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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Mimi says
Chris,
I just stumbled upon your blog and I'm so excited to get started on your many beautiful recipes! If I won this mixer, it would be a hard decision, but I'd have to say that in honor of the mixer's rich hue and adorable polka dot bowl, I'd have to start by making those amazing cupcakes!
Susan Smith says
You make the prettiest little cupcakes ever!!! Thanks Chris for your amazing creations and I enjoy how you share tiny morsels of your life as well. I would make my Everything Cookies. They have Oatmeal, dried cherries, chocolate chips and chopped almonds with some almond extract for added flavor. Thanks for this opportunity to win the "big one"....
Cyndy Shorter says
I would definitely make pumpkin spice bread!
Christina Larsen says
Beautiful mixer! I would make an almond joy cheesecake and a pumpkin cheesecake.
Jan Kuester says
I love your blog, you two! Besides seeing the love and joy you have in one another, there is the love of wonderful food and fresh, delicious recipes. I am a recent breast cancer survivor and my old Bosch mixer is on it's last legs...winning this one would be truly amazing!! Blessings and joy to you for all the good you bring into our homes and lives.
Stephanie R says
Those cupcakes are beautiful! I'm not sure what the first recipe would be but probably something with chocolate and peanut butter since my hubbys birthday is quickly approaching and that's his favorite dessert flavor combination!
Denise Parker says
I would inaugurate the mixer with a batch of my favorite chocolate chip cookies.
Julie Olmscheid says
I would make Marie's Fabulous Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting. Yum!!
Stephanie Phelps says
If I won the first thing I would make is a egg nog pound cake!
John/Kitchen Riffs says
I'm back from vacation, and you've made cupcakes to celebrate! And what great cupcakes they are -- these look terrific. Really like the photos, too -- very vibrant. Thanks for this!
Toni | BoulderLocavore says
Chris these are extraordinary! I have never seen cupcakes with this type of frosting. Hard to believe it's October again. Love that you are helping with awareness.
AlexisB says
I would make peanut butter cookies! It's my husband's favorite!
Lawyer Loves Lunch says
These cupcakes are gorgeous! If i won the mixer, I'd definitely make a pound cake because you really can't have enough cake in life!
Nancy/SpicieFoodie says
I love your adorable cupcakes! That's going to be one very lucky winner.
Candy says
I would make fresh bread with the mixer! We love hot bread out of the oven with butter but I get tired mixing it by hand. ????
Amy S says
I'd make chocolate cupcakes!
Liz says
Whoa, you've outdone yourself with these showstopping cupcakes!That frosting is amazing! If I won a new mixer, I'd be making a huge batch of chocolate chip cookies!
Peter T says
The first thing I would make are your Raspberry Pomegranate Swirl Cupcakes. They look delicious!
Elle P. says
I would make carrot cake cupcakes with walnuts & a cream cheese frosting.
Ginger says
I would make Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes! I love the Cooking for a Cause promotion. The pink mixer and ceramic bowl are awesome!
Lisabeth P. says
What a Beautiful Mixer! I would love to make just about any thing with this ~ A raspberry swirl cheesecake would be pretty! Love to follow you on Pinterest!
kirsten says
A family of six has many requests. First up would be chocolate chip cookies 🙂 Then a decadent chocolate cake.
Stacy D. says
A nice big layer cake and some brownies 🙂
Rose says
If I won the mixer and bowl, I'd make lemon cupcakes with raspberry lemonade frosting because the mixer just looks like it wants to make something like that--and I'd be smiling the entire time I was baking because that is one preeeetty mixer!
Linda says
I would make peanut butter chocolate chip soft baked cookies.