Healthy Recipes Dessert Cake Cupcake Lemon-Raspberry Mini Cupcakes 3.0 (3) 2 Reviews These light and fluffy mini cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are flavored with lemon and have a raspberry-tinted frosting. Make these easy cupcakes as a brunch or birthday dessert. Make them extra fruity with a fresh, plump raspberry on top. By Laura Kanya Laura Kanya Laura Kanya is a recipe developer and tester based in Vermont. She has been active in the food industry for more than two decades in a variety of roles, including pastry chef, chef instructor, executive chef and director of operations in restaurants, resorts, catering, retail operations and food production companies. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 17, 2025 Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD See More Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Jump to recipe Close Credit: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Servings: 12 Nutrition Profile: Nut-Free Soy-Free Vegetarian Jump to Nutrition Facts These mini cupcakes feature a fresh raspberry-tinted cream cheese frosting for added flavor and are quick to prepare.Whole-wheat pastry flour adds fiber, providing a more nutritious treat compared to white flour.Lemon zest and juice provide vibrant citrus flavor for a refreshing taste. Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed and tested at its original yield and has not been tested at other yields. Note that only the ingredient list is scaled, so you may need to make adjustments to ingredient amounts, cooking times and equipment sizes in the recipe steps. Scaling could also impact the nutrition analysis. Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings Cupcakes ½ cup granulated sugar ⅓ cup reduced-fat milk ¼ cup neutral oil, such as canola or avocado 1 large egg, at room temperature 2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated with a microplane 2 tablespoons lemon juice ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ⅛ teaspoon salt Frosting ¾ cup fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish ¼ cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar ½ teaspoon lemon juice ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of salt Directions To prepare cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 24-cup mini muffin tray with cooking spray and line with paper liners. Whisk granulated sugar, milk, oil, egg, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla together in a large bowl until combined. Whisk flour, baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl until no clumps remain. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until fully combined and no flour streaks are visible, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Scoop about 1 tablespoon batter into each prepared muffin cup. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the centers of the cupcakes comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Meanwhile, prepare frosting: Place raspberries in a small food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the raspberry puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing gently with a rubber spatula until only seeds are left (discard seeds). Beat butter with the electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the raspberry puree, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt; beat on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until combined, about 1 minute. Cover and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 30 minutes. Frost the cupcakes. Garnish each cupcake with a raspberry if desired. Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall To make ahead Refrigerate cupcakes, covered, for up to 5 days. Equipment 24-cup mini muffin tray; paper liners Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, April 2023 Save Rate Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 224 Calories 16g Fat 19g Carbs 3g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Serving Size 2 mini cupcakes Calories 224 % Daily Value * Total Carbohydrate 19g 7% Dietary Fiber 1g 4% Total Sugars 13g Added Sugars 11g 22% Protein 3g 6% Total Fat 16g 21% Saturated Fat 7g 35% Cholesterol 45mg 15% Vitamin A 367IU 7% Vitamin C 4mg 4% Vitamin D 7IU 2% Vitamin E 1mg 9% Folate 6mcg 2% Vitamin K 5mcg 4% Sodium 146mg 6% Calcium 55mg 4% Iron 1mg 6% Magnesium 5mg 1% Potassium 57mg 1% Omega 3 1g Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. * Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.) (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.