Delicious lemon cupcakes topped with a fresh raspberry buttercream frosting. The easiest lemon cupcakes from cake mix that are perfect for spring and summer!
Aren’t cupcakes just the best?! They’re soft, fluffy and topped with yummy rich frosting. The absolute perfect sweet treat! These lemon raspberry cupcakes are a favorite, as well as my famous chocolate cupcakes, rainbow cupcakes and pink velvet cupcakes.
Lemon cupcakes with raspberry frosting
To celebrate spring and summer time (yay for warmer weather!), I thought I would share this delicious lemon raspberry cupcake recipe. These cupcakes are SO easy to whip up and are made with my favorite secret baking ingredients: cake mix and jello pudding mix! Plus they have the absolute best bright flavor.
One of my all time favorite combinations is lemon and raspberry. There is something so refreshing about the two flavors together. The taste just screams citrus, sweet and tart all at the same time.
If you’ve never made lemon cupcakes from cake mix, you have to give this cupcake recipe a try. The lemon flavor is incredible and the texture is super soft and fluffy. Plus the raspberry buttercream frosting on top is amazing. These cupcakes are sure to wow your guests!
Ingredients
These lemon raspberry cupcakes couldn’t be more simple to make. No making from scratch and spending hours in the kitchen! Simply mix together a box of cake mix with a few other pantry staples and you’ll have flavorful and delicious cupcakes in no time.
I absolutely love the lemon and raspberry flavor combo, so I always top my cupcakes with a raspberry buttercream frosting. Feel free to use frosting of choice though, like classic buttercream, strawberry buttercream or even cream cheese frosting. And don’t forget to add a fresh raspberry on top for the ultimate treat!
Lemon cupcakes
- Box of lemon cake mix
- Box of instant lemon pudding (dry)
- Eggs
- Canola oil
- Sour cream
- Lemon zest
Raspberry frosting
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
- Fresh raspberries
How to make lemon raspberry cupcakes
Scroll down for the printable lemon raspberry cupcake recipe.
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven and line muffin tin. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line cupcake liners in 2 muffin tins.
- Combine ingredients. Combine cake mix and dry pudding mix in a large bowl. Next mix in eggs, oil and water. Then stir in sour cream and lemon zest.
- Pour batter and bake. Pour the batter into each cupcake liner, about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. You want them to spring back when touched.
- Let cool. Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool on a cooling rack.
Frosting
- Beat together butter and vanilla. In a large bowl, beat the butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy.
- Add in powdered sugar. Slowly add in powdered sugar, reserving the last 1/2 cup for the end.
- Mix in raspberries. Add in raspberries and mix until combined. Slowly add the last 1/2 cup powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
- Frost cupcakes. Once lemon cupcakes are cool, frost with the raspberry buttercream. Add a fresh raspberry on top for garnish!
TIP: Want to learn how to frost the perfect cupcake? Check out this easy step-by-step tutorial.
More raspberry desserts:
- Glazed Raspberry Lemon Cookies
- Raspberry Rhubarb Jam
- Raspberry Jello Pretzel Salad
- Mini Raspberry Bundt Cakes
- Raspberry Empire Cookies
- Raspberry Crumb Bars
Lemon Raspberry Cupcake Recipe
Ingredients
Lemon cupcakes:
- 15 ounce box lemon cake mix
- 3.4 ounce box instant lemon pudding (dry)
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- Zest from 1 lemon
Raspberry frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (reserve 1/2 cup for the end)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Instructions
To make cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 325°F and line cupcake liners in 2 muffin tins.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and dry pudding mix. Next mix in the eggs, canola oil and hot water. Then stir in the sour cream and lemon zest.
- Pour batter into the cupcake liners, about 3/4 the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when touched. Do not over cook. You can also test with a tooth pick to make sure the centers are cooked all the way through.
- Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool on a cooling rack.
To make frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and vanilla with an electric mixer, until nice and fluffy. Then slowly add in the powdered sugar, saving the last 1/2 cup for the end. Add in the fresh raspberries and mix until combined. Then slowly add the last 1/2 cup powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
- Once cupcakes have cooled, frost the tops with the raspberry frosting. Add a fresh raspberry on top for garnish!
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy!! :)
Does it matter if the cake mix has pudding in the mix?
No, it should be fine either way! :)
If my cake mix says that it includes pudding in the mix, should I still add pudding powder? Or would that create a bad texture?
You could leave a little out, but I would still add it. :)
I just love this flavor combination! This recipe is a keeper for sure!
These cupcakes turned out great! The frosting was just the right touch to a flavorful cupcake!
That raspberry frosting is to die for! So yummy with the lemon flavored cake
Are you using the instant lemon pudding or the regular? Thanks
Instant pudding. :)
Have you tried to make this as a layer cake? What (if any) modifications do you recommend?
I haven’t, but it would be easy to do so! I’d bake it in two 8 or 9 inch cake rounds; baking time would likely be 20-30 minutes (test with a toothpick!). The amount of frosting should be good, unless you cut each cake layer in half to add more in – then you might want to increase the frosting by 50% or double it. :)
These sound fabulous! My youngest is a huge fan of anything raspberry and I’m the same way about lemon. This is a perfect combo for us.
Once again I’m headed to the store to stock up ingredients for another of your delicious recipes! Thank you!
Sweet sweet sweet :)
This looks so amazing :D and i absolutely love your cake tins :)