Raspberry buttercream is one of my go-to frostings when I want something simple but full of flavor. It’s easy to make, has a naturally pretty color, and the fresh raspberry taste adds a nice balance to sweet cakes and cupcakes. I first made it for a family birthday, and it quickly became a favorite—bright, creamy, and just a little tangy. Whether you’re topping a layer cake or spreading it on cookies, this frosting adds a fresh twist without a lot of fuss.
When you make your own frosting it is just better. Some store bought frostings do not even contain ingredients you can recognize. Two of my favorites are my whipped chocolate frosting and my sugar cookie buttercream frosting.
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Why this Raspberry Buttercream Recipe is a Keeper
This is the best raspberry buttercream recipe. It’s quick, easy and great on any cupcake recipe. It’s so full of delicious raspberry flavor, you’ll never make regular vanilla, butter and powdered sugar frosting again.
- Vibrant Flavor: It delivers an intensely fruity, fresh raspberry flavor that is hard to achieve with artificial flavorings or extracts.
- Beautiful Color: The natural color from the fresh fruit gives the buttercream a gorgeous, appealing hue without needing food coloring.
- Versatility: It’s perfect for cakes, cupcakes, macarons, tarts, and more.
- Balanced Sweetness: When done right, it strikes a perfect balance between the sweetness of the buttercream and the tartness of the raspberries.
- Simple: While it may seem intimidating to some, the basic principles are straightforward, and with a good recipe, it’s quite achievable for home bakers.
Can I Use Frozen Raspberries?
Yes. For this homemade buttercream frosting, we used a combination of fresh and frozen raspberries.
Pro Tip
To get that gorgeous berry-pink color without artificial dye, use freeze-dried raspberry powder. It packs concentrated flavor and natural color, without making the frosting runny.
Ingredient Notes for Fresh Raspberry Buttercream
You only need a few simple ingredients to make the best buttercream frosting, and most are kitchen staples!
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Unsalted Butter: Softened butter is much easier to work with than cold butter when making easy raspberry buttercream.
- Sugar: Use powdered icing sugar. Granulated sugar won’t blend as nicely.
- Raspberries: You can use fresh berries or frozen berries. I like to use fresh, real raspberries for as much vibrant raspberry flavor as I can get.
Variations and Substitutions to Make Raspberry Buttercream
This recipe is super easy to customize. I like to take it to the next level by using different berries and trying different flavors.
- Fruit: While raspberry is the star, you can apply the same technique to other berries like strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries. Just be aware that some fruits have more seeds than others.
- Type of Buttercream: This guide primarily assumes an American buttercream base. However, you can incorporate raspberry purée into Swiss meringue, Italian meringue, or French buttercream for different textures and stabilities. For meringue buttercreams, ensure the purée is very concentrated and added gradually to avoid deflating the meringue.
- Flavor Boosters: A tiny splash of raspberry liqueur (like Chambord) can enhance the flavor, or a touch of vanilla extract or almond extract can complement the raspberry.
- Dairy-Free: Use a good quality plant-based butter substitute and plant-based milk/cream if needed for thinning.
Special Equipment Needed
To make this recipe, you will need one item to make it just right.
- Electric Mixer: Use a hand mixer to easily beat the ingredients together. If you’re making a big batch, a stand mixer may be helpful.
How to Make Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
This recipe comes together in just 2 easy to follow steps. This is so easy and delicious, I come back to it again and again.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Make the Buttercream: In a large bowl, add the powdered sugar and softened butter. Beat together for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the Flavor: Mix in the cream and vanilla extract. Beat in the raspberries until no large chunks remain.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for Raspberry Frosting
Preparing ingredients ahead of time can help to save me time and kitchen space when it comes to making the recipe.
- Raspberry Sauce: Make the raspberry puree a day or two in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Ensure it’s chilled before adding to the buttercream.
- Buttercream Base: You can make the basic buttercream (without the raspberry purée) a day ahead and store it at room temperature (if using American buttercream and your kitchen isn’t too warm) or in the fridge, then re-whip before adding the purée.
How to Store, Freeze and Use Leftovers
- Countertop: Raspberry buttercream can be stored at cool room temperature (below 75°F/24°C) for up to 1-2 days in an airtight container, especially if it’s American buttercream.
- Refrigerator: Store easy buttercream frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: For longer storage, freeze delicious raspberry buttercream in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before re-whipping.
- Leftovers: Use this fresh raspberry buttercream recipe to make a layer cake with chocolate or raspberry cake. This recipe makes enough for cupcakes or to frost a cake.
Common Questions to Make this Recipe
Get rid of the seeds by straining the puree. You can also use a seedless raspberry jam or raspberry preserves if you don’t want any seeds.
If your buttercream is too thin, there was too much cream added. Thicken it up with some powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add a little more cream; a little goes a long way.
Expert Tips for Making This Cake Frosting Recipe
- Use Ripe Raspberries: The riper the raspberries, the more intense the flavor will be.
- Reduce the Purée: For a more concentrated flavor and to avoid making your buttercream too watery, simmer the raspberry purée until it thickens slightly. Let it cool completely before adding to the buttercream.
- Cool the Purée Completely: Adding warm or hot purée to buttercream will melt the butter, resulting in a soupy mess. Ensure it’s thoroughly chilled.
- Add Purée Gradually: Incorporate the raspberry purée into your prepared buttercream slowly, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired flavor and color. This also helps you control the consistency.
- Whip It Good: Don’t skimp on whipping time, especially for American buttercream. This incorporates air, making it light and fluffy.
- Adjust Consistency: If your buttercream becomes too thin after adding the purée, chill it briefly in the fridge and re-whip. If it’s too thick, add a tiny bit of milk or cream.
- Taste and Adjust: Always taste your Swiss meringue buttercream as you go. You might want a little more purée for stronger flavor, or a touch more powdered sugar for sweetness/stability.
- Serve this Recipe: Serve with Strawberry Jam Cookies (Thumbprints), Triple Chocolate Cake Recipe or Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.
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Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter, softened
- 4-5 cups Powdered icing sugar, as needed
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Raspberries, we used frozen and thawed
- 1 Tablespoons Cream, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and 4 cups of powdered icing sugar for 2 minutes.
- Add the optional cream and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
- Add the raspberries and beat until the raspberries are broken down and no large pieces remain in the frosting.
Christina’s Notes
- Fresh Raspberries: A 6 oz. clamshell of fresh raspberries can be pureed and used for this recipe.
- Decorate: Utilize fresh raspberries to decorate your dessert so everyone knows what is in it.
- Variation tip: Food Coloring can be used to get a more intense color.
- Alternate ingredient: Strawberries can be used with this recipe to change it up.
- Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting: Replace the butter with cream cheese to make a cream cheese version of this frosting.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
This raspberry frosting is AMAZING!!
Look at the colour on this frosting… it’s gorgeous. I’ve always made strawberry buttercream but I’m going to give this a go.
I used fresh raspberries and it was a beautiful balance of tart and sweet. Plus, the coloris gorgeous!