White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Delicious and easy White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with silky smooth whipped frosting and a surprise raspberry filling. They're pink, pretty, and full of flavor while being perfectly balanced.

Jump to:

• 🌟 Why this is the best White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes recipe
• 📝 Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
• ❄️ Storage and Freezing
• 🎓 Expert tips
• 🥣 Equipment Notes
• ❓Recipe FAQs
• 🧁 More Cupcakes
• White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

🌟 Why this is the best White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes recipe

1. They're delicious: If you love white chocolate desserts and raspberry desserts, this flavor combination is the best of both worlds!
2. They're versatile: This easy white chocolate raspberry cupcake recipe is portable and works just as well as a baby shower dessert as it does with ice cream at home!
3. They're easy: While they might look super professional, even a beginner baker can make these raspberry white chocolate cupcakes from scratch.

📝 Ingredient notes

1. For the vanilla cupcakes

1. Granulated sugar - I don't use too much sugar in my cupcake recipes, everything is always perfectly balanced and not too sweet.
2. Unsalted butter  - I recommend 82% fat content European-style butter for baked goods. It needs to be softened and at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge ahead of time and last-minute microwaving. Here is how to soften butter quickly.
3. Eggs - Use whole eggs, and they must be at room temperature for proper emulsification.
4. Vanilla extract - I prefer this to vanilla essence which can taste synthetic.
5. All purpose flour - All-purpose flour is a great all-rounder for baking goodies like white chocolate raspberry cupcakes. It is sometimes known as AP flour or plain flour.
6. Baking powder - We also need a rising agent to help the cupcakes become light and fluffy.
7. Salt - This is essential even in desserts. It balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
8. Whole milk - Let it come to room temperature before use.
9. Baking soda and white vinegar—Don't skip my secret baking hack for the fluffiest, most unbelievably moist cupcakes! It creates more carbon dioxide bubbles in the batter, giving it more lift.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.

2. For the White Chocolate Raspberry Frosting

1. Unsalted butter - We make a raspberry and white chocolate buttercream frosting base, so it is suitable for piping and has an amazing texture and taste. As before, use high-fat butter and make sure it is softened before use.
2. Powdered sugar - Sift this first to avoid any lumps in your white chocolate raspberry cupcake frosting.
3. White chocolate - Use good-quality white chocolate chips or a chopped white chocolate bar. I recommend a good-quality brand like Callebaut or Lindt.
4. Vanilla extract - Again, I always recommend vanilla extract over vanilla essence for the best taste.
5. Heavy cream - Try to find one with a minimum of 36% fat content. Some recipes use cream cheese frosting or sour cream base, but I find a buttercream with the flavorings and heavy cream whipped in has the best results.
6. Raspberry reduction - see my ingredient notes below.
7. Salt - This helps to balance the sweetness of the frosting and heighten all the flavors.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.

3. For the raspberry sauce

1. Raspberries - For the raspberry and white chocolate cupcakes, you can use fresh or frozen raspberries. If using frozen raspberries, defrost them before use. As we reduce it, remember that you will need 2-3 times the quantity of fruit you need as a reduction.
2. Freshly squeezed lemon juice - Do not leave it out! It adds vital acidity and sharpens the flavors.
3. White granulated sugar - We do not need a lot of sugar here, just enough to take the edge off and sweeten the reduction slightly.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.

👩‍🍳 How to make White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

1. Make the vanilla cupcakes

1. Line a cupcake tin with muffin liners and preheat your oven to 175℃ / 347℉ (no fan).
2. Cream the room-temperature butter and sugar together for a few minutes until light and fluffy. You can use an electric hand mixer in a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
3. Slowly start adding the room-temperature eggs, and vanilla extract just until both are fully incorporated.
4. Gradually add the room-temperature milk while the mixer is still running. Turn off the mixer once incorporated.
5. Now sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the batter and switch to a rubber spatula to carefully fold them in.
6. Mix the vinegar and baking soda in a separate bowl and fold it into the cupcake batter immediately.
7. Spoon the batter into the cupcake tin, filling each one ¾ full.
8. Bake the cupcakes for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool them on a wire rack until they are back to room temperature.

💡 Top Tip: Do not overwork the cupcake batter. Stop once the ingredients are incorporated and switch to a rubber spatula once you get to the dry ingredients.

2. Make the white chocolate frosting and raspberry sauce

For more information, visit my white chocolate frosting recipe.

1. Puree the raspberries and push them through a sieve to remove the seeds. Add them to a saucepan with the sugar and lemon juice and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the mixture slightly thickens. Let it cool while you prepare the white chocolate frosting.
2. Melt the chopped white chocolate in the microwave in 20-second increments in a heatproof bowl. Let it come to room temperature.
3. Cream the room-temperature butter at medium-high speed using either a stand mixer and paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer. It will take around 3 minutes until it becomes pale and fluffy.
4. Turn the speed down to low and start adding the powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time. Don't do this at high speed, or you will end up with a powdered sugar cloud in your kitchen. Once incorporated, turn the mixer back up to medium-high speed and whip for another 4 minutes until the mixture increases in volume and becomes light and fluffy.
5. Slowly add the melted white chocolate to the buttercream while the mixer is still running.
6. Finally, add the vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream and whip for one more minute until the white chocolate frosting is smooth and fully incorporated.
7. Switch to a rubber spatula and loosely fold in the raspberry reduction, reserving six tablespoons for cupcake filling.
8. Move the white chocolate frosting into a piping bag fitted with a piping nozzle. If it feels a bit loose, refrigerate it for 30 minutes before continuing.
9. Make a small hole in each cupcake and fill each one with ½ tablespoon of raspberry sauce.
10. Pipe the white chocolate raspberry frosting on top of the cupcakes and serve fresh.

💡 Top Tip: Do not fully mix the reduction into the frosting, if you want to achieve a marbled frosting effect on your raspberry white chocolate cupcakes.

❄️ Storage and Freezing

The cupcakes are best served fresh and at room temperature immediately after frosting. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 2-3 days. The buttercream frosting will harden over time in the fridge, however, so may need to be left out to come up to room temperature so that the frosting can soften.

Buttercream will also melt in warm temperatures if left out for too long so bear this in mind if you serve these white chocolate cupcakes in summer!

While it is technically possible to freeze these cupcakes, I recommend not doing so for the best flavor and texture. My baking guide has more about how to store and freeze cupcakes.

🎓 Expert tips

1. The quantities in this frosting recipe will generously frost and fill 12 white chocolate raspberry cupcakes. But you might be able to make a few more or less depending on your cupcake tray.
2. The milk, eggs, and butter for the white chocolate raspberry cupcakes must all be at room temperature, or the batter can break as you whip it in.
3. The butter for the raspberry white chocolate cupcakes frosting also needs to be softened and at room temperature. I find this takes an hour, and you can tell it's ready by pressing a finger in the butter, and it leaves an indent.
4. Do not add the melted white chocolate while it is still very hot as it will melt the butter. Let it cool to room temperature before using (but do not wait until it sets).
5. You can use a good-quality seedless raspberry jam inside the raspberry cupcakes instead of making your own raspberry reduction.
6. Do not overbake the cupcakes, as they can dry out.
7. I like to decorate these easy white chocolate raspberry cupcakes with more fresh raspberries, white chocolate shavings, fresh mint, or crumbled freeze dried raspberries.

🥣 Equipment Notes

I suggest investing in both a Digital scale and a Digital oven thermometer for a happy, consistent baking experience when making these raspberry white chocolate cupcakes.

I recommend using an Electric hand mixer and Rubber spatula to mix the batter and a Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for the white chocolate and raspberry cupcakes frosting.

This easy cupcake recipe works with a 12-cup muffin pan lined with cupcake liners.

❓Recipe FAQs

🧁 More Cupcakes