These soft and fluffy, easy Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes start with a cake mix and homemade raspberry lemonade frosting. Add a fresh raspberry for a delicious, fresh take.

Raspberry lemonade cupcakes with vanilla bases, topped with pink frosting and fresh raspberries, arranged on a wire cooling rack.

This recipe was originally published in July 2012. I updated the recipe notes and added new images in May 2026.

Aimee’s Recipe Notes

Smiling woman with brown hair in a floral blouse standing in a bright kitchen.

I have to let you guys in on a little secret. I cheated when I made these raspberry lemonade cupcakes. How you ask? I used a box cake mix.

Now, before you gasp loudly or start to judge me, you should know that it’s not very often that I use a box of cake mix. But every once in awhile, it is a necessity. (Umm, remember these amazing cake mix cookies???)

So I used my trusty box cake mix for these raspberry lemonade cupcakes and they ended up turning out great. And in the end, that’s all that really matters, right?

The real key to these lemonade cupcakes is actually in the raspberry buttercream frosting anyway. And that is not from a container.

I used a tangy raspberry lemonade concentrate to make the frosting from scratch and it really gives these lemon cupcakes a nice zing!

The taste of raspberries and lemons gives these cupcakes a sweet and tart flavor that is perfect for a birthday party, summer day, or yep you guessed it, swim team! You’ll see this flavor paired in my raspberry lemon cookies too!

Enjoy!

Here’s What You’ll Need

Labeled ingredients for raspberry lemonade cupcakes: white cake mix, egg whites, oil, butter, water, raspberry lemonade, gelatin, sugar, food coloring.

After years of baking from scratch, sometimes a shortcut recipe is called for. Especially one as easy and delicious as these cupcakes. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.

Cake Mix- The combination of a white cake mix with the lemon gelatin is delicious. Creates a fluffy soft cake. You could also swap the cake mix for lemon for an even more tangy citrus cupcake.
Oil & Water- Adds moisture and a soft texture.
Raspberry Lemonade Concentrate- this gives the frosting the tangy flavor. You could also swap it out for 2 Tablespoons of raspberry jam and the juice of one lemon.

How to Make Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Left: Cupcake tray with batter, butter, sugar, and juice. Right: Pink frosting piped onto raspberry lemonade cupcakes.

Fill cupcake liners half full with batter and bake for about 15 minutes. The cupcakes are done once a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Fill a decorator piping bag (I use Tip 2D) and pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with sparkly coarse sugar if desired and top each cupcake with a fresh red raspberry.

A raspberry lemonade cupcake with pink frosting and a fresh raspberry on top, held in a hand with the wrapper peeled back.

Tips and Tricks

Flavor Tips:

If you want a more intense raspberry flavor, add dried raspberries to the frosting like I do in my Strawberry Almond Cake recipe. To do this, just pop some freeze dried raspberries in a food processor or freezer sealed bag to make crumbs and then add it into the frosting mixture.
Add lemon zest to the batter for even more citrus punch.

Baking Tips:

Don’t overfill the liners.
Don’t overbeat the batter.

Storage Tips:

Keep cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freeze cupcakes for up to 30 days in a freezer safe container.

Raspberry lemonade cupcakes with vanilla bases and pink raspberry frosting, each topped with a fresh raspberry, on a white cake stand.

More Cupcake Recipes

These Lemon Coconut Cupcakes and Lemon Cupcakes are the perfect zesty treat for the summertime! Add some of creamy Lemon Buttercream Frosting on both of them for the perfect bite!
Try out a batch of these classic Carrot Cake Cupcakes with some tangy and homemade Cream Cheese Frosting on top!
Lemon Pudding Cupcakes are a hit wherever you take them, and whatever time of year it is! Just like these S’mores Cupcakes too!
Make some zesty Pineapple Orange Cupcakes that are packed full of your favorite fruity flavors! Same with this delicious Raspberry Lemon Cake!

My readers love fresh berries, especially when topped on these delicious Lemon Cheesecake Bars! Love these Almond Wedding Cupcakes with delicious raspberry filling!

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Vanilla raspberry lemonade cupcake with pink frosting and a fresh raspberry on top, served on a white plate.

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