Raspberry Cupcakes
These raspberry cupcakes are sweet and refreshing with dense and creamy frosting. Naturally colored and dairy free, they’ll leave you feel a little less guilty about this indulgent treat. Makes 1 dozen cupcakes.
Why you’ll love this raspberry cupcakes
A few weeks ago, I thawed out a bag of frozen raspberries, and by the time they were thawed, I completely forgot why I had done it. Mom brain. To save them, I tossed them in the food processor and made raspberry puree, which I knew would be perfect for making my favorite strawberry cupcakes, except, they’d be raspberry this time.
I’ve been making these cupcakes ever since I started cooking and baking on my own – back when cupcakes were all the rage. I even bought a cupcake cookbook that I though was the coolest thing in the world. I still have it today.
But, these cupcakes were made with butter and milk, and so I put the recipe at the back of my recipe box and forgot all about it until I was forced to do something with those frozen raspberries. I took this as a challenge, and determined to make them raspberry and dairy free. It only took a few simple swaps to make these cupcakes completely dairy free.
I think these might be my favorite cupcakes yet, but I am still a super fan of these coffee cupcakes.
Searching for more cupcake recipes? Vanilla Cupcakes / S’mores Brownie Cupcakes / Spiced Apple Cider Cupcakes / Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Coconut milk – Then I chose to use full-fat coconut milk instead of whole milk, because I think the fat content is more comparable than using nut milk or refrigerated coconut milk. You could potentially use any plant-based milk here though.
- Raspberry puree – I made my own raspberry puree by blending some thawed, frozen raspberries but you can use store bought easily.
- Vegetable shortening – First, I swapped the butter out for vegetable shortening. I used non-hydrogenated shortening, but you can use any vegetable shortening you have on hand, or even coconut oil if you soften it a bit. See more about how I substitute butter here.
- Note: If you’re not eating dairy free and just want to make raspberry cupcakes, you can use the same amount of whole milk and/or butter.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make these raspberry cupcakes
Make the raspberry mixture. In a small bowl, combine the raspberry puree, coconut milk, and a little vanilla extract. Then, just whisk it all together until it’s nice and smooth. You don’t have to go crazy—just mix until everything is combined. Set this aside.
Mix the dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Just give it a quick whisk to make sure everything is evenly evenly distributed. You can set this aside too.
Cream the shortening. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the shortening with the sugar together on medium speed. Let it go for about 2 minutes until the mixture gets nice and fluffy. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks smooth and airy.
Whisk in the eggs. Add the egg and egg whites one by one, beating on medium speed after each until they’re mixed in. Let each one mix in fully before adding the next. This helps the batter stay smooth and prevents it from separating.
Alternate with dry and wet ingredients. Turn the mixer down to low, and then start alternating between adding half the coconut milk and half the flour mixture. Do it in batches—pour in a little coconut milk, mix, then some flour, mix, and repeat until it’s all blended in. This keeps the batter from getting too heavy or overmixed.
Bake. Scoop the batter evenly into the cupcake liners and bake for about 22–25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when you poke it in the center. Once they’re done, let the cupcakes cool completely before you start frosting them.
Frost the cupcakes. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m not a big fan of making “fancy” cupcakes. Even though I love the way they look, I’d rather save my time and just put my frosting on with a spatula. I added fresh raspberries for garnish (off center for fear of them looking too much like a certain female body part), and I called it a day.
More recipe ideas. peanut butter and jelly snack cake / strawberry lemonade cupcakes / French yogurt cake / blue moon ice cream
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup raspberry puree
- 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg whites
- 3 tablespoons raspberry puree
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of coarse salt
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, whisk the raspberry puree, coconut milk, and vanilla extract together.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together.
- Cream the shortening and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at a medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add egg and egg whites, one at a time. Continue to beat at a medium speed until incorporated.
- Reduce speed to low and alternate adding half of the coconut milk and flour mixtures until incorporated.
- Divide batter between cupcakes liners and bake until 22 – 25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Combine the raspberry puree, shortening, and vanilla extract in a large bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer until, adding 1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time until desired consistency is reached.
Hello Melissa, such a nice blog! These raspberry looks so beautiful and I like your recipe. I will try it once. Thanks for sharing.