the exact results of this recipe. You can certainly use it if you would like, but it may not turn out the same! But I love experimenting!