Raspberry Buttercream
This easy raspberry buttercream recipe made from real raspberries is sweet, bursting with fresh raspberry flavor, and has the slightest hint of lemon. It's similar to Swiss meringue buttercream, so it's perfect for stacking cakes, is great under fondant, and is so easy to make!
Servings 6 cups
Ingredients
Raspberry Filling
- 16 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries
- 5 ounces granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 ounces cool water
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
Raspberry Buttercream
- 4 ounces pasteurized egg whites
- 16 ounces powdered sugar can add more if you want sweeter frosting
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces unsalted butter slightly warm
- 4 ounces raspberry puree
- 1-2 drops pink food coloring optional
Instructions
Making Raspberry Filling
- Add your raspberries and sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Heat your raspberry puree until it begins to bubble. Increase the heat to medium-high heat if needed.
- In a small bowl, combine the water and the ClearJel (or cornstarch) and mix until smooth. Don’t just add the ClearJel (or cornstarch) directly to the hot liquid or you’ll end up with lumps of thickener in your filling.
- Add the ClearJel mixture (or cornstarch slurry) to the hot liquid and mix with a rubber spatula for one more minute to thicken the mixture.
- Add in the lemon juice and lemon zest and continue cooking for one more minute until thickened.
- If you do not want seeds in your raspberry filling, press the filling through a fine mesh strainer to remove them.
- Transfer the mixture to a heat-proof container and cover it with plastic wrap (so that it’s touching the surface) and allow it to cool to room temperature or place it into the refrigerator to cool before using it.
Making Fresh Raspberry Buttercream
- Place the pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on low until combined.
- Bump up the speed to medium-high and mix for 3-5 minutes until white and glossy.
- Add the softened butter in small chunks then vanilla and salt while the mixer is on medium speed.
- Whip on high speed until light and fluffy and white, about 8 to 10 minutes. When it tastes like ice cream and no longer tastes buttery, it’s done!
- Optional: switch to the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 15-20 minutes until all air bubbles are gone or until your desired consistency.
- Add about ½ cup of the strained raspberry purée to the buttercream and continue to mix until combined.
- Mix in about 1-2 drops of pink food coloring to enhance the raspberry pink color if you choose.
- If the buttercream is splitting, it's probably too cold. Microwave about a cup of the buttercream and mix it back in, or use an immersion blender to emulsify the buttercream.
- Stored it in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer.