This is a raspberry lemonade-inspired cupcake: a moist, tender lemon cake brightened with fresh lemon zest and juice, filled with raspberry jam, and finished with a raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream. These lemon and raspberry cupcakes are a chic, spring-ready dessert.
This version is a lighter take on a strawberry lemonade cake but uses a delicate Swiss meringue buttercream for a silky finish. To keep the crumb tender, I use the reverse creaming method: the dry ingredients are mixed with the butter before the eggs and buttermilk are added. Coating the flour with fat at the start limits gluten development, producing cupcakes that are light, fluffy, and exceptionally moist.
Swiss meringue buttercream can seem intimidating, but it’s worth the effort. I include straightforward troubleshooting tips below to help if the buttercream looks soupy or curdled at first—this often resolves with continued whipping or a short chill. The result is a lightly sweet, silky frosting that complements the lemon and raspberry perfectly.
Key Ingredients & Test Notes
- All Purpose Flour: Aim for flour with 10–11% protein for a soft, tender crumb.
- Unsalted Butter: European-style butter (around 82% butterfat) adds richer flavor in both cake and frosting.
- Granulated Sugar: Rub lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips to release oils and deepen lemon flavor.
- Large Eggs: Use room-temperature eggs for the batter and room-temperature egg whites for the buttercream.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and a slight tang that pairs well with lemon.
- Fresh Lemons: Zest and juice give the best bright lemon flavor; you don’t need extract.
- Raspberry Preserves: Use preserves with raspberry pieces for more texture and flavor. Store-bought is sweeter than homemade; adjust to taste.
Jenn’s Tips!
- Use High-Quality Butter: European-style butter improves flavor—look for brands with higher butterfat if available.
- Use Softened Butter: Butter should be softened, not cold, to cream properly with sugar in the batter and in the buttercream. Allow an hour or more at room temperature.
- Infuse the Sugar with Lemon: Rubbing zest into the sugar releases essential oils and boosts lemon flavor before creaming.
Raspberry Swiss Buttercream Tips
- Clean Your Mixing Tools: Wipe the bowl and whisk with lemon juice or a clean cloth to remove any oil residue before whipping egg whites.
- Butter Temperature: Aim for butter that’s soft but not warm or oily. If in a hurry, microwave short bursts (10–20 seconds) to soften small chunks—don’t melt.
- Check Meringue Temperature: Whip egg whites and sugar to stiff peaks and let the bowl cool to around 75°F (23°C) before adding butter to prevent melting.
- Curdled Appearance: Buttercream can look soupy or curdled after adding butter; this is normal—keep whipping and it will come together.
- If Too Cold: If the buttercream won’t come together after 5–10 minutes, warm the bowl slightly over a double boiler or heat a portion of the meringue briefly and whip back in until smooth.
- If Too Warm: Chill the bowl for 10 minutes and then whip again if the mixture remains loose after sufficient whipping.
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5 from 1 vote
Lemon and Raspberry Cupcakes
By Jenn Davis
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 50 mins
Yield: 8 large or 12 regular cupcakes
Moist lemon cake filled with raspberry jam and topped with a bright raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream.
Equipment
- electric stand mixer
- 12-cavity cupcake pan (or 6-cavity large muffin pan)
- paper cupcake liners
- piping bag and tips
- kitchen scale
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Cupcake Batter
- 250 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour, 10–11% protein
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 267 grams (1 1/3 cups) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 113 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted European-style butter, softened
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 60 grams (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice, room temperature
- 160 grams (2/3 cup) buttermilk, room temperature
- raspberry jam, for filling
Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 180 grams (6 large) egg whites, room temperature
- 300 grams (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
- 450 grams (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional — adjust to taste)
- 213 grams (2/3 cup) raspberry jam
Toppings
- fresh raspberries
Instructions
Raspberry Jam Filling
- Place raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 10–12 minutes until boiling, mashing with a wooden spoon to break down the berries.
- Whisk cornstarch and water in a small bowl and stir into the jam. Cook 1–2 more minutes until thickened.
- Optional: press the warm jam through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds.
- Transfer to a heatproof container and cool completely before assembling. Jam can be made ahead and stored airtight.
Cupcake Batter
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C (160°C fan). Line a 12-cavity cupcake pan or a 6-cavity jumbo muffin pan with liners.
- Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Put the sugar and lemon zest in the mixer bowl and rub together with your fingertips to infuse the sugar. Add the flour mixture and mix on low to distribute.
- Add softened butter and mix until just combined, about 1 minute; mixture should look coarse.
- Whisk eggs and vanilla in a small bowl, then add to the batter and beat on medium-high for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Slowly add lemon juice and buttermilk until smooth. Scrape the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
- Divide batter into liners, filling 3/4 full. Bake regular cupcakes 15–18 minutes or jumbo 20–25 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to the rack to cool completely.
Fill the Cupcakes
- Use a small knife or a cupcake corer to remove a small circle from the center top of each cupcake. Fill with about a teaspoon or two of raspberry jam.
Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Ensure the mixer bowl and whisk are clean and dry; wipe with lemon juice if desired to remove any oils.
- Combine egg whites and sugar in the bowl and set over a pot of simmering water (double boiler). Whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160°F (72°C) or feels smooth between your fingers (6–8 minutes).
- Remove from heat, dry the bottom of the bowl, and whip on medium-high until the meringue is glossy and forms stiff peaks and the bowl is cool to the touch (about 10–15 minutes).
- Switch to the paddle attachment. On medium speed, add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, waiting for each addition to incorporate. The meringue may soften—continue adding butter.
- When half the butter is incorporated, stop and scrape the bowl, then add the remaining butter. Continue mixing; the mixture may look runny or split but will come together after 10–15 minutes of mixing.
- If it still hasn’t become frosting-like after 10 minutes, chill the bowl for 10 minutes and whip again until smooth.
- Once the buttercream is spreadable, add vanilla and salt, then mix in the raspberry jam on low speed. Adjust color with gel if desired and remove air bubbles by mixing on low with the paddle.
- Pipe frosting onto cupcakes, starting from the edge and spiraling inward. Top with fresh raspberries if desired.
Notes
- Oven: This recipe was tested in a conventional oven. For convection (fan) ovens, reduce temperature by 25°F and begin checking for doneness early.
Weigh your flour: The recipe uses weights for accuracy. The tested conversion: 1 cup flour = 125 grams. Different flours have varying protein levels and can affect results—use the listed weight when possible.
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