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Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting – a from-scratch lemon cupcake with a fun and fruity raspberry buttercream frosting! These babies scream fun in the sun!
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Let me say I love these Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting. Love them, y’all! They are perfect for Spring and Summer – and with Mother’s Day and the 4th of July just around the corner, you will want this recipe!!
A few weeks ago, I was looking back through some old posts and was reminded of this one – but I could NOT stop thinking about them! I knew I had to remake them (for new pictures) to share again!
My kiddos told me these Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream taste like Fruity Pebbles ….. did you know that’s my favorite cereal of all time?! Y’all, it was love at first bite all over again!
The cupcakes are an easy from-scratch lemon flavor – with lemon juice and lemon zest for maximum flavor. The raspberry buttercream frosting is also from-scratch and just as simple! Fresh raspberries combine with butter, powdered sugar, and extract to make the most lip-smacking good frosting around!
Lemme show you how to make them ….
Lemon Cupcakes recipe
Ingredients for lemon cupcakes
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- butter
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- vanilla extract
- lemon extract
- fresh lemon juice
- lemon zest
- milk
Ingredients for raspberry buttercream
- fresh raspberries, washed and patted dry
- butter
- pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter)
- raspberry extract (optional)
- powdered sugar
Additional Ingredients
- Lemon slices and additional raspberries for garnish, if desired
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How to make cupcakes
Time needed: 1 hour and 15 minutes
How to make Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
- Preheat oven and prepare pan.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in the wells of a muffin pan (you will need about 15). Set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.
- Prepare the batter and fill liners.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar until thick and yellow. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon extracts, the lemon juice, and lemon zest; beat well. Add half of the flour mixture, followed by all of the milk, then the remaining flour mixture; mixing just until each addition is combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly into the cupcake liners.
- Bake and cool.
Bake for 13-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the frosting.
While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. Puree the raspberries in a food processor. Strain the raspberries through a sieve (or cheesecloth) to remove seeds. Place the butter, salt, strained raspberries, and raspberry extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating at low speed until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Frost cupcakes and garnish each with a lemon wedge and a raspberry.
Top cupcakes with frosting. If desired, garnish with a lemon wedge and a raspberry.
Lemon Cupcakes: FAQs
YES! You can freeze cupcakes!
UNFROSTED – Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool. Wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and then place them in an airtight freezer-safe container.
FROSTED – Personally, I prefer to freeze unfrosted cupcakes because I love the taste of fresh frosting – but if you need to know how to use this option, freezing them can be done! Place the cooled and frosted cupcakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer until the frosting has frozen about 2 hours. Wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and place them in a single layer in an airtight freezer-safe container.
For UNFROSTED or FROSTED: Be sure to use them within 3 months. When you’re ready to defrost them, peel off the plastic wrap and let them sit on the counter until thawed completely.
Up to 2 days on the countertop in an airtight container. If you need them to last a few days longer, be sure to store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Something fruity, like this raspberry buttercream frosting! My strawberry frosting is equally delicious! 😉
Really, it is a personal preference. I’m not a fan of the seeds, so I prefer to strain them. However, if you want to skip that step and are ok with the seeds, that is totally fine, too.
How did you like this recipe
Aren’t these the the most outrageously delicious cupcakes ever? I think they perfectly balance the sweet fruitiness of the raspberries with the tang of the lemon. I would love to know your thoughts in the comments down below! How did you crew like the recipe?
Other recipes you may enjoy
Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, melted, 1 stick
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup milk
For the frosting
- 6 oz. fresh raspberries, washed and patted dry
- ½ cup butter, softened
- pinch salt, if using unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon raspberry extract, optional
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, plus more as needed
Additional ingredients
- Lemon slices and additional raspberries for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in the wells of a muffin pan (you will need about 15). Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar until thick and yellow. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon extracts, the lemon juice, and lemon zest; beat well. Add half of the flour mixture, followed by all of the milk, then the remaining flour mixture; mixing just until each addition is combined. Do not overmix. Divide the batter evenly into the cupcake liners.
- Bake for 13-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. Puree the raspberries in a food processor. Strain the raspberries through a sieve (or cheesecloth) to remove seeds. Place the butter, salt, strained raspberries, and raspberry extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating at low speed until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Top cupcakes with frosting. If desired, garnish with a lemon wedge and a raspberry.
Notes
How long are these cupcakes good at room temperature?
Up to 2 days on the countertop in an airtight container. If you need them to last a few days longer, be sure to store them in an airtight container in the fridge.Can cupcakes be frozen?
YES! You can freeze cupcakes! UNFROSTED – Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool. Wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and then place them in an airtight freezer-safe container. FROSTED – Personally, I prefer to freeze unfrosted cupcakes because I love the taste of fresh frosting – but if you need to know how to use this option, freezing them can be done! Place the cooled and frosted cupcakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer until the frosting has frozen about 2 hours. Wrap each cupcake individually in plastic wrap and place them in a single layer in an airtight freezer-safe container. For UNFROSTED or FROSTED: Be sure to use them within 3 months. When you’re ready to defrost them, peel off the plastic wrap and let them sit on the counter until thawed completely.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published on April 24, 2014. Updated on March 17, 2021.
Absolutely delicious!!
For the raspberry frosting, I know it says the raspberry extract is optional but I really wanted to add it but I can’t find any here at any store. Can almond extract be substituted for it? Thanks
You can use almond, but obviously, it will change the taste.
If I don’t have lemon extract, how much lemon juice would you suggest I Use?
It is recommended that a good substitution ratio is one teaspoon of lemon extract to every two tablespoons of lemon juice.
Can I use this recipe for a cake ? Thanks !
Yes! You will need to adjust the baking time depending on the pan you plan on using.