Raspberry Cupcake Filling

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This sweet raspberry cupcake filling is easy to make using only 5 ingredients in under 20 minutes. It’s a perfect filling for white or chocolate cupcakes!

Jump to:

• Recipe Highlights
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Equipment
• Instructions
• Storage
• Expert Tips
• Cupcake & Frosting Pairings
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

Recipe Highlights

• It’s made with frozen raspberries. Using frozen raspberries means you can make this filling any time of the year and at a much lower cost.
• Raspberry & Lemon. This filling has a slight lemon tang that complements the raspberry flavor perfectly. It is delicious in both white cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes or lemon cupcakes.
• It takes 20 minutes to make. Easily make this filling while your cupcakes are baking in the oven.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Raspberries: This recipe uses frozen raspberries since they are cheaper and easy to buy any time of the year. However, you can use fresh raspberries if you want. For fresh raspberries, reduce the cornstarch by about half since fresh raspberries tend not to have as much juice as frozen ones.
• Lemon Juice: A little bit of lemon juice brightens the raspberry flavor. Use fresh lemon juice for the best taste.
• Sugar: A small amount of sugar adds a bit of sweetness. If needed, you can substitute this with brown sugar.
• Cornstarch & Water: Cornstarch is mixed with water to create a slurry that will thicken up the raspberry filling to the right consistency.

Equipment

• A non-stick pan to make the cupcake filling.
• A sieve if you prefer to strain out the raspberry seeds.
• A mason jar to store any leftover filling.

Instructions

Step 1: Heat the raspberries, sugar and lemon juice together on a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a light simmer for a couple minutes to allow it to thicken up. Then, reduce the heat to low. 

Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix the water and cornstarch together until well combined. 

Step 3: While on low heat, mix the cornstarch and water mixture into the raspberry filling. Stir until evenly distributed, and the filling has thickened up. Remove the filling from the stovetop and allow it to cool to room temperature before using. 

Step 4: To fill the cupcakes, cut a hole about a ½ inch deep in each cupcake and fill it with about 1 -2 tablespoons of the raspberry filling. Replace the top and frost the cupcakes.

Storage

To store leftover filling, first let the filling fully cool to room temperature. Then, store the filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 to 2 weeks. 

Once stored in the fridge, the filling will thicken up slightly and you may need to microwave it for 5 to 10 seconds to loosen it up before using. 

Other recipes mention you are able to freeze filling, however it is best not to freeze filling that has cornstarch in it. Cornstarch can come apart and ruin the consistency when frozen.

Expert Tips

• Strain out the seeds. If you want a smooth filling without any seeds, use a fine mesh sieve to strain out the raspberry seeds. Do this after heating the filling but before it has fully cooled. Press the filling through the sieve well, making sure not to leave too much filling behind.
• Store cupcakes in the fridge. Once you have filled your cupcakes, store them in the fridge so the filling doesn’t spoil.
• Adjust the thickness. If the filling is too thick, add a small amount of water (about 1 teaspoon at a time) to thin it out. Do this while heating the filling over low heat. If the filling is too thin, add an extra 1 to 3 teaspoons of the 1:1 cornstarch to water mixture.
• Don’t add the cornstarch directly to the filling. Always make sure to mix the cornstarch in water before adding it to the filling. Otherwise, the cornstarch will leave clumps in the filling.
• Warm the filling in the microwave if needed. After storing this filling in the fridge, it will thicken up. Microwave it for 5 to 10 seconds, just enough to loosen it up, but not enough to actually heat it.
• Let the filling and cupcakes cool first. Let the raspberry filling and your baked cupcakes fully cool to room temperature before filling your cupcakes.

Cupcake & Frosting Pairings

There are lots of flavor combinations for both the cupcake base that you choose, as well as the frosting flavor that would go well with this raspberry filling. 

For the cupcakes, white cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, fudge cupcakes, lemon cupcakes, or coffee cupcakes would all taste delicious with a raspberry filling.

For the frosting, try this raspberry frosting, this vanilla buttercream, this chocolate fudge frosting or this espresso buttercream.

FAQ

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📖 Recipe