Delicious & Easy Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting: The Ultimate Jam-Based Recipe for Cakes and Cupcakes
Welcome to the world of irresistibly smooth, sweet, and perfectly tangy raspberry cream cheese frosting! This delightful recipe offers a burst of bold raspberry flavor, vibrant pink hue, and an incredibly creamy texture, all thanks to a simple secret ingredient: raspberry jam. Forget the fuss of fresh berries; our method ensures a consistently luscious frosting that’s ready in just minutes. It’s an ideal topping for virtually any dessert, from fluffy cupcakes and elegant cakes to fudgy brownies and delicate sandwich cookies. You won’t need any complex techniques – just a handful of staple ingredients like butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, raspberry jam, and a touch of milk to create this dream frosting.
There’s something truly captivating about raspberry desserts. The distinct tartness that perfectly balances sweetness, the gorgeous natural color, and the way it effortlessly elevates any treat to feel a little more sophisticated. My admiration for raspberries runs deep, and it’s a flavor that my husband particularly adores, especially when paired with rich chocolate desserts. This raspberry cream cheese frosting delivers all that beloved raspberry essence in a format that’s stable, delicious, and easy to work with.
However, here’s a crucial tip I’ve learned from years in the kitchen: when it comes to creating the ideal raspberry frosting, fresh raspberries are often more of a hindrance than a help. While wonderful in many applications, their high water content can thin out your frosting, making it runny and difficult to pipe. Furthermore, the seeds can interfere with that desirable smooth texture, and surprisingly, their flavor can be quite subtle once mixed into a creamy base, sometimes falling flat compared to their vibrant raw taste.
That’s precisely why this particular raspberry cream cheese frosting recipe strategically opts for raspberry jam instead of fresh berries. Jam, with its concentrated fruit flavor and reduced moisture, provides that intense, sweet-tart raspberry punch without compromising the frosting’s integrity or smooth consistency. It’s a game-changer that ensures your frosting is always vibrant, flavorful, and beautifully textured, making it the best raspberry cream cheese frosting you’ll ever whip up.
This ingenious method first came about during a spontaneous baking session. I had a half-used jar of raspberry jam in my fridge and a batch of small batch chocolate cupcakes needing a topping. Deciding to experiment, I folded the jam into my standard cream cheese frosting base of powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, and butter. The result was nothing short of extraordinary!
It turns out the combination of bright raspberry and rich, tangy cream cheese is absolute magic. The frosting was incredibly smooth, delightfully tangy, and boasted a natural, alluring pink hue. It was undeniably delicious, especially when generously slathered over those chocolate raspberry filled cupcakes. This easy raspberry cream cheese frosting instantly became a staple in my recipe collection.
As a professional baker, I’m constantly experimenting with new flavor combinations and recipe ideas. Some experiments are hits, others not so much. I’m thrilled to report that this raspberry cream cheese frosting with jam is a total winner – a truly outstanding homemade frosting that’s sure to impress everyone who tastes it!
When selecting your raspberry jam or jelly, feel free to choose any variety you prefer. Whether it contains seeds or is seedless, it won’t significantly impact the flavor, only the final texture. Seedless jam will result in an ultra-smooth frosting, while a jam with seeds will add a slight textural interest, a rustic charm that some bakers adore. The most important factor is to select a high-quality jam that you enjoy, as its flavor will shine through in the frosting.
For an even more intense raspberry flavor, particularly if your jam is on the milder side, you can incorporate a drop or two of raspberry extract. However, with a good quality jam, this addition is often unnecessary, as the jam provides ample flavor on its own. It’s an optional boost for those who truly crave an extra punch of fruitiness in their easy homemade frosting.
How to Make Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting: Step-by-Step Instructions
Creating this delicious raspberry cream cheese frosting is incredibly simple, making it perfect for bakers of all skill levels. Follow these clear steps for a perfectly smooth, tangy, and sweet topping every time:
Once your raspberry cream cheese frosting is complete, you’re ready to transform your baked goods. The resulting frosting is not only visually appealing with its lovely pink hue but also boasts an unparalleled sweet and tangy flavor profile. Its smooth consistency makes it incredibly easy to spread or pipe, ensuring a beautiful finish on any dessert.
Expert Tips for Perfect Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Achieve the Perfect Butter Consistency: For the smoothest, creamiest frosting, it’s absolutely essential that your butter is properly softened to room temperature. It should be soft enough to make an indentation with your finger without being greasy or melted. If you forgot to take your butter out in advance, don’t worry! You can learn how to soften butter quickly with a few simple tricks.
- Choose Full-Fat Cream Cheese: Always opt for full-fat block cream cheese, not the spreadable kind that comes in a tub. Full-fat cream cheese provides a richer flavor and a much firmer, creamier texture crucial for a stable and pipeable frosting. Lower-fat versions or spreads contain more water, which can make your frosting too thin and difficult to manage.
- For Pipeable Frosting: If your goal is to pipe intricate designs or tall swirls on cupcakes or cakes, chilling the frosting is key. Place the finished frosting in the fridge for at least 20-30 minutes. This chilling time allows the butter to firm up slightly, giving the frosting more stability to hold its shape. As an alternative, you can also omit the milk entirely from the recipe if you know you’ll be piping, as this will result in an even thicker consistency.
- Finding Raspberry Extract: Raspberry extract, if you choose to use it, can typically be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, usually located near the vanilla extract. If your local store doesn’t carry it, it’s readily available for purchase online. A little goes a long way with extracts, so start with the recommended amount and adjust to your taste.
- Preventing Lumps: Ensure your cream cheese and butter are truly at room temperature. Cold ingredients will lead to a lumpy frosting. Also, sift your powdered sugar before adding it to the mixture to break up any clumps and ensure a perfectly smooth finish.
- Adjusting Consistency: If your frosting feels too thick, add more milk or cream, ½ teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, you can add an additional ¼ to ½ cup of powdered sugar, or chill it in the fridge as mentioned above to firm it up.
If you desire a deeper or more vivid pink color for your raspberry cream cheese frosting, you can absolutely enhance it with a few drops of food coloring. Start with 1-2 drops of gel food coloring, mix it in thoroughly, and then gradually add more until you achieve your preferred shade. Remember, it’s easier to add more color than to take it away!
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting (Made with Jam!)
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Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, (1 block) at room temperature 227g
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 113g
- 4 cups confectioners sugar, 454g
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam, 98g (seedless or with seeds, your preference)
- ½ tsp raspberry extract, optional, for enhanced flavor
- ½ tbsp milk, or cream (adjust as needed for consistency)
Instructions
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In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the 8 oz block of full-fat cream cheese (at room temperature) and the 1/2 cup unsalted butter (also at room temperature). Beat on low to medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is completely smooth, light, and creamy, ensuring no lumps remain. This initial creaming is vital for a silky frosting.
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Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to thoroughly scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. This ensures all ingredients are evenly incorporated. Gradually add the 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Start mixing on a very low speed to avoid a sugary mess, then slowly increase the speed to medium as the sugar begins to mix in. Continue beating for another 2-3 minutes until the sugar is fully combined, and the frosting is smooth and free of any gritty texture.
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Turn the mixer to low speed and add the 1/2 cup raspberry jam, the optional ½ tsp raspberry extract (if you’re using it for an extra flavor boost), and the 1/2 tbsp milk (or cream). Mix again on medium speed for 2-3 more minutes. During this stage, the frosting will transform into a super light, fluffy, and vibrant pink mixture with a rich raspberry aroma. Scrape down the bowl one last time to ensure uniformity.
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Your homemade raspberry cream cheese frosting is now ready! If you plan to pipe the frosting for decorative purposes, I recommend chilling it in the fridge for about 20 minutes first; this will help it firm up and hold its shape beautifully. Otherwise, spread it generously and enjoy it immediately over your favorite cakes, cupcakes, brownies, or cookies!
Notes
If you found yourself in a rush and forgot to leave out your butter to soften, don’t worry! Learn how to soften butter quickly with our handy guide.
This recipe yields a generous amount of frosting – enough to generously frost 18 standard cupcakes or to fill and frost a two-layer 9-inch cake.
STORAGE AND FREEZING
Storing: Proper storage is crucial for keeping your delicious raspberry cream cheese frosting fresh. To store, transfer the frosting to an airtight container or a piping bag sealed tightly. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week. Any baked goods that have been frosted with this cream cheese frosting should also be stored in the fridge to maintain freshness and prevent spoilage.
Freezing: This raspberry cream cheese frosting is freezer-friendly! To freeze, place it in an airtight, freezer-safe container. It can be stored in the freezer for up to two months without losing its quality. When you’re ready to use it, simply transfer the container to the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight. Once thawed, give it a good re-whip with your stand or hand mixer until it returns to a smooth and fluffy consistency. You might find that you need to add an additional ½ to 1 tablespoon of milk or cream during re-whipping to achieve the perfect consistency again, as freezing can sometimes alter the texture slightly.