This Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting is the ultimate fruity frosting! It is made with fresh raspberries cooked into a puree and added to a silky cream cheese frosting.
If you are looking for the perfect cakes to try this frosting on, this Vanilla Buttercream Birthday Cake or this Chocolate Naked Cake are great options; just switch out the frostings!
Why This Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Works
- Recipe name: Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Ready in: 2 hrs (including chilling time)
- Serves: 3 cups
- Main ingredients: Butter, powdered sugar, raspberries, lemon juice, and cream cheese.
- Perfect for: Decorating cakes and cupcakes, this recipe makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes or one two-layer 22cm (9-inch) cake.
- Why I love it: The cream cheese base makes this frosting less sweet, and it has a smooth texture perfect for covering cakes.
- Calories: 1417kcal
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If you are new to cream cheese frostings and keen to try out as many variations as possible, you can't miss this Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting or this Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting!
Jump to:
- Why This Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Works
- Key Ingredients
- Variations
- How to Make Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- How to Avoid Lumpy Runny Cream Cheese Frostings
- Storage
- Expert Tips
- Raspberry Cream Cheese Frostings FAQs
- More Recipes using Fresh Raspberries
- Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
- 📖 Recipe
Key Ingredients
- Fresh raspberries - Used to make a purée, which is then added to the frosting. If you can't find fresh raspberries, then frozen will also work.
- Lemon juice - Choose fresh lemon juice over bottled for the best-tasting frosting.
- Cream cheese - Choose a full-fat cream cheese for this recipe. I like using Philadelphia cream cheese for this frosting.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
If you're struggling to find raspberries, make this Blackberry Compote or this Strawberry Cake Filling as alternatives.
I like leaving the raspberry seeds in my frosting, but you can sieve the puree through a fine-mesh strainer after it has thickened, then add it to your frosting. If you'd like to try a raspberry frosting recipe without cream cheese, then have a look at this Raspberry Buttercream recipe.
The colour of this frosting relies entirely on the natural colour of the raspberry puree. If you'd like a pinker colour, add a touch of pink gel food colouring or powdered freeze-dried raspberries.
How to Make Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Step 1: In a small saucepan set over medium heat, add the fresh raspberries, caster sugar, and lemon juice. Allow the fruit to soften and the sugar to melt. Stir occasionally with a spatula and press the fruit against the sides of the saucepan to help them break down if needed.
- Step 2: Once the sugar is melted and the purée has thickened, allow the mashed raspberry purée to cool to room temperature.
- Step 3: Add the icing sugar and butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Step 4: Add the cubed softened cream cheese and beat at medium-high speed until the frosting is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about 2 minutes.
- Step 5: Add ¼ cup of the cooled raspberry puree and the vanilla to the frosting and beat again.
- Step 6: Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat again at medium-high speed for a further 3 minutes, or until the frosting is light and fluffy. The frosting is now ready to use on cakes and cupcakes.
How to Avoid Lumpy Runny Cream Cheese Frostings
It's happened to me countless times: lumpy cream cheese frosting that's too soft to pipe because I overwhipped it trying to get rid of the lumps! The only way to avoid this is to use room-temperature butter and cream cheese. The butter is what causes the lumps, so make sure it is softened and mixed into the icing sugar properly before adding the cream cheese. If frostings scare you a little, start off making this Mixed Berry Cake without frosting.
Storage
If you want to make this homemade raspberry frosting ahead of time, you can. Once made, store it in an airtight container or a large bowl covered with plastic wrap, then place it in the fridge.
Before using it, remove the frosting from the fridge and let it come to room temperature for a couple of hours, then beat it again until it is light and fluffy. Once the frosting is soft and fluffy, use it to decorate cakes and cupcakes.
Leftover frosting can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store it away from strong-smelling foods. I do not recommend freezing cream cheese frostings.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature butter and cream cheese.
- Be sure to beat the frosting for long enough. Depending on the temperature of your butter, it can take 10 minutes or longer to get the right consistency.
- Use an electric mixer to achieve a fluffy buttercream.
- Only add the puree to the frosting once it has cooled.
- Never decorate warm cupcakes or cakes; the buttercream will melt.
- For the best results, use the buttercream to decorate as soon as it has finished beating.
- If decorating is difficult because the frosting is too hard, add it back to the mixer and beat it again.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frostings FAQs
Wait, having room-temperature butter is the most important step in a successful frosting. Choose to wait until the butter has reached room temperature before making this recipe, or cube the butter and heat it gently in the microwave, being careful not to melt it.
When in doubt, keep mixing - getting a fluffy frosting takes time, so if your frosting looks too hard to spread, then keep beating it. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl often so the frosting mixes evenly.
This can happen if you add too much liquid, such as raspberry purée. Add sifted icing sugar to the frosting, about a 30grams at a time, and mix again.
I always recommend using a kitchen scale rather than cups when baking. This way, you can ensure you've measured properly and that your baked goodies come out perfectly.
More Recipes using Fresh Raspberries
Berries have to be one of my most favourite baking ingredients, they add such flavour and colour to cakes and cupcakes! If you love them too, don't miss out on trying this Strawberry and Custard Tart or these Easy Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this recipe! And if you're wondering what to try next, have a look at this Banana Bread with Streusel Topping!
📖 Recipe
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Raspberry Purée
- 300 g raspberries
- 40 g castor sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 600 g powdered sugar
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 250 g cream cheese
- ¼ cup raspberry purée
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Raspberry Purée
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat add the fresh raspberries, castor sugar, and lemon juice. Allow the fruit to soften and the sugar to melt. Stir occasionally with a spatula and press the fruit against the sides of the saucepan to help them break down if needed.
- Once the sugar is melted and the purée has thickened, allow the mashed raspberry purée to cool to room temperature.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the icing sugar and butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the cubed softened cream cheese and beat at medium-high speed until the frosting is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about 2 minutes.
- Add ¼ cup of the cooled raspberry puree and the vanilla extract and then beat again.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat at medium-high speed for a further 3 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy. The frosting is now ready to use on cakes and cupcakes.
- Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite nozzle, or use an offset spatula to spread this frosting over cakes.
Notes
- Use room temperature butter and cream cheese for the best results.
- Ensure the raspberry purée has cooled completely before adding it to the frosting.
- If the frosting looks split it may be because you added too much purée, fix this by adding more sifted icing sugar, a tablespoon at a time.
Cat says
This frosting was delicious and the colour was perfect!