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- January 19, 2021
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The best ever raspberry buttercream recipe with real raspberry flavor! If you’re looking for an amazing, fruity, delicious and pipeable raspberry frosting, this recipe is it! I make my berry buttercream with a zesty raspberry sauce, softened butter and confectioner’s sugar. You can actually smell the real raspberries in this frosting recipe! This recipe is part of my ‘Back to Cake Basics’ series, where I share basic cake, frosting and filling recipes you can mix and match for any cake recipe! I use this frosting for my ‘Chocolate Raspberry Cake’ recipe!
*Use this frosting for cakes, cupcakes, macarons and other pastries! This recipe will frost 24 cups; one 3-layer, 8-inch cake; or one 2-layer, 9-inch cake.
Watch My Raspberry Buttercream Video!
Watch my YouTube video recipe for in-depth, step-by-step instructions and more tips for making this raspberry buttercream! Want to receive new recipe emails in your inbox? Make sure to subscribe to my website and my YouTube channel and turn on notifications!
Ingredients for Raspberry Frosting
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for making this delicious raspberry buttercream:
- Raspberries: you can use fresh or frozen berries for this recipe. No need to thaw the berries either.
- Granulated Sugar: for making the raspberry sauce.
- Butter: use unsalted butter only for this frosting. Soften the butter for about 30 minutes prior to using. The butter should be soft, but not melted.
- Confectioner’s Sugar: sift the sugar first for best results.
- Citric Acid: this ingredient is optional but it will make the frosting more tart. This is the same ingredient that’s used for sour candies.
- Red Food Coloring: for adding more color.
Making the Raspberry Sauce
I make my raspberry buttercream recipe with real berry flavor!! It’s the best way to add flavor, color and aroma to any frosting! Before starting on the buttercream itself, I make an easy raspberry sauce.
- To prepare the sauce, I combine frozen or fresh raspberries with a bit of sugar and cook the berries for a few minutes until a jam forms.
- Next, I strain the berries through a fine mesh strainer and discard the seeds, keeping just the smooth and fruity raspberry sauce. I recommend refrigerating this sauce while you’re preparing the buttercream.
You can also use store-bought raspberry jelly for this recipe! I recommend using a seedless version if you can find it. Using a raspberry jelly will not give the frosting same intense raspberry flavor though, so if you want flavor, prepare the sauce!
How to Make Raspberry Buttercream
Making this berry buttercream is super easy if you follow my step-by-step instructions! Whenever I’m planning to make a buttercream frosting, I take out the butter to soften at room temperature at least 1 to 2 hours beforehand. You want the butter to be softened but not melted!! If your butter becomes too soft, place it back into the refrigerator to chill. If the butter is too soft, the frosting will stay flat and will not become fluffy. Here are more tips to follow:
- Whisk the softened, unsalted butter on high speed for 7 to 10 minutes all by itself, until the butter is light, fluffy and pale white in color. I recommend scrapping down the sides of the mixing bowl often to make sure all the butter is well-mixed.
- Add the confectioner’s sugar next! Once I add the sugar, I start the mixer out on a low speed first until the sugar is incorporated. Otherwise, the sugar will fly everywhere!
- Scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl OFTEN!! This will ensure that every bit of butter is well mixed and incorporated. There’s nothing worse than having a clump of butter in your frosting!
Adding the Raspberry Flavor
When making my raspberry buttercream frosting, it’s very important to add the raspberry sauce at the very end! Whenever you are adding fruit jams or jellies to a buttercream frosting, it’s crucial to add it at the very end once the buttercream is formed and ready to be used. Adding it earlier in the process will cause the raspberry buttercream to separate! I add in the chilled raspberry sauce and mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds. I recommend mixing for a maximum of 30 seconds with a mixer and finish mixing by hand if necessary. This is also the perfect time to add a few drops of concentrated red food coloring, if desired, to add more color.
Perfect with These Recipes!
This incredible berry buttercream is so great with many different recipes! You can use it frosting for cakes, cupcakes, macarons, pastries and just about any dessert where you need some incredible frosting! Here are some of my suggestions for this recipe:
- Chocolate Raspberry Cake – the ultimate raspberry cake with crushed berry filling, this raspberry buttercream and rich chocolate cake layers!
- Matcha Raspberry Cake – use this raspberry buttercream for my matcha green tea cake with raspberry filling!
- Strawberry Cupcakes – use my original recipe and replace the strawberries with raspberries and top with this incredible frosting.
- Lemon Raspberry Macarons – consider using my berry frosting with my favorite raspberry macarons for even more flavor!
- Raspberry Lemon Cake – use this frosting recipe as a filling for this incredible zesty and fruity cake!
Storing Raspberry Buttercream
I get asked this question very often – can I refrigerate my frosting for later? Yes, you can! This frosting can be refrigerated and used for later. I recommend transferring the frosting into a smaller bowl, then covering the frosting very well with plastic wrap. Keep the buttercream in the refrigerate for up to 1 week. When ready to use, remove it from the fridge and allow the frosting to soften at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Once softened, mix it well with a spatula until the frosting is uniform and smooth. If needed, re-whisk for a few minutes until the buttercream is fluffy again.
More Recipes!
My raspberry buttercream recipe is part of my ‘Back to Cake Basics’ series, where I share basic cake, frosting and filling recipes you can mix and match for any cake recipe! Check out some of my other recipes from the series!
- Berry Whipped Cream Frosting – looking for a whipped cream recipe? I use the same raspberry sauce for this fluffy recipe and it’s so delicious!
- Lemon Buttercream – the best ever lemon frosting! Super lemon-y, zesty, sour and perfect for any lemon recipe!
- Italian Meringue Buttercream – creamy, fluffy and delicious meringue buttercream made with egg whites, sugar syrup and butter.
- 5-Ingredient Cream Cheese Frosting – my all-time favorite creamy frosting! This easy recipe is so delicious and great for cake decorating!
- Pistachio Buttercream Frosting – creamy, fluffy and nutty frosting made with salted pistachios and vanilla! Perfect for cakes, cupcakes, macarons and more!
4 from 4 votes
The Best Raspberry Buttercream Recipe (video)
20 minutes mins prep + 5 minutes mins cook
4 cups
Easy raspberry buttercream with real raspberry flavor, for cakes, cupcakes and desserts!
IngredientsUS Customary – Metric
US Customary – Metric
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
¼ cup white granulated sugar
2 cups unsalted butter, softened at room temp
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
Red concentrated gel food coloring, optional
1 tsp citric acid, optional
1 tsp raspberry extract, optional
Instructions
Making the Raspberry Sauce:
Prepare the raspberry sauce first. Place the raspberries and granulated sugar into a small saucepan and bring the berries to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until the berries start to fall apart and form a jam. Pour the jam into a fine mesh strainer arranged over a mixing bowl. Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to press the sauce through the strainer, leaving the seeds behind. Discard the seeds and place the sauce into the refrigerator to chill.
Making Raspberry Buttercream:
Next, prepare the buttercream. The butter needs to be just slightly softened, not melted. If the butter is too soft, return it to the refrigerate to chill. Place the softened butter into a mixer bowl and whisk on high speed for 7 to 10 minutes, until the butter is fluffy, creamy, and pale white in color. Make sure to scrap down the sides of the mixing bowl often to ensure all the butter is well-mixed.
Add the confectioner’s sugar next and start mixing on low speed first until the sugar is incorporated. Once all the lose sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer to high speed and whisk for 3 to 4 minutes, until the buttercream is light and fluffy. Scrap down the sides of the mixing bowl periodically to make sure everything is well mixed.
If desired, add a few drops of red food coloring at this time. For a sourer buttercream, add the citric acid. For even more raspberry flavor, add raspberry extract. Add the chilled raspberry sauce last! Add the sauce and mix for about 15 to 20 seconds, 30 seconds maximum, with the mixer. Do not overmix or this will cause the buttercream to separate! Finish mixing in the sauce by hand using a spatula.
Transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag or use to frost a cake or dessert. I used Ateco tip #847 in my video recipe for the piping demonstration.
Storing Buttercream:
This frosting can be refrigerated and used for later. Simply cover the frosting very well with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerate for up to 1 week. When ready to use, remove it from the fridge and allow the frosting to soften at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Once softened, mix well with a spatula until the frosting is uniform. If needed, re-whisk for a few minutes until the buttercream is fluffy again.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1232kcal | Carbohydrates: 106g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 92g | Saturated Fat: 58g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 244mg | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 102g | Vitamin A: 2846IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
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Course:
- Back To Cake Basics
- Cakes
- Dessert
Cuisine:
- American
Holiday:
- Valentine's Day
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16 comments
- Claudette
once the cake is iced with this frosting, can cake be left at room temperature or does it need to be refrigerated also. Thanks. Love your recipes
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi! I recommend refrigerating the cake initially to set the frosting more firmly. Once it’s set for a few hours, you can let it stand at room temperature for up a day. You can keep the cake for longer in the refrigerator. Enjoy! 🙂
- Reply
- Laura
A friend asked for raspberry frosting on some cupcakes and I came across this recipe. I was nervous because of the risk of separation at the end but I followed your advice exactly and it turned out fabulous.
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi! I’m so glad you found the recipe and that it worked well for you! The trick is adding the fruit at the end! Enjoy! 🙂
- Reply
- Tanya
Love this recipe!! Made this a few times as a filling for macarons !! So yum!! Thank you!
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Awesome! 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe! One of my favorites!
- Reply
- Wendy Spaulding
I’m wondering if you can make this buttercreme frosting a few days before frosting the cake or will it deflate? It looks so delicious!!
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi! Yes, you can make this buttercream ahead of time! Just keep it well covered in the refrigerator. I recommend taking it out of the fridge about an hour before you plan to use it, so it softens nicely. You can also give it another mix right before using it. Enjoy!
- Reply
- Angelique
I already made your raspberry buttercream recipe and I loved it! Now I want to make a cake covered with fondant. Can I use this buttercream right underneath the fondant or do I have to cover it with extra ganache?
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi! I’m so glad you enjoyed this buttercream recipe! It’s one of my favorites! 🙂
Yes, you can use this under fondant and you don’t need ganache. Just let the buttercream set overnight, then add the fondant over the top.- Reply
- Kristy
I made the icing but did not add the extract. After adding the raspberry I felt it needs more flavour. Can I still add the extract?
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Sure! You can add the extract at the end of the recipe, too!
- Reply
- Anujika
Hi can i use salted butter for this recipe?
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi! I recommend using only unsalted butter. Salted butter will most likely ruin the recipe.
- Reply
- shelly
This recipe was awful I tried to make the buttercream and followed the recipe exactly but the frosting ended up separating so disappointing I’m making this cake for a big Christmas party would highly recommend choosing a different one.
- Reply
- tatyanaseverydayfood
Hi Shelly! I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work well for you. Something must have gone wrong since I’ve made this frosting many, many times with no issues. The only reason it would separate is if you overmixed the frosting at the end, after adding the raspberry sauce.
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