Raspberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Whipped Cream

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These raspberry cupcakes are moist, light, and made with fresh raspberries. I love pairing raspberries and chocolate so I top them with chocolate whipped cream for a perfect combination!

Raspberry cupcakes with raspberries in the background
Most raspberry desserts, simply mix in fresh raspberries into the batter or use them on top – like my raspberry scones. Other recipes like raspberry lemonade cookies call for freeze dried raspberries. What makes these cupcakes special is that in addition to whole raspberries, there is pureed raspberries mixed into the batter

Tips for Making the Best Raspberry Cupcakes

Two raspberry cupcakes frosted with chocolate whipped cream and topped with fresh raspberries

Raspberry seeds in your batter can yield an off-putting texture and the seeds can get stuck in your teeth. To get strong a raspberry flavor without dealing with the seeds.

To avoid this, food process the raspberries and then strain out the seeds in a fine sieve.

Straining raspberry seeds with sieve

Use lemon zest in the batter. Raspberry and lemon go really well together. The lemon will brighten the raspberry flavor!

Add a couple of fresh raspberries to the cupcakes, but dust the raspberries in flour first. This will help to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes during the bake.

Raspberry Cupcake Batter

The cupcakes should look just like this before going into the oven except the raspberries should be dusted in flour. This was my first batch where I didn’t dust and the raspberries sank.

How to Make Raspberry Cupcakes

If you’ve never made cupcakes before, read my post on how to make cupcakes before starting.

Whisk together eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla until smooth and soupy.

Whisking eggs, sour cream, and vanilla

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest, and sugar with butter in a separate bowl. You can do this with an electric mixer or by hand.

If you use an electric mixer, start on low speed and then increase to high until the ingredients are fully combined.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients a little at a time.

Mixing wet ingredients into dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer
If necessary, pause and scrape down the side of the bowl during mixing.

Tip: If you use a beater blade [paid link] like the one shown in my photos, the blade will scrape the side of the bowl for you.

cupcake batter in the bowl of stand mixer with the blade lifted
Mix in the strained pureed raspberries to lighten up the batter. Be careful not to overmix. Mix until just combined.

Tip: Overmixing batter can make the cupcakes gummy. Read more in my post on overmixing cake batter.

Raspberry Cupcake Batter

Fill cupcake liners about halfway full. Use an ice cream scoop/disher to easily transfer the batter to the cupcake liners.

Dust two raspberries per cupcake in flour and place them on top of the cupcake batter prior to baking.

Bake!

You’ll know the cupcakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean.

Take the hot cupcakes out of the cupcake tin immediately and set them on the counter to cool to room temperature before frosting.

Which Frostings Go Well With Raspberry Cupcakes?

Placing a raspberry on top of chocolate whipped cream frosting
I love using chocolate whipped cream (the recipe is in this post). It’s light and intensely chocolaty.

But, you could also use raspberry buttercream, chocolate cream cheese frosting or a healthy yogurt frosting.

Can You Use Frozen Raspberries?

Yes, you can use frozen raspberries instead of fresh raspberries. Bring them to room temperature before using them.

(If you have extra frozen raspberries, try making raspberry sorbet! It’s easy and so good!)

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!
Raspberry cupcakes
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5 from 11 votes

Raspberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Whipped Cream

These raspberry cupcakes are moist, flavorful, and loaded with fresh raspberries! Frost them with chocolate whipped cream!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 15 cupcakes
Calories 387kcal
Author Stefani

Ingredients

Cupcake Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 3/4 cups cake flour not self-rising, plus a little extra for dusting raspberries
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest zest from 1 small lemon
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 6 ounces fresh raspberries to puree
  • 30 fresh raspberries 2 for each cupcake, to put in the cupcakes

Chocolate Whipped Cream Ingredients

  • 3 cups heavy whipping cream cold
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

Cupcake Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and vegetable oil until smooth.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, lemon zest, and butter on high speed until fully combined.
  • Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients a little bit at a time until just combined.
  • Puree the 6 ounces of raspberries in a food processor or blender.
  • Use a sieve to strain out the berry seeds and retain the liquid.
  • Measure the raspberry liquid in a liquid measuring cup. It should be about 1/2 cup. If it isn't enough, you can add water to make it reach 1/2 cup.
  • Mix raspberry liquid into the batter until just combined.
  • Fill cupcake liners halfway full.
  • Dust remaining raspberries with flour and place two raspberries into the top of each filled cupcake liner.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
  • Remove cupcakes from cupcake tin immediately and set on the counter to cool.

Chocolate Whipped Cream Instructions

  • Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the cold heavy whipping cream on high speed.
  • As you whisk, you'll notice that the cream will begin to get bubbly and then thicken.
  • Keep on whisking until it is thick enough that it doesn't collapse when you lift up the whisk or place some on a spoon. After this happens, mix in the cocoa powder and sugar until just combined.
  • Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Notes

Because of the whipped cream frosting, these cupcakes must be kept refrigerated until ready to serve. Alternatively, you could store them at room temperature and frost them just before serving. 
Unfrosted, they last for about 3 days at room temperature and up to a week in the refrigerator.
For the cupcakes:
  • You can use all-purpose flour in this recipe instead of cake flour. The results won't be dramatically different. The cake will just be a little more dense.
  • Yogurt can be substituted 1:1 for the sour cream. 
  • Be careful not to overmix to keep your cupcakes from getting gummy.
  • Only fill your cupcake liners halfway. To be completely certain that you are filling the right amount, bake a single test cupcake before baking the rest of the batch.
  • Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting so that the frosting doesn't melt.
For the frosting:
  • Make sure the heavy whipping cream is cold.
  • If you are trying to whisk by hand, use a metal bowl and chill it in the refrigerator before whisking.
  • Making whipped cream takes a few minutes, so keep whisking until the cream is the desired consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 147mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 860IU | Vitamin C: 4.4mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 0.8mg
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