Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Buttercream

This delicious vanilla batter contains juicy bursts of fresh raspberries baked into each cupcake. It's topped with a silky raspberry and cream cheese buttercream, which gets its natural pink hue and fruity flavor from freeze dried raspberries. It's hard to find freeze dried raspberry powder, so I recommend getting them whole and then toss them in a blender or food processor and blender them into a fine powder. You'll love them in the buttercream and they'll open up a whole new world of frosting flavor for you!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 24 Cupcakes

Calories 298 kcal

Ingredients

Raspberry Cupcakes

2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
9 tablespoons butter softened
3 eggs room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk room temperature
8 ounces fresh raspberries

Raspberry Cream Cheese Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup cream cheese softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 ounces freeze dried raspberries blended into a fine powder using a blender or food processor

Instructions

Raspberry Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two standard muffin pans with cupcake liners and set them aside.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until combined. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and butter at medium low speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.
With the mixer going at low speed, alternate between adding the milk and the flour mixture in three increments until *just* combined. Turn off the mixer and fold the raspberries into the batter.
Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full of batter and place the muffin pans in the oven. Bake until very lightly golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out without any batter on it (some fresh raspberry goop is fine).
Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow the cupcakes to cool completely on the wire rack.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Buttercream

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the speed to low and add the powdered sugar and the powdered freeze dried raspberries, mixing until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Ice the cupcakes either by hand or using a pastry bag (I decorated these using a star tip with a .63" opening). Serve immediately. Will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Nutrition Facts

Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Buttercream

Amount Per Serving

Calories 298 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Cholesterol 64mg21%

Sodium 155mg7%

Potassium 100mg3%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 24g27%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 545IU11%

Vitamin C 2.5mg3%

Calcium 46mg5%

Iron 0.9mg5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.