Raspberry red velvet cupcakes recipe

A swirl of cream cheese frosting and a fresh berry makes the perfect finish for these raspberry red velvet cupcakes. 

Each raspberry red velvet cupcake has a hidden raspberry-filled center. Topped with a simple four-ingredient full-fat cream cheese frosting for an indulgent finish. This recipe makes 16 red velvet cupcakes with a raspberry filling.

Ingredients

For the raspberry filling:

• 150g raspberries
• 60g caster sugar
• 1½ tbsp cornflour
• 80ml water
• 1 tbsp raspberry liqueur such as Chambord
• ½ tsp lemon juice

For the cupcakes:

• 110g vegetable fat such as Trex
• 300g golden caster sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• 260g self-raising flour
• 10g cornflour
• 240ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp good quality cocoa powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp red food colouring paste (Victoria used Sugarflair’s Christmas Red)
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 tsp of baking powder

For the icing:

• 300g full-fat cream cheese
• 300g icing sugar
• 115g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 16 fresh raspberries to decorate (or more if you are opting for a number of raspberries per cupcake)

You will also need:

• Apple corer
• 2 x 12-hole muffin trays (or 1 x 12-hole muffin tray plus 4 silicone cupcake cases)
• Wilton 6B icing nozzle

Method

1. To make the filling: The day before you want to make these cupcakes, blend the raspberries until smooth using an electric blender and press through a fine sieve to remove all the pips.  
2. Add the cornflour to 80ml of water and whisk to combine. Add the sieved raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornflour mix to a small saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture has thickened.
3. Add the raspberry liqueur and stir again. When all the sugar has dissolved and it has a thick consistency, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool before putting it in the fridge overnight.
4. To make the cakes: Preheat your oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 and line a 12-hole muffin tray with 12 cake cases and another 12-hole tray with another 4 cases. If you don’t have a second tray you could use individual silicone cupcake cases for the extra batter.
5. Cream the vegetable fat and sugar until light and fluffy, then add in the eggs and beat again. Sift the flours, cocoa, and salt and add 1/3 into the mixture with 1/3 of the buttermilk and beat, repeating until all the flours and buttermilk have been added.
6. Add the vanilla extract, food colouring, vinegar, and baking powder and beat again. Fill the baking cases to 2/3 full and bake for 30 minutes or until springy to the touch. Leave in the tray for 10 minutes before placing it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. When the cakes have cooled, use an apple corer to make a hole in the centre of each cake. Place 1 tsp of the raspberry filling into each cake and pop the piece of cake you've removed back on top.
8. To make the icing: Put the cream cheese, icing sugar, butter, and vanilla extract into a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk just until it’s combined and smooth. Don't overbeat this icing as it will become runny. Add a Wilton 6B tip to a large piping bag and place it in a tall glass. Pull the bag down around the glass and fill the bag pushing the buttercream down into it as you fill. Then lift the bag up from around the glass, and from where the buttercream stops push all the air up out of the bag.
9. Twist the bag right at the top of the buttercream and holding the twist between your thumb and forefinger, apply pressure and pipe. Pipe a swirl by applying pressure to the top of the bag and, starting in the middle of the cake, working your way out to the edge of the paper case.
10. Using the edge of the paper case as a guide, follow it around and build up into a swirl. When you reach the end of the swirl press down slightly, release the pressure, and pull up quickly. After you have piped a cupcake, twist the bag again so the twist is always at the top of the buttercream. Place a fresh raspberry – or three – on top of each swirl to decorate.

Top tips for making raspberry red velvet cupcakes

If you can't find buttermilk in the supermarket you can combine 240ml milk with two tablespoons of lemon juice. Leave it to stand for five mins, and use instead. For more on how to make buttermilk, see our handy guide.

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