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Amazingly tender, melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes with a fun swirl of raspberry pomegranate syrup hidden inside. And there's an all butter icing that's super creamy with a delicious hint of raspberry and pomegranate flavors.
These Raspberry Pomegranate Swirl Cupcakes are based on my Best Vanilla Cupcakes and Buttercream Recipe, super tender melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes, and a delicious icing with just a touch of cream cheese. This recipe was the final result of a long quest to find the perfect yellow cake recipe. To me, this is what a really good wedding cake should taste like.
In celebration of pomegranate season, I combined raspberry jam and fresh pomegranate arils in a sauce pan and simmered the mixture for 15 minutes. Then I strained out the seeds and pulp, resulting in a delicious pomegranate-raspberry syrup. The syrup is simply drizzled over the cupcake batter right before they head to the oven. A quick swirl with a small knife or skewer and you've got a fabulous tasting cupcake with a beautiful splash of color.
For the icing, I saved a bit of the pomegranate-raspberry syrup and used a two-tone technique that is explained in the recipe below. If you're in a hurry, or don't feel like fussing with a decorating bag, just add the raspberry-pomegranate syrup to the entire bowl of buttercream and frost the cupcakes with a knife. Believe me, they'll still be extremely well received! They've definitely been a hit here at The Café!
Give these Raspberry Pomegranate Swirl Cupcakes a try, I think they may become a seasonal favorite!
Amazingly tender, melt-in-your-mouth cupcakes with a fun swirl of raspberry pomegranate syrup hidden inside. And there's an all butter icing that's super creamy with a delicious hint of raspberry and pomegranate flavors.
- For the raspberry-pomegranate syrup:
- 1 cup raspberry jam use your favorite
- ½ cup pomegranate arils or seeds*
- For the cupcake batter:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup cake flour
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cup sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter not softened but remove from refridg and allow to warm for about 15 minutes
- 4 large eggs
- For the Buttercream:
- 8 ounces butter softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese or Neufchâtel softened
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1-2 tablespoons half & half
- 2 tablespoons reserved raspberry-pomegranate syrup
-
For the raspberry-pomegranate syrup, set a fine mesh strainer over a medium size bowl. Set aside.
-
Combine raspberry jam and pomegranate arils in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour mixture into prepared strainer. Push on solids with the back of a spoon to extract all of the liquid. Return strained liquid to the sauce pan and simmer for another 5 minutes or until syrupy and reduced to ⅔ cup. Set syrup aside to cool. Discard seeds and pulp.
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For the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350° Line cupcake pans with 32 cupcake liners. Combine milk and vanilla in a measuring cup and set aside. Break eggs into a small bowl and set aside.
-
Place the cake flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of stand mixer and stir together for 30 seconds using mixer paddle attachment.
-
With mixer on low, drop in butter, a few cubes at a time, continuing until all butter is in and mixture resembles coarse sand.
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Add eggs one at a time on low speed. With mixer still on low slowly pour in milk and vanilla. Turn mixer to medium and beat for 2 minutes until batter is smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
-
Scoop batter into cupcake liners filling cups with about ¼ cup each. Cups will be just slightly over half full - don't be tempted to over-fill. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the raspberry pomegranate syrup for the icing. Drizzle the remainder of the syrup over the batter filled cupcake liners, dividing evenly. Swirl syrup with a skewer or small, thin knife in a circular pattern.
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Bake for 18-22 minutes or until centers are set and toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
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For the buttercream, in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip the butter until soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes. I like to use the whisk attachment for my mixer.
-
Reduce speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Once the powdered sugar is pretty well incorporated, increase speed to medium high and beat for1 minute. Mixture will be quite thick.
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Stop the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the other 3 cups of powdered sugar. Start out on slow speed again until sugar is mixed in the increase to medium high and beat for another minute. Mixture will be very thick.
-
Add vanilla and 1 tablespoon half and half* (see below for two-tone icing) and beat for two to 3-4 minutes until nice creamy consistency is reached. You made need to add more half and half, just a teaspoonful at a time, until desired consistency is reached. You want a creamy, but fairly stiff consistency for piping.
-
For two tone icing, remove ½ cup of the buttercream to a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon of the raspberry pomegranate syrup. Stir well to combine. See notes for piping tips.
-
If you prefer a solid color raspberry pomegranate buttercream, replace the half and half with the raspberry pomegranate syrup and proceed as directed above.
For the cupcakes pictured, I used a Wilton 104 petal tip and a two-tone technique. I used a pomegranate aril in the center but you could also use cake sprinkles or decorating balls (dragees).
I found several helpful tutorials for piping the cupcakes. This Two-Tone Buttercream Rose Cupcake Tutorial was great in explaining how to fill the decorating bag to achieve the color tinged petals. For the flower technique itself, I followed this Buttercream Flower Cupcake Tutorial. I used the fourth technique that was demonstrated.
Mary Dolan says
This may sound plain and odd but the first thing i would make is a yellow cake with chocolate frosting!! been on my mind!
Chris Scheuer says
Nothing odd about that Mary! Yum!
Megan says
This is such a fabulous color!! I would make your pumpkin whoopie pies...and then every other pumpkin recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Megan, pumpkin anything is hard to beat!
Denise L says
I'd have to make your Raspberry Pomegranate Swirl Cupcakes - they look divine.
Chris Scheuer says
They are so light and flavorful Denise!
Julie Hickman says
I would make pizelle's ! I have the original pizelle iron my grandparents used.
Chris Scheuer says
Julie, that is so cool! I have some from my mom and Scott's mom too! They are very special to me.
Cindy Stoll says
What a lovely colored mixer. I think any recipe made in it would be wonderful. I would most likely make cookies. We are in the middle of harvest here in Central Il so I am doing a lot of meals on wheels right now.
Chris Scheuer says
I bet you're super busy right now Cindy!
Janee says
This mixer would be a bit like "jewelry" for my kitchen!! Makes me smile. Now that Fall temps are here, the first thing I would do (to test out a tip I just learned about) is to use the KitchenAid to shred cooked chicken breasts while still warm. I've seen it done -- it's amazing! I'd put that beautifully shredded chicken into chicken tortilla soup...
Chris Scheuer says
Oh yum, Janee! That sounds fantastic! I've done that and it does work!
cheri says
Hi Chris and Scott, I would make these cupcakes my granddaughter birthday is coming up and these would be perfect!
Chris Scheuer says
She would love them Cheri! They're so pretty and pink!
Jennifer Essad says
I think that this would ship & I would have it before Thanksgiving if I was the lucky winner. So I would make a pumpkin cheesecake to serve for our Thanksgiving Dinner. I know our family would enjoy your raspberry cupcakes so I'd have to make a batch of these too.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Jennifer, all the best in the giveaway! Cheesecake is hard to beat!
Judy Resop says
I would make my Mom's rye bread recipe. We all loved her rye bread and I don't know how to knead bread. It would be great to have it again and think about her.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks and welcome Judy! My mom was such an inspiration too, especially when it came to bread making. She made 10 loaves at a time up until she was 90 years old!
HS says
I would make vanilla cupcakes.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks and welcome! Sometimes the simple, classic tastes are so good, aren't they?
Betty says
Those are some gorgeous cupcakes! The first thing I'd make would be some chocolate chip cookies for my grandson! 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
You know the way to a boy's heart, don't you Betty!
Sonni says
A beautiful chocolate cake.
Chris Scheuer says
Sounds great Sonni!
Anne says
For my son's birthday - chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. This reminds me, time to make an appointment for my mammogram!
Chris Scheuer says
You're right Anne, it's so important to get that checkup.
Denimo says
Thanks for the yummy cupcake recipe! I'm really into the cupcakes right now as my granddaughter loves them and they're just plain fun to make! And what a great give-away. Who wouldn't love to win that mixer or the cute bowl. One never has enough mixing bowls, does one?? : )
Chris Scheuer says
You're so right about that Denimo!
Lynda M. says
What a beautiful mixer and your cupcakes are so pretty! I would make pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream frosting.
Chris Scheuer says
Lynda, that sounds so good! Welcome to the Café!
Hope says
Something sweet for my family. Either chocolate chip cookies or a chocolate cake! We are remodeling our kitchen and they have been deprived for the past couple of months of any home baked desserts.
Chris Scheuer says
Any room for a raspberry ice mixer? We love sweets over here too Hope!
Janelle K says
I would start with a German chocolate cake. My favorite!!
Chris Scheuer says
Janelle, with a last name like Scheuer, how could we not love German chocolate cake?
Gayla says
I would love to make apple or cherry pie crust.
I have a great recipe but I don't have a mixer.
It's so nice to hear about so many people making a difference with such a great cause.(Komen Foundation).....and someday we will beat it!
Chris Scheuer says
That's our prayer too Gayla! Some day they will be able to conquer it.
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
I would make a birthday cake for my son and husband who both have birthdays coming up!
Chris Scheuer says
What fun Tricia! Scott's is at the end of October and our precious daughter-in-laws is next week!
Holly Canfield says
I'd make the Grand Marnier chocolate cupcakes I've been eying the recipe for months for. There's so many sticks of butter in the batter and the frosting I just don't think my current mixer will handle it!
Chris Scheuer says
Oooh Holly, that sounds so good!
Velia says
This is a beautiful mixer. I would use it to make all kinds of cupcakes.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Vella! Cupcakes rule!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Chris, these are beautiful cupcakes and a great cause. I'm always on the wrong continent for the nifty giveaways. 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
I know Maureen,rats!
Vickie says
Gorgeous color..oh my!
For national breast cancer month and to sorta match the color...
I will be making yummy cranberry pecan sweet bread with cream cheese filling..or pumpkin donuts or both..why not!
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Vickie, I'm licking my lips as I read your description! Well done!
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
Such gorgeous cupcakes! Love the two-toned frosting, those little petals are perfect 🙂 Love the raspberry + pomegranate flavor too!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks June, your comments are so sweet!
Chris Scheuer says
Those are some of our all-time favorite muffins Liz! Welcome to the Café!