Irresistibly Fluffy Roasted Raspberry Cupcakes with Naturally Pink Buttercream | The Ultimate Recipe
Experience a burst of concentrated berry flavor with these irresistibly fluffy roasted raspberry cupcakes. Each bite offers a tender crumb infused with the sweet essence of roasted raspberries, perfectly complemented by a luscious, naturally pink raspberry buttercream. This recipe takes a beloved classic and elevates it, proving that a little extra effort can lead to extraordinary results.
For me, the art of cooking and baking transcends mere sustenance; it’s a profound journey through cherished memories. I vividly recall countless hours spent alongside my grandmother in England, meticulously slicing runner beans, or the warmth of my godfather’s kitchen as he taught me to craft authentic Southern biscuits. Every holiday season brought the joy of assisting my mother with her annual Buche de Noel cake, creating edible masterpieces and lasting traditions. Food, in all its forms, has woven an incredibly meaningful tapestry throughout my life.
It might sound a little whimsical, but cupcakes, these perfectly proportioned little cakes crowned with a swirl of frosting, have played an equally significant role. They represent miniature celebrations, comforting treats, and moments of pure indulgence. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine my culinary journey without them.
Regular readers of this blog know that after graduating from college, I plunged headfirst into the world of professional baking. I landed a job as a baker for a popular DC food truck, owned by my dear friend Sandra. Her passion for baking eventually led her to open one of the cutest bakeries and cafes in the DC area, a testament to her talent and dedication.
During that exhilarating time, I was perpetually dusted with powdered sugar and cocoa, occasionally experiencing minor occupational hazards like getting my fingers stuck in pastry tips. Yet, it was more than just a job; it was a pivotal turning point. It was in the midst of this sweet chaos that I made a bold decision: to pivot from my existing plans, apply to culinary school, and wholeheartedly commit to building this website.
As you can probably gather, cupcakes, and indeed all baked goods, have been central to my life’s narrative. So, when I first laid my hands on the beautifully released cookbook, Grandbaby Cakes, by the incredibly talented Jocelyn Delk Adams of the Grandbaby Cakes blog, my eyes immediately landed on this recipe for roasted raspberry cupcakes.
My initial thoughts were simple: Cupcakes? Always a good idea. Raspberries? Absolutely delightful. Roasted raspberry cupcakes? I was completely and utterly captivated. The idea of deepening the natural sweetness and intensifying the flavor of the berries through roasting was an instant win.
One of the true highlights of my move to Chicago has been the wonderful opportunity to connect with Jocelyn in person. She’s not just a fellow Chicagoan but also a hilarious, driven, and profoundly passionate individual, whose heart is truly centered on family. Her cookbook, Grandbaby Cakes, is a beautiful homage to her grandmother, perfectly encapsulating her deep love and passion for her family through the language of baking.
My favorite cookbooks are those that transcend mere recipes, reading more like captivating stories. They invite you into the author’s kitchen, making you feel as if you’re cooking alongside them, or at the very least, getting to know them on a deeply personal level through their words, recipes, and heartwarming anecdotes. Jocelyn’s cookbook achieves this and so much more, making it a true treasure.
The pages of Grandbaby Cakes are brimming with 50 inventive and delicious cake recipes, showcasing an incredible range. From comforting pound cakes and elegant layer cakes to versatile sheet cakes, adorable baby cakes (including these very roasted raspberry delights!), festive celebration cakes, and cakes perfectly suited for every holiday and season – there’s something for every occasion. It’s a delightful blend where modern culinary creativity meets vintage charm, all in the most delectable cake forms.
What truly sets Grandbaby Cakes apart, beyond its collection of super creative and fun recipes (think unique creations like Dreamsicle Punch Bowl Cake or Buttered Rum and Candied Sweet Potato Crumb Cake), is the thoughtful presentation. Nearly every recipe is accompanied by a treasured family photograph, a personal story that adds soul to the dish, and a beautifully styled image that inspires you to bake.
Moreover, each recipe is conveniently categorized into three skill levels, clearly indicating the time, effort, and baking expertise required. This ingenious classification makes the book incredibly accessible for both novice and seasoned bakers alike, a feature I genuinely appreciate. Whether you’re just starting your baking journey or looking to challenge yourself, you’ll find a perfect baked good for almost any occasion within these pages.
These delightful roasted raspberry cupcakes fall perfectly into the intermediate category. They require a bit more attention to detail and a touch more time, primarily because both the cupcake batter and the frosting are enriched with freshly roasted raspberries. However, don’t let that deter you; they remain straightforward to prepare, and the payoff in flavor is absolutely worth every minute.
As a huge fan of raspberries, I can wholeheartedly say these cupcakes are a revelation! Roasting the raspberries concentrates their flavor, making them sweeter and more intensely aromatic, which shines through beautifully in the fluffy cake. And that buttercream? It achieves the most exquisite, natural bubblegum pink hue purely from the roasted raspberry puree. It’s not just delicious, it’s a feast for the eyes, promising a truly unforgettable dessert experience.
Why Roasting Raspberries Makes All the Difference
The secret to the unparalleled flavor in these cupcakes lies in the simple, yet transformative, step of roasting the raspberries. When fresh raspberries are subjected to high heat, their natural sugars caramelize, and their moisture content reduces. This process intensifies their fruity essence, yielding a deeper, sweeter, and more complex flavor profile than fresh raspberries alone. Roasting also helps to break down the berries, making them easier to puree and seamlessly incorporate into both the cake batter and the buttercream, ensuring a smooth, vibrant, and uniformly flavored result. This technique not only enhances taste but also contributes to the beautiful, natural pink color of the frosting, eliminating the need for excessive artificial dyes.
Tips for Baking Perfect Fluffy Cupcakes
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure your butter, eggs, and sour cream are at room temperature. This allows them to cream together smoothly, creating a more emulsified batter that bakes up light and airy. Cold ingredients can lead to a lumpy batter and a denser cupcake texture.
- Don’t Overmix: After adding the dry ingredients, mix just until combined. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, resulting in tough, chewy cupcakes instead of the desired fluffy ones. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
- Accurate Oven Temperature: Use an oven thermometer to verify your oven’s temperature. Ovens can fluctuate, and an accurate temperature is crucial for even baking and to prevent dry or burnt cupcakes, especially after roasting the berries at a higher initial temperature.
- Fill Correctly: Fill cupcake liners about two-thirds to three-quarters full. This ensures they rise nicely without overflowing, giving you those perfect domed tops.
- Cool Completely: Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. Frosting warm cupcakes will cause the buttercream to melt and slide off, creating a mess instead of a beautiful presentation.
Crafting the Dreamy Raspberry Buttercream
- Sift Your Powdered Sugar: This crucial step prevents lumps in your buttercream, ensuring a silky-smooth texture that’s a joy to pipe and eat.
- Softened Butter is Key: Like with the cupcakes, ensure your unsalted butter for the buttercream is perfectly softened, but not melted. This allows it to whip up light and fluffy.
- Slowly Incorporate Puree: Add the roasted raspberry puree gradually to the whipped butter and sugar. This helps the puree to fully incorporate, ensuring uniform flavor and color without deflating the airy buttercream.
- Adjust Consistency: If your buttercream is too thick, add a tiny splash of milk or cream. If it’s too thin, add a bit more sifted powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
These roasted raspberry cupcakes are more than just a dessert; they’re an invitation to create, to savor, and to share. Whether you’re baking them for a special occasion or simply to brighten an ordinary day, their unique flavor and charming appearance are sure to impress. Get ready to fall in love with the depth of flavor that roasted raspberries bring to this classic treat!
Roasted Raspberry Cupcakes Recipe
Pin
Review
SaveSaved!
Equipment
-
KitchenAid 5 Qt. Artisan Stand Mixer
-
USA 12-Cup Muffin Pan
-
Food Processor
-
Fine-Mesh Strainer
Ingredients
Roasted Raspberries:
- 3 cups fresh raspberries divided
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar
Cupcakes:
- 1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (6 oz; 90 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup sour cream room temperature
- ½ cup (120 mL) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure raspberry extract
- 3-4 drops red food coloring optional, for a deeper pink hue
Raspberry Buttercream:
- 3½ cups (420 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 1 cup (8 oz; 230 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ teaspoon pure raspberry extract
- pinch kosher salt
- fresh raspberries for decorating (optional)
Instructions
For the Roasted Raspberries:
-
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with an oven rack positioned in the center. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
-
On one end of the prepared baking sheet, arrange 2 cups of raspberries in a single layer – these will be used for your cupcake batter. On the other end of the baking sheet, place the remaining 1 cup of raspberries – these will be for your buttercream. Ensure the two sections are distinctly separated. Sprinkle both sections evenly with the granulated sugar.
-
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the raspberry juices just begin to release and the berries soften. Carefully remove the roasted raspberries from the oven and set them aside to cool completely.
For the Cupcakes:
-
Reduce your oven temperature to 350°F (176°C). If you have a separate oven thermometer, it’s highly recommended to check the temperature before baking your cupcakes to ensure accuracy. This prevents burning or over-baking your cupcakes after the high-temperature berry roast. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with 20 to 24 cupcake liners.
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the granulated sugar and softened unsalted butter. Cream these ingredients together on medium-high speed for approximately 6 minutes, until the mixture becomes very pale yellow, light, and fluffy.
-
While the butter-sugar mixture is creaming, transfer the 2-cup portion of roasted raspberries to a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour this puree through a fine-mesh strainer to remove all seeds, yielding a smooth, flavorful raspberry liquid. Repeat this process with the remaining 1-cup portion of roasted raspberries, keeping the two raspberry purees separate.
-
Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture in the stand mixer bowl, one at a time. Beat well after each addition, ensuring full incorporation, and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually mix in the first (larger) portion of raspberry puree, adding a small amount at a time until fully blended. (Note: The measured volume of puree will be less than the initial 2 cups of whole raspberries).
-
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the unbleached all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Slowly add half of this dry flour mixture to your stand mixer bowl. Mix on the lowest speed just until combined, being careful not to overmix.
-
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and vegetable oil until smooth. Add this mixture to your stand mixer bowl.
-
Add the remaining flour mixture to your stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed until everything is just well incorporated. Again, be very careful not to overbeat the batter. Stir in the pure vanilla extract, pure raspberry extract, and the red food coloring (if you are using it to achieve a deeper pink hue). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl one final time and mix until the batter is just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cupcakes tender.
-
Using an ice cream scoop (preferably one with a trigger release) or a spoon, evenly distribute the batter into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each approximately ¾ full. Take care not to overfill, as this can cause them to spill over during baking. Bake for 17 to 21 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out mostly clean, with only a few moist crumbs attached.
-
Allow the freshly baked cupcakes to cool in their pans for 5 minutes. After this initial cooling, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature. Once cooled, lightly cover the cupcakes with foil or plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
For the Buttercream:
-
Thoroughly clean your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment. Add the sifted confectioners’ sugar and room-temperature unsalted butter to the bowl. Mix on very low speed initially to prevent the sugar from flying out, then gradually increase the speed to medium-high once the sugar is fully incorporated. Continue to mix until the buttercream is light, pale, and fluffy.
-
Add the remaining portion of smooth raspberry puree (the 1-cup batch), the pure raspberry extract, and the pinch of kosher salt to the buttercream. Beat the mixture until it transforms into a beautiful, uniform cotton-candy pink color and the puree is completely incorporated, resulting in a perfectly smooth frosting.
-
Once the cupcakes have cooled down entirely, it’s time to frost them with your delightful raspberry buttercream. I prefer using a large star tip for a lovely piped swirl. For an extra touch of elegance and fresh flavor, garnish each cupcake with a few fresh raspberries (this step is optional but highly recommended). Serve immediately and enjoy!