These Easy Fresh Raspberry Cupcakes with Vanilla are light, moist, and fluffy. They make the perfect early summer treat.
Fresh raspberries are dotted throughout moist vanilla cupcakes adding a bright burst of berry color and flavor.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- These Fresh Raspberry Cupcakes are quick and easy to make.
- They can be made with fresh or frozen raspberries meaning you can make them all year round.
- These Easy Raspberry Cupcakes are sweet and tangy with a burst of fresh raspberries in every bite.
- They also stay moist for several days. Make them ahead of time for a stress-free party dessert.
Looking for more cupcake recipes? Try these Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes.
Recipe Ingredients
All you need are a few simple ingredients to make these amazing Easy Fresh Raspberry Cupcakes with Vanilla.
Flour: No special flours are needed for these cupcakes. All-purpose flour is perfect. For accuracy, the best way to measure the flour is by using a digital kitchen scale.
Tip: If you don't have a digital scale, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a butter knife. Try not to compress the flour into the measuring cup.
Salt: I add at least a pinch of salt to all of my recipes. Salt complements and intensifies the other flavors. For all of my recipes, I use Morton Kosher Salt which packs more densely than Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you are using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt you will want to double the amount of salt you add.
Unsalted Butter: Butter brings some amazing flavor to these cupcakes. I prefer to use unsalted butter because the salinity of butter can vary from brand to brand. By using unsalted butter and adding salt I can control how much salt is added to the batter.
Make sure your butter has softened to room temperature to make creaming the butter and sugar together easier.
Granulated White Sugar: When the butter and sugar are creamed together the sharp sugar crystals pierce the butter making it light and fluffy which translates to a fluffy cupcake.
Vegetable Oil: Just a small amount of oil added to the batter helps to keep these cupcakes moist for longer.
Eggs: The fat from the eggs helps to keep the cupcakes moist while also giving structure to the cupcakes.
Tip: If you don't have buttermilk you can make your own by adding ½ a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to ½ a cup of milk. Let the mixture sit for 5minutes until it begins to curdle.
Raspberries: Tossing the berries in a bit of flour helps to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes.
Need some more raspberry recipes? Try these Sourdough Raspberry Muffins, these Raspberry Nutella Brownies, or these Raspberry Apple Muffins.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
Raspberries: You can use fresh or frozen raspberries. If you use frozen raspberries do not thaw them first.
Fruit: This cupcake recipe makes a great base for a variety of fruits. Switch the raspberries out for other berries to change the flavor of the cupcakes. Be sure to cut the fruit down to a similar size as a raspberry.
Skip the frosting and call them raspberry muffins.
Mix white or dark chocolate chips into the batter along with the raspberries.
Step by Step Directions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
Step 2: Combine 1 ¼ cups flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Add the butter, sugar, and oil to a large bowl and cream together with a mixer until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. (Photos 1 & 2)
Step 4: Add the eggs one at a time, beating each egg in until completely combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. (Photo 3)
Step 5: Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined. (Photo 4)
Step 6: Add the buttermilk and mix until well combined. The batter may look curdled, it's ok. (Photo 5)
Step 7: Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. (Photo 6)
Tip: Alternating adding the wet and dry ingredients to the butter and sugar prevents the mixture from separating.
Step 8: Add the raspberries to a small bowl and toss with the remaining ¼ cup of flour. (Photo 7)
Tip: Tossing the berries in a bit of flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes.
Step 9: Gently fold the raspberries into the batter. (Photo 8)
Step 10: Fill the cupcake liners about ¾ full. (Photos 9 & 10)
Tip: Use a cookie scoop to evenly portion the cupcake batter into the muffin pans.
Tip: Do not overfill the cupcake liners. Overfilling will cause a muffin top and possibly allow the centers of the cupcakes to sink. The liner helps to support the cupcake. Once it rises above the liner it no longer has the necessary support.
Step 11: Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Remove cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 2 minutes.
Remove the cupcakes from the pan and place them on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Tip: Leaving the cupcakes in the pan will allow them to continue to cook and become dry. Remember cupcakes are small and can easily overcook.
I love filling these raspberry cupcakes with Lemon Curd and topping them with Lemon Swiss Meringue. (Images 13 &14)
Tip: If frosting the cupcakes, wait until they have cooled completely, otherwise the frosting will melt.
Love lemon flavored desserts try these Panera Bread Lemon Drop Cookies, or this Fresh Thyme Cheesecake with Lemon.
Make-Ahead Tip: Bake the cupcakes ahead of time. Once they have cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for one to two days. Unfrosted cupcakes can also be stored in the freezer sealed in an airtight container for up to one month.
Recipe FAQs
Baking times for all recipes are only suggestions. The actual baking time will vary depending upon your oven. It is helpful to know your oven and worth purchasing an inexpensive oven thermometer. Oven temperatures can vary as much as 50 degrees plus or minus.
Insert a toothpick or cake tester into the center of the cupcake. If it comes out clean the cupcakes are fully baked.
You can also check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. Cupcakes are done when they have an internal temperature of 205 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week.
Once frosted the cupcakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
You can bake the cupcakes ahead of time. Once they have cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for one to two days. Unfrosted cupcakes can also be stored in the freezer sealed in an airtight container for up to one month.
Expert Tips
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. Room-temperature ingredients mix together easier.
- Alternating adding the wet and dry ingredients to the butter and sugar prevents the mixture from separating.
- Tossing the berries in a bit of flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes.
- You can use fresh or frozen raspberries. If you use frozen raspberries do not thaw them first.
- Use a cookie scoop to evenly portion the cupcake batter into the muffin pans.
- Do not overfill the cupcake liners. Overfilling will cause a muffin top and possibly allow the centers of the cupcakes to sink. The liner helps to support the cupcake. Once it rises above the liner it no longer has the necessary support.
- If frosting the cupcakes, wait until they have cooled completely, otherwise the frosting will melt.
More Springtime Desserts
Thanks for Reading!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Fresh Raspberry Cupcakes with Vanilla
Ingredients
Raspberry Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup raspberries sliced in half
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
Raspberry Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , ¾ cup granulated white sugar, and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to a large bowl and cream together with a mixer until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Add the 2 large eggs one at a time, beating each egg in until completely combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined.
- Add the ½ cup buttermilk and mix until well combined. The batter may look curdled, it's ok.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
- Add the 1 cup raspberries to a small bowl and toss with the remaining ¼ cup all-purpose flour.
- Fill the cupcake liners about ¾ full and bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 2 minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes from the pan and place them on a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Clayton says
Yes loved them
Erica says
Yay! I am glad you liked them.