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Lemon Raspberry Filled Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting are the burst of fresh citrus and fruit to take your cupcake game to the next level. With rich white chocolate buttercream on top, there’s no other cupcake you’ll crave more!
I am SO excited to share this recipe with you all today! And I swear, it’s not just because I made cupcakes that actually turned out well. 🙂
Ok if I am being completely honest, it’s partially because of that.
I am literally the worst cake decorator in the entire world and the fact that these actually look cute is a huge win for me!
*insert happy personal victory dance here*
Lemon and raspberry is such a classic combination and I have wanted to put them together in a cupcake for a long time. Lemon desserts are just the best, aren’t they?
I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that I LOVE filling my cupcakes with something. I love that surprise you get once you bite into a filled cupcake and discover there’s an extra flavor in there!
It’s another way to amp up the flavor and it never fails to bring a smile to people’s faces. The lemon flavor in the cupcakes is a burst of sunshine in your mouth.
A surprise in the center of a cupcake always brings a grin to my lips, I don’t know about you 😉
Though cupcakes can seem daunting, straightforward cupcake recipes like the one below are easy to master.
The best advice I can give anyone who is afraid of baking is, measure out all your ingredients ahead of time.
Then, as you follow the instructions, that little panic feeling won’t start rising in your throat as you furiously try to scroll up to see the measurement, then back down to pick up where you left off with the recipe.
Just channel your inner Anne Burrell and remember mise en place!
Funny story about mise en place and these lemon raspberry filled cupcakes…
Went to the refrigerator and discovered we had heavy cream instead of buttermilk when I was halfway through the recipe (I really should listen to my own advice…)!
Instead of venture out into the rain this weekend to buy buttermilk, I made buttermilk.
For real.
Like old-fashioned, churn by hand buttermilk.
Did you know you can just fill a mason jar about halfway with heavy cream, seal it and shake it for about 10 minutes and you’ll end up not only with buttermilk, but also fresh butter?! *mind blown*
Now I have cupcakes AND fresh butter. #winwinwin
These cupcakes have just the right amount of lemon in the moist cake to let the raspberry filling shine.
The white chocolate buttercream cuts through the acidity and will have you swooning in no time.
Please promise me one thing…
Ignore my attempt at frosting cupcakes. I don’t have the touch of a true cake decorator, no matter how hard I try…
I am 100% sure you will be able to do a better job with all those Pinterest guides out in the world!
Honestly, my personal favorite are these fox cupcakes. This tutorial walks you through how to create the most adorable little characters on top!
ingredients
flour. All you need for this recipe is all-purpose flour. Be sure to sift it before using it in the cupcake batter.
leavening agents. You will need both baking powder and baking soda.
salt. All you need is kosher fine salt for the cupcake batter and white chocolate frosting.
butter. Use unsalted butter in the recipe! If you use salted butter, be sure to omit the salt called for in the cupcake batter and frosting.
sugar. We use granulated sugar for both the cupcakes and the filling.
eggs. Large eggs are always best for baking!
buttermilk. Buttermilk makes the cupcakes super moist and fluffy.
vanilla extract. High-quality vanilla extract is a must for baking. You can easily make you own homemade vanilla extract or you can also use this Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract from Nielsen Massey.
lemon. Fresh lemon juice and zest give the cupcakes all their lemony flavor!
raspberries. The raspberry filling tastes best when you use fresh raspberries.
cornstarch. Cornstarch is used to thicken the raspberry filling.
powdered sugar. Also known as confectioner’s sugar, this is used to sweeten the frosting.
white chocolate. Melted white chocolate gives the frosting such a lovely chocolate flavor!
milk. Milk helps to thin out the frosting so it is easy to pipe on the cupcakes.
this recipes must-haves
For bakeware, I prefer to use this cupcake pan – it’s lasted me for years!
To make the raspberry filling, you will need a saucepan and a wooden spoon.
For the cupcakes, have you stand mixer (or electric mixer), medium bowl, and whisk ready! A wire rack for cooling the cupcakes is ideal to get them to room temperature quickly for frosting.
You will also need cupcake decorating icing tips and disposable decorating bags to decorate your cupcakes however you would like.
tips for success
change up the filling. You can easily change up the filling by using lemon curd instead of raspberry filling.
add lemon to the frosting. Want some more lemon flavor? Add lemon zest to the frosting too!
use a different frosting. Champagne cream cheese frosting or lemon buttercream frosting are great alternatives to use in this recipe.
how to store
Store. Place in an airtight container and store either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The cupcakes will last in the fridge up to 1 week, and at room temperature up to 3 days.
Finally, if you make this lemon cupcakes recipe, please be sure to give this recipe a star recipe rating on the recipe card and/or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment.
Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!
Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!
lemon raspberry filled cupcakes
ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 large lemon
- 2 pints fresh raspberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 cup butter softened
- 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 10 oz white chocolate melted and slightly cooled
- 2 Tbsp milk more if needed
instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the ingredients for the raspberry filling. Stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up the berries. Once thickened, remove from heat. Cool completely in the refrigerator or freezer (be careful not to let it freeze!).
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line two 12-cup cupcake tins with cupcake liners or grease well.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed with the sugar until it forms a softened paste, approximately 1 minute. Add the eggs in one at a time, beating after each until incorporated, making sure to scrape down the edges as needed.
- Set the mixer to a low speed and alternate between adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, working in two batches for each. Once fully incorporated, beat in the vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake pans, filling each cupcake liner approximately three-quarters full. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Transfer the pans to wire racks and cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes, before turning out the cupcakes to cool completely.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. In a clean bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter for approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in sugar slowly on low. Add white chocolate, salt, milk and vanilla extract and beat on low until incorporated. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth and fluffy, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. If the icing is too thick, add more milk (1 Tbsp at a time) until desired consistency is reached.
- Using a cupcake corer (or a small pairing knife), remove the center of each cupcake. The hole you create should be about a 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch deep. Fill each cupcake with approximately 1 to 2 tsp of the raspberry filling.
- Frost cupcakes as desired and garnish with raspberry on top.
ZazaCook says
Very very cute! These cupcakes look yummy!
juju says
for real
Carol Aslesen says
Was this recipe really supposed to have 1 Tbsp of baking powder? My cupcakes rose too much, then collapsed on themselves and were full of air holes. Not a good texture. If I try these again, I will buy a box mix of lemon cake and enhance it with real lemon juice/zest.
Meghan B. says
Hmmm I’m not sure why you ran into that – my cupcakes didn’t come out like that when I made them so I am sorry to hear that you ran into trouble! I’m wondering if there is a difference in altitude that made it come out differently – obviously less baking powder would help. If you try it again I would suggest halving the amount listed!
Susan Sachen says
I want to make the filling ahead of time before traveling to an anniversary event. How long will the rasberry filling keep if refrigerated? Same for the frosting please.
Meghan B. says
You can definitely make the filling ahead of time! If you keep it refrigerated, it will last for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The frosting will last a couple of days as well. If you go to frost the cupcakes and the buttercream seems dry, add in some heavy whipping cream (about 1 Tbsp at a time) until it’s moistened and the right consistency again. It shouldn’t get dry but if you are somewhere really hot and dry it might!
Sarah Cobabe says
I made these last night and they were delicious! The white chocolate buttercream is to die for and the raspberry filling is a nice tart contrast to a sweet frosting. The only issue was the cupcake batter. I read the reviews and saw that someone else struggled with the amount of baking powder so I used half like the blogger recommended and it still didn’t really work out. They came out more with a more cornbread texture than a cupcake texture. I live in the Rocky Mountains so maybe I need to look into how altitude affects some recipes. But with that being said, overall, it was a hit! I will definitely be making these again, I just have to figure out what to do about the batter or use something different.
Christina says
For the white chocolate — is that white chocolate chips melted or white chocolate bark? Is it just melted or made into a ganache?
Meghan Y. says
I used melted white chocolate chips! Just melted in the microwave, 20 second increments, stirring in between each.
Senthil Muthiah says
For the cupcakes, can I use half oil and half butter?
I am not sure if 1 tbsp baking powder is too much.
Can I use regular milk in place of buttermilk?
Meghan Y. says
Hi there! I have not made the recipe with half oil and half butter, so I can’t say that it will definitely work if you do so. I know that you can substitute 3/4 of butter for oil as a general rule though. I would not substitute regular milk for buttermilk, however you can make your own substitute with this! https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/buttermilk-substitute/
Senthil Muthiah says
I am not sure if I should use 1 Tbsp of baking powder. Is it a bit too much?
Senthil Muthiah says
I just checked the recipe for the right amount of baking powder. So, I think it has the right amount of baking powder.
Kellie Lariviere says
Can you use frozen raspberries? If I make the filling ahead of time with fresh raspberries can I freeze it?
Meghan Y. says
You can definitely use frozen raspberries! I would thaw and drain them before using. If you are taking about freezing the raspberry filling, that’s totally doable. Freeze in a ziplock after cooling completely. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using!
Kellie Lariviere says
Thank you! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
SJ says
We made these today. We made 12 so we cut the recipe in half and we made some customized tweaks. We used less confectioners sugar in the frosting and it still came out great. We added a little more lemon juice and lemon zest. This recipe is great and the combination of flavors is amazing. Some others commented on the cupcake batter but ours was SO moist and so lemony and delicious. We did make 12 so halved all the measurements. We also used all organic ingredients, I think this makes a difference.
Emma says
Do you have the measurements for these delicious cupcakes in grams? We don’t use cups so have no idea what u need! 🙂
Thanks
Meghan Y. says
Hi Emma! I unfortunately don’t have the exact measurements for this recipe in grams. I have the approximate conversion below based on what I found online:
Cupcakes
408g sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
227g unsalted butter, room temperature
402g sugar
4 eggs
296g buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1 large lemon
Filling
2 pints raspberries
100g granulated sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
Frosting
128g butter, softened
512g confectioner’s sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
10 oz white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
2 Tbsp milk + more if needed
lucy says
can I make 2 tiered square cake out of this?
Meghan Y. says
You should be able to if you double the recipe for the cake! You can use the raspberry filling (I would double it and chill it completely before using) in between the layers. I would also double the frosting!
Kevin Gonzalez says
Can you whisk everything hand wise
Meghan Y. says
I have not tried to whisk everything by hand myself, so I am not sure how it would turn out. I would recommend using a mixer!
AP says
If short on time, can we use boxed lemon cake mix? Would you recommend adding anything to it if we did use that?
Meghan Y. says
You certainly can! I don’t know that I would add anything extra to the batter – I’d just stick with the package directions and add in the filling and buttercream as the recipe outlines. Enjoy!
Bja says
Has anyone froze the cupcakes for a couple weeks when made?
Meghan Y. says
I haven’t heard of anyone freezing these unfortunately! This is a pretty detailed post about freezing them – https://www.lifeasastrawberry.com/cupcakes-104-how-to-store-and-freeze-cupcakes/. For these I would recommend freezing without the frosting, because I worry about the white chocolate in the frosting not holding up to freezing and thawing well.
amber says
Do you know how this frosting holds up? I’m thinking about making these for an outdoor event.
Thanks
Meghan Y. says
I would keep them chilled for as long as possible if the weather is very warm! I haven’t put them outside in high heat but I imagine they won’t hold up too long in extreme heat. Definitely keep them in the shade if possible!
Denver Baker says
Thanks so much for this recipe! Fun to make and a hit with friends. Here is what I learned:
1. For folks wondering about the amount of baking powder, the recipe calls for 1 tsp (teaspoon) not 1 Tblsp (tablespoon) Maybe it has since been fixed?
2. I am at 5,000 feet, so I used 1/2 tsp baking powder, increased the milk by 1 Tblsp, decreased sugar 2 Tblsp and increased temp to 360. Worked well.
3. I didn’t have buttermilk or milk, for that matter, and added 1 Tbsp to So Delicious cocount milk.
4. Didn’t have enough paper cups, so put extra batter in freezer.
5. Didin’t have a cupcake corer so used a the wide end of a piping bag tip. Did the job. You could also use a paring knife.
5. Frosting is AMAZING!
6. Oh – and I made the raspberry jam the day before – really tasty and not too sweet.
7. If I were to make this again, I would decrease amount of powder sugar as another poster suggested, increase amount of lemon zest and keep fiddling with high altitude adjustments.
Happy Baking to all
Samantha Davis says
Hi there! This recipe looks so delicious. I am hoping to make them for an upcoming baby shower. I am curious if you have had any luck or know if this recipe would work with a gluten free flour? Some of the ladies attending are gluten free so was thinking about trying to sub the flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking flour.
Thank you so much!
Meghan Y. says
Hi Samantha! You can definitely use a 1:1 gluten free flour for this recipe! I haven’t tried it but since it’s 1:1 I’ve never run into issues with my other baking so I can’t imagine you would run into problems here. I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill if you need a recommendation!
Mary Duflo says
I”m excited to try these.
Meghan Y. says
I hope you adore them as much as we do!
Alycia says
This has become my go-to recipe for cupcakes! Love how lemony they are and the raspberry filling is my favorite. I used a lemon buttercream frosting last time I made these and they were a hit! In fact, several people asked if I purchased these from a bakery! 5 stars all around!
Meghan Y. says
Oh wow, thank you so much!! I love that these are a favorite for you!!