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These lemon raspberry cupcakes are made with moist and delicious lemon cupcakes with a raspberry filling that is tart and sweet at the same time, like eating summer in a cupcake form!
Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling – The Inspiration
It had been quite a while since I had made any cupcakes. I’ve been busy perfecting my macaron making and cake decorating skills. But I have missed cupcakes! Cupcakes were my first baking love. They’re what got me into baking, so I was surprised that I haven’t posted any cupcake recipes on the blog yet!
We’re currently in the midst of enjoying the summer, so of course any cupcake flavor this time of year had to be fresh!
Lately, I’ve definitely been on a raspberry kick. I started the summer posting the recipe for these Raspberry Cream Cheese Hand Pies, and then this Raspberry Cheesecake French Toast for a quick yet indulgent weekend brunch.
In these cupcakes, we’re continuing our raspberry experiments, but this time pairing it with some fresh lemon! The combination of the lemon and raspberry, both of which are tart and sweet, pairs so well with the sweetness of the cake. Making them in cupcake form meant that these treats were easy to save or give away (not that they lasted too long!).
How to make these Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling?
Lemon Cupcakes
The cupcakes use a simple cupcake recipe, which has both butter and oil. Nothing beats the flavor of real butter, and the oil makes sure that the cupcakes stay moist!
This cupcake recipe is pretty simple. First, mix up the wet ingredients, add the dry ingredients, then mix the batter. The key to a good cupcake batter is to make sure that you mix the dry ingredients just enough so everything is mixed. But not too much, else they might end up dense.
Once you’re ready to bake the cupcakes, make sure to fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way. Any higher and the cupcakes will spill over from the tins.
Let the cupcakes cool completely. I like to let them cool in the cupcake tins for the first 10 minutes. Then remove them and transfer on top of a wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely.
Raspberry Jam Filling
The filling combines a little buttercream in the raspberry jam to create a really smooth and luscious filling. If you prefer your fillings more intense, feel free to leave out the frosting, and use jam on its own. If you have fresh raspberries on hand, you could cook them down with just a touch of sugar. Then let it cool completely before adding a little buttercream to it.
To fill the cupcakes, you can use either a piping bag, or a spoon to transfer the filling into the cupcakes.
The Frosting – Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
I use a Swiss Meringue Buttercream base for frosting and this time flavored it with lemon. It’s my favorite type of frosting, because it’s simple enough to make, and I personally love the taste of it. It also makes a great base for any flavors, including the lemon in this recipe. I use lemon extract, and would highly recommend this Lemon Oil by LorAnn if you can get your hands on it!
How to decorate the Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
These lemon raspberry cupcakes can be decorated however you like. I was participating in an Instagram collaboration with a ton of other talented bakers and thought I’d photograph these cupcakes for the collaboration.
If you want to keep up with more of my baking projects, follow me over on Instagram at @sprinklesandscribbles!
Back to these cupcakes, since it had been so long since cupcakes have been made in my kitchen, I just really wanted to practice my piping skills.
To get this look, I used the following piping tips:
- Wilton 124 Tip – Petal Decorating Tip for the blue ruffles
- Wilton 2D Tip – Large Drop Flower Cake Decorating Tip for the yellow rose
- Wilton 4B Tip – Open Star Piping tip for the red drop stars on the sides
Tips to make these Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes:
- For the lemon flavor: I used lemon zest and fresh lemon juice in the cupcakes. I also used a little lemon oil by Lorann because they make some really good extracts and flavors!
- To get a moist and fluffy cupcake (rather than a dense crumb), make sure to not overmix the batter. I typically mix dry and wet ingredients together by hand because it helps mix it just right.
- The filling uses a raspberry jam. Just choose a jam you really like! Alternatively, you could also cook down raspberries with a little sugar and let it cool to get a fresh raspberry filling.
- I love using a Swiss Meringue Buttercream for the frosting, because it is light and fluffy, yet rich and decadent, with just the right sweetness. Feel free to use your favorite frosting (like American Buttercream or Italian), and flavor it with lemon instead of vanilla.
Let me know if you give it a try!
Tag me in your creations and follow me on Instagram @sprinklesandscribbles for more baking inspiration!
Cheers,
Ready to make these Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes?
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Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 cup All purpose flour 150 g
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup butter room temperature, 60 g
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup oil 60 mL
- 3/4 cup sugar 150 g
- 1 lemon, zest
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 lemon
- 1-2 tsp lemon extract optional
- 1/2 cup milk
Raspberry filling
- 1/2 cup Raspberry Jam
- 1/4 cup Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream see below
Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 454 grams unsalted butter 4 sticks
- 360 grams sugar approx. 1 3/4 cup
- 180 grams egg whites about 6 large eggs
- 1 tbsp lemon extract
Instructions
Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake liners
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda
- In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until combined. There is very little butter, so combine until butter starts to get fluffy
- Whisk in the eggs, until combined
- Add the oil, fresh lemon juice, milk and mix the batter.
- Add in the dry ingredients, and fold until just combined
- Divide the batter into the prepared cupcake tins. Fill each cupcake liner only 2/3 of the way.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool in cupcake tin for 10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to cool completely
Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.
- Place bowl over a hot water bath on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or until it reaches a temperature of 165ºF on a candy thermometer. Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on medium-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled. The bowl should no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins).
- Swith to the paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth. Add lemon extract and continue to whip until smooth and fluffy. Put aside 1/4 cup of frosting for the cupcake filling.
Filling the cupcakes
- Combine 1/2 cup raspberry jam with 1/4 cup lemon Swiss meringue buttercream. Transfer mix to a piping bag if desired.
- Divide and color remaining frosting, into 3 colors: yellow, red and blue
- To fill cupcakes, remove part of the cupcake top, using a cupcake corer or the back of a piping tip.
- Snip the tip of the piping bag if using.
- Fill cupcakes using the piping bag or a spoon. Fill until you’ve reached the top of the cake. Replace cupcake down, and press gently to re-attach the top
Decorating the cupcakes
- Add the yellow filling to a piping bag fitted with a Rose Decorating tip like the Wilton 2D tip, red icing to a piping bag fitted with an open star decorating tip like the Wilton 4B Tip, and the blue icing to a piping bag fitted with a Petal Cake Decorating Tip like the Wilton 124 tip.
- Pipe a rose, with the yellow icing and Rose Decorating tip like the Wilton 2D tip on on side of the cupcake, and pipe a squiggle with the blue icing and Petal Cake Decorating Tip like the Wilton 124 tip. Fill in space with the red icing and an open star decorating tip like the Wilton 4B Tip.
- Repeat until all cupcakes have been filled and decorated
- Cupcakes can be enjoyed immediately, or kept in the fridge. Remove cupcakes from the fridge at least 30-45 minutes before serving to allow filling and frosting to come to room temperature.
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