Raspberry Buttercream (Made with Real Raspberry Purée)
May 12, 2026
No jammy shortcuts. No artificial flavour. Just vibrant raspberry “sauce” (ie purée) folded into a silky Swiss Meringue Buttercream that tastes exactly as good as it looks.
This post covers two things: how to make a simple homemade raspberry purée from scratch, and how to turn that purée into the best raspberry buttercream you've ever put inside a cake. If you've been using raspberry jam and wondering why it never quite hits the mark, this is the post for you.
And since we’re talking about raspberry (and fruit in general) puréee, we’ll also touch base on why it’s such an amazing patisserie staple, and how I love using fruit purées in Cake Design.
Both recipes are part of my Favourite Fillings series on YouTube (Episodes 5 and 6) and they work together. The purée is the foundation. The buttercream is what you do with it. And if you love that type of content, stay tuned because we will soon cover what else you can do with fruit puree (cue: you can do A LOT!)
Why Raspberry Purée (Not Jam) Makes Better Buttercream
Jam is convenient, but it comes with trade-offs. It's sweeter, thicker, and given the sugar/fruit ratio, the raspberry taste is tuned way down, even with the good ones. When you fold it into Swiss Meringue Buttercream, it can tip the balance of the whole thing.
Raspberry purée gives you something different. Cleaner flavour. A softer, more natural colour. And a texture that folds into your buttercream beautifully, without the sweetness overload.
Once you've made it yourself, you won't go back.
How to Make Homemade Raspberry Purée for Cakes
Two ingredients. Endless possibilities.
This is the exact purée I use in the raspberry buttercream below, and the same technique works with mango, peach, strawberry and any soft fruit. Same method, same beautiful result.
Ingredients
- Fresh or frozen fruit (we are using raspberries here)
- Sugar: 10% of the weight of the fruit
For example: 500g fruit / 50g sugar
Method
When applicable, peel the fruit, remove the core, and chop into small chunks. Skip this step for small fruits with fine skin such as berries.
Place in a saucepan with the sugar and heat gently. Allow to boil very gently for a few minutes, until the fruit has released a lot of juice and is completely soft.
For fruits without seeds (peaches, pears, etc): pour into a jug-like container and blitz with a stick blender until fully smooth.
For fruits with small seeds (raspberries, kiwis, strawberries, etc): pass the mixture through a medium-mesh sieve, pressing with a silicone spatula to push through as much flesh as possible. You want only the seeds left behind. Discard the seeds and leave the purée to cool.
Your purée is now ready to use. See How It's Done → Two-Ingredient Raspberry Purée
How to Make Raspberry Buttercream (Swiss Meringue)
This is Episode 5 of the Favourite Fillings series, and it might be my favourite one yet.
The raspberry purée you just made? This is where it goes.
The Ratio
100g Swiss Meringue Buttercream : 15g raspberry purée
This is a guide, not a rule. Adjust to taste, and keep in mind that different fruits will have different intensities. For this recipe, I used 300g of SMBC with 45g of raspberry purée.
Ingredients
- 100g Swiss Meringue Buttercream (classic or light brown sugar, both work beautifully)
- 15g homemade raspberry purée, reduced and cooled completely
This is a guide, not a rule. Adjust depending on the taste you are after and the fruit you are using.
In the video, I used 300g of SMBC with 15g of raspberry purée.
Method
Reduce the purée by simmering gently for a minute or two to concentrate the flavour. Always reduce more than you think you need — small quantities cook away very fast. Do not cook for too long or you will end up with a thick fruit paste. The aim is to remove some of the water only.
Allow the reduced purée to cool completely.
Add to your whipped SMBC a little at a time, mixing well between each addition until you have a consistent colour and flavour throughout. Not sure how to make your SMBC? Watch my Swiss Meringue Buttercream tutorial first.
Watch the full tutorial
A Note on Equipment
Both of these recipes were filmed using my Kenwood Cooking Chef XL. If you're thinking about upgrading your stand mixer, use my ambassador link below and you'll get 2 extra accessories included with your machine.
No Kenwood? No problem. A standard stand mixer works perfectly for both recipes.
More from the Favourite Fillings Series
➡️ Broken Buttercream? Here's How to Fix It
➡️ Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
➡️ Light Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream
➡️ Lemon Curd Has Never Been This Easy
Filmed as part of the Favourite Fillings series in partnership with Kenwood.
