Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Bright, juicy raspberries and zesty lemon are the stars of these Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes! So fresh, fabulous, and easy!

So a couple of weeks ago, I was in a serious rut.

Normally, I cannot shut up the amount of ideas I have swirling in my head. I am bombarded day after day, sometimes minute after minute of recipe ideas that don’t stop swirling around like a tornado until I make them. Usually this is not a problem, unless I’m broke, or tired, or trying to do something else other than be hyper-focused on Reese’s peanut butter cups.

But I was at a complete stoplight a couple weeks back. I had NO idea what to make, and it was torture.

I mean, I am notorious for coming up with wacky-yet-delicious concoctions on the regular and suddenly my creativity was dry as a bone. What gives?

Thankfully, I have you guys as my resourceful friends to give me ideas, and I received an overwhelming response for raspberry-flavored goodies on Instagram. I happen to adore raspberries and think they’re perfect for spring and summer, so I was game to create something equally delicious and easy featuring this delectable little fruit.

Enter: these Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes! A moist, tender lemon-flavored cupcake topped with a juicy, super flavorful raspberry frosting. These are seriously incredible – the raspberry frosting is KILLER!

My secret for a true, intense, REAL raspberry frosting comes from my fave secret ingredient: freeze-dried raspberries! These are real raspberries that have been – you guessed it – freeze-dried for a wonderful crunch and a great on-the-go snack… but also as a marvelous, amply-flavored ingredient for flavoring cakes or frostings.

You simply pulverize the freeze-dried raspberries until they are a finely ground powder, then mix them into the frosting for a gorgeously colored and flavored frosting!

Combined with the bright and zesty lemon cake, this is a totally fabulous cupcake flavor combo!

Print Recipe

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

These Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes are super flavorful, bright and zesty with fresh flavor!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time18 minutes mins

Total Time28 minutes mins

Course: Cakes/Cupcakes, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Dessert

Servings: 24

Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 1 box lemon cake mix
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Zest of two medium lemons
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 large eggs
• FOR THE FROSTING:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ounce (One 1-ounce package) freeze-dried raspberries finely ground into a powder
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk
• 3½-4 cups confectioners' sugar
• Fresh raspberries for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with 24 paper liners. Set aside.
• Combine the cake mix, buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest, oil, and eggs with an electric mixer until combined, 2 minutes. Portion the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Cool completely.
• For the frosting: Combine the butter and vanilla extract together in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until fluffy, 2 minutes. Add in the freeze-dried raspberry powder and beat slow until incorporated. Gradually add in the confectioners' sugar, one cup at a time, alternating with the heavy cream until frosting is light and fluffy.
• Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Garnish with a fresh raspberry, if desired.

Fresh, easy, flavorful and fabulous! You’ll love these cupcakes!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley

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