Moist Lemon Cupcakes Raspberry Filling (Printable)
Tender lemon cupcakes filled with raspberry preserves and topped with creamy lemon buttercream frosting.
# What You’ll Need:
→ For the Lemon Cupcakes
01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 2 tablespoons lemon zest from about 2 lemons
08 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
09 - 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ For the Raspberry Filling
11 - 1/2 cup raspberry preserves or seedless raspberry jam
→ For the Lemon Buttercream
12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
16 - 1-2 tablespoons milk, as needed
17 - Pinch of salt
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon zest and vanilla extract.
05 - Mix in lemon juice. The batter may look slightly curdled—this is normal.
06 - Add half of the flour mixture, then half of the milk, mixing on low speed. Repeat with remaining flour mixture and milk, mixing just until combined.
07 - Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
08 - Bake 16–18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Once cooled, use a small knife or cupcake corer to remove a small core from the center of each cupcake. Fill the cavity with about 1 teaspoon of raspberry preserves.
10 - Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy, adding milk as needed to reach a spreadable consistency.
11 - Pipe or spread buttercream onto filled cupcakes. Decorate with fresh raspberries or lemon zest if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The surprise raspberry center makes every bite feel like discovering a hidden treasure
- These cupcakes stay incredibly moist for days, thanks to fresh lemon juice in the batter
- The buttercream is tangy enough to cut through the sweetness without feeling heavy
02 -
- The batter looking curdled after adding lemon juice is completely normal—the acidity causes this temporary separation
- Completely cool cupcakes before filling or the raspberry preserves will melt into the cake instead of staying as a distinct center
- Room temperature ingredients are not optional here—cold butter or eggs will result in dense, gummy cupcakes
03 -
- Zest your lemons before juicing them—much easier to handle a whole lemon than trying to zest a slippery, squeezed half
- When filling cupcakes, work over a plate to catch any raspberry drips that might escape