Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
The perfect tangy, fruity, delicious cream cheese frosting is just five minutes away with this Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting. This super simple and flavorful recipe is the perfect touch for all your favorite spring desserts!
If you are a fan of cream cheese frosting, this Raspberry Cream Cheese frosting is a twist you are going to love.
It’s so simple, flavorful, and delicious and comes together in about five minutes.
This smooth and creamy frosting is perfect for piping and spreading and delivers a naturally beautiful blush color without any food coloring.
The secret ingredient is the freeze-dried raspberries. For years I’ve seen raspberry frosting made with raspberry jam or preserves because fresh raspberries have too much moisture to mix directly into frosting.
The use of freeze-dried raspberries allows you to take advantage of all the natural flavor and color of raspberries, without the added moisture that would make your frosting soupy or the added sweetness of making raspberries into preserves.
The result is a bright frosting that is loaded with powerful flavor. You’re going to love it!
Why Make This Recipe
- Delicious Twist: Raspberry and cream cheese are a delicious combo but as a frosting they become even more powerful, adding a new layer of flavor to any dessert they are added to.
- Easy: This recipe comes together in just five minutes!
- Picture Perfect: You’ll be amazed at how flavorful and beautiful this frosting turns out! Perfect for adding a pop of color to spring desserts.
Ingredients for Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- Freeze-Dried Raspberries: Fresh or frozen raspberries will not work for this recipe. You must find freeze-dried raspberries for the best flavor and texture
- Cream Cheese: Be sure and use full-fat cream cheese that comes in a block. It should also be softened to room temperature
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter. Make sure it is softened to room temperature, approximately 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Powdered Sugar: Sift the powdered sugar to ward off any lumps. You can add more or less powdered sugar depending on how thick you like your frosting.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract helps balance out all the flavors.
Tools
- Food Processor
- Electric Mixer: A hand mixer or stand mixer will make this frosting super easy to put together
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Prep the berries
Place the freeze-dried raspberries in a small blender or food processor. Blend on high until they break down into a powder. Set aside.
Step Two: Cream the butter
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together butter and cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy.
Step Three: Mix
Add in powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, mixing between each addition until just combined. Then add in the vanilla and salt and mix again.
Add the powdered dehydrated raspberries into the cream cheese frosting. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine, then switch to high speed and beat for two minutes.
Once your cake or cupcakes are cooled, pipe/spread the frosting on top. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Make sure your butter and cream cheese come to room temperature. This is a must for any frosting recipe! It helps ensure your cream cheese and butter blend consistently and there are no lumps in the final product.
- To thicken this frosting up for piping allow it to chill for a half hour in the refrigerator before using.
Recipe Variations
This frosting is very easy to customize and slight changes can make a big difference.
To add a little more flavor you can add some almond extract or lemon zest. Just a tiny bit will have a big impact, so be careful not to add too much.
You could also substitute the freeze-dried raspberries for any freeze-dried fruit for different fruit flavors. Try this recipe with blueberries, and peaches, or even use strawberries to make Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting.
To really bring out the raspberry flavor you could add a few drops of raspberry extract. Personally, I think the flavor from the freeze-dried raspberries is perfect!
FAQs
It is not a good idea to try and use fresh raspberries for this recipe. Fresh raspberries have too much moisture and will result in a very soft frosting. Adding more powdered sugar to balance out that extra moisture will create a frosting that is too sweet.
I have seen a lot of raspberry frosting recipes that call for raspberry jam or preserves. You could definitely use preserves (or cook your fresh raspberries down in some sugar), but I love the intense color and flavor that freeze-dried berries give to this recipe. Freeze-dried raspberries really are the secret ingredient.
You can still definitely use your fresh raspberries! I recommend adding them to the top of your desserts as a beautiful, fresh decoration.
Desserts made with cream cheese can be left at room temperature for up to two hours but it’s a good idea to refrigerate them after that.
For the best results, I recommend refrigerating your frosted desserts for about 15 minutes to let the frosting solidify before covering them either with foil or an airtight container. When you are ready to eat those desserts, allow them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
If you have unused frosting, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. This frosting also freezes very nicely. Let it thaw out at room temperature and give it a good whip before using.
This frosting is the perfect touch for any spring dessert. It pairs beautifully with chocolate, white chocolate, vanilla, lemon or coconut.
You could use this frosting to dress us a champagne cake, raspberry cake, red velvet cake or Devil’s food cupcakes.
You could also use this frosting as a filling for macarons or a topping for a simple shortbread or almond cookie.
Did you enjoy this recipe for Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cool Whip Cream Cheese Frosting
- Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Electric Mixer A hand mixer or stand mixer will make this frosting super easy to put together
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup freeze dried raspberries, blended
- 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup Butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 ½ cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Place 1/3 cup freeze-dried raspberries in a small blender or food processor. Blend on high until they break down into a powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together 1/2 cup butter and 8 oz cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add in 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar about 1 cup at a time, mixing between each addition until just combined. Then add in the 1 tsp vanilla and 1/8 tsp salt and mix again.
- Add the powdered dehydrated raspberries into the cream cheese frosting. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds to combine, then switch to high speed and beat for two minutes.
- Once your cake or cupcakes are cooled, pipe/spread the frosting on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Freeze Dried Raspberries: Fresh or frozen raspberries will not work for this recipe. You must find freeze-dried raspberries for the best flavor and texture
- Cream Cheese: Be sure and use full-fat cream cheese that comes in a block. It should also be softened to room temperature
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter. Make sure it is softened to room temperature, approximately 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Powdered Sugar: Sift the powdered sugar to ward off any lumps. You can add more or less powdered sugar depending on how thick you like your frosting.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract helps balance out all the flavors.
- Make sure your butter and cream cheese come to room temperature. This is a must for any frosting recipe! It helps ensure your cream cheese and butter blend consistently and there are no lumps in the final product.
- To thicken this frosting up for piping allow it to chill for a half hour in the refrigerator before using.
