This perfect Raspberry Glaze is packed with raspberry flavor and - best of all - easy to make! This recipe is made with fresh or frozen raspberries and a touch of lemon juice to make the best raspberry icing for pound cake, bundt cake, scones, donuts, and more. Plus it's the ideal consistency to drizzle and will hold up perfectly on all your baked goods (no more soaking in!).
Have you ever made a glaze that soaked right into your cake and just disappeared? Not anymore!
This Raspberry Glaze is thick and smooth, the perfect raspberry icing for cake or other desserts. It uses a bit of butter to give it a creamy consistency and cut through the sharp powdered sugar taste, leaving you with a sweet but flavorful raspberry drizzle.
Raspberry desserts - Raspberry Crumble Bars, White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake, and White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake - show up at many of our special occasions. They are all great for serving to a crowd!
If you haven't decided what to put this glaze on, it's a perfect topping for our Lemon Loaf Cake, Lemon Scones, or one of many easy dessert recipes. We also have a Fresh Orange Glaze, Lemon Icing Glaze and a Maple Glaze for Donuts or other baked goods that are delicious as well.
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Why this recipe is great
- It's a quick and easy recipe.
- Versatile - It's the right consistency for cakes, scones, donuts, and more!
- Doesn't soak in and disappear.
- You can use fresh or frozen raspberries - whatever you have on hand.
Great consistency and so easy to make.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Rachael
Ingredients for raspberry glaze
A full list and ingredient quantities are in the recipe card below, but here are a few noteworthy tips:
- Raspberries: Fresh or frozen raspberries are perfect.
- Lemon: The juice from a lemon helps to cut the sweetness and brighten the fruit flavor.
- Butter: It's just a touch of butter so either salted or unsalted butter can be used.
- Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the raspberry mixture so that the final product is the perfect consistency.
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make raspberry glaze
This is a quick two part process. The first part is basically like making a raspberry coulis (easy raspberry sauce) which gets thickened to the right consistency for glazing.
First, for the homemade raspberry sauce, combine the raspberries, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat, until the raspberry juice starts to release. Stir occasionally, smashing the berries against the side to break them up.
Once it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, pull off the heat and strain through a wire mesh strainer (affiliate) (fine mesh sieve) into a small bowl. Discard seeds, and allow the smooth sauce to cool to room temperature.
Next, whisk or blend the butter, powdered sugar (icing sugar), vanilla extract, and raspberry sauce together until desired consistency. Boom! Glaze is done!
To fully cover with glaze, place cooled item(s) on a cooling rack with cookie sheet underneath. Slowly pour the glaze on top moving side to side to be sure everything is covered. If you want a drizzled look like we have here, use a spoon or place some of the glaze in a squeeze bottle and zig zag back and forth across the top.
What to serve glaze on
- Angel food cake
- Scones
- Muffins
- Coffee cake
- Loaf cake
- Cookies
- Bundt cake
- Pound cake
- Vanilla ice cream
- Chocolate cake
- Lemon Brownies
FAQs
Fresh raspberries that are in season are always more flavorful. However, if they're out of season or the fresh raspberries you find are not very flavorful, try using frozen. Frozen berries are picked at their peak of ripeness and are perfect for this application.
First, only pour on the glaze when the cake is completely cool, that way the icing doesn't melt. Second, use a glaze that uses a bit of butter. The extra fat content helps hold the glaze together so it holds a nice layer instead of dissolving into the cake.
You can store this glaze in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, then gently warm it before using until it's the desired consistency. Once you drizzle it on your cake, it will stay good for 2-3 days at room temperature.
Tips and tricks
- Cook raspberries on low heat until juices are flowing and cornstarch is dissolved.
- Don't skip the butter or cornstarch. They are what helps the texture of this glaze hold up perfectly on baked goods.
Other recipes
- Individual Fruit Pizzas - Fresh berries and other summertime fruit make these the perfect dessert when the weather is warm!
- Orange Cake - Made with orange juice and zest it's a tasty breakfast or dessert!
- Strawberry Cheesecake Bars - The next time you want a throwback treat try these!
- Skillet Fried Potatoes: Great for any meal of the day!
- Hot Honey Sauce Recipe: A true crowd favorite!
- Make Ahead Mac and Cheese For A Crowd: Ultra creamy with one little trick!
- Cheesy Scalloped Potato Recipe: A comfort food classic!
- Fresh Green Beans with Bacon: Healthy and fresh, but tasty enough for holidays.
Recipe
Perfect Raspberry Glaze
Ingredients
- 4 ounces raspberries fresh or frozen
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice fresh
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1½ tablespoon butter softened
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar plus extra if needed
Instructions
- First, combine the raspberries, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, until the juices start to release. Stir occasionally, smashing the berries against the side to break them up. Once it starts to thicken, pull off the heat and strain through a wire mesh strainer (affiliate). Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.4 ounces raspberries, ½ tablespoon lemon juice, ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- Next, whisk or blend the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and raspberry sauce together until desired consistency.1½ tablespoon butter, ¼ teaspoon vanilla, 1¼ cups powdered sugar
Notes
- Cook raspberries on low heat until juices are flowing and cornstarch is dissolved.
- Don't skip the butter or cornstarch. They are what helps the texture of this glaze hold up perfectly on baked goods.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Patty K says
Easy to make. A perfect texture! Food of the Gods!
Danielle says
Love this comment! So glad you found it to be delicious!
Amanda says
Color was pretty but had virtually no raspberry flavor and the butter got chunky. Was also way too sweet.
Misty says
Hi Amanda! I am sorry you had this experience. This recipe has multiple 5 star reviews and is a personal winner for us many times over, so we would love to help you troubleshoot, if that would be helpful! Flavor is very dependent on the berries you use. Since it is not currently raspberry season, it may be better to use frozen raspberries that were frozen when in season. For the butter, it should be very soft so that it easily combines. If it is chunky, it simply means it isn't quite soft enough. Once the butter is truly incorporated, it cuts the sugar taste to mellow the sweet. I hope this helps!
Rachael McCarty says
We made skull shaped chocolate cakes and drizzled this glaze on top. I only had 6oz of raspberries, so I tried to make 1.5 servings. Accidently added too much lemon, but it was still delicious. My spouse (who isn't a fan of cakes) said it was the best one he's had, and he proceeded to eat more than expected. Great consistency and so easy to make. Thanks!
Misty says
Glad you all enjoyed it!
Dina says
I just made this, and despite using less than the amount of sugar listed in the recipe, it turned out WAY too sweet (I'm talking diabetic-coma-level sweet!) It also has the consistency of icing (same as pictured), not a glaze. Do you have any ideas on how to lessen the sweetness and consistency now that it's made?
Misty says
Hi Dina! I'm sorry you found it too sweet for your taste. You can try adding a bit of salt to reduce the sweetness, but the amount will depend on your personal taste. This recipe is an icing sugar glaze and thus has the consistency pictured in the photos. If you're looking for a different texture, you may find better luck searching for a raspberry dessert sauce. I hope this helps!
Mimi says
How much raspberry juice do you end up using? I already have some on hand and would like to try this recipe.
Thanks!
Misty says
Hi, Mimi! We have not tried this recipe with regular raspberry juice, so I can't say for sure how it will come out. Cooking the raspberries down turns it into more of a thick sauce with a an extra concentrated flavor. I suggest making the recipe as written for best results.
Te says
Is there any way to make this without the butter? My SIL is allergic and i need to make this dairy free. Thanks!
Danielle says
So sorry, but I don't think so. The butter is actually essential to the final texture of the glaze. It is what helps it not dissolve into whatever baked goods it goes on. Maybe search dairy-free raspberry glaze. Hopefully you find something that works.
Ivette says
Hi, does this glaze set completely? Or does it stay wet? I am asking because I am making cake pops that I want to finish dipped in a raspberry glaze. I need to be able to package them in cellophane pouches without making a mess, lol. Thanks in advance.
Misty says
Hi Ivette! This icing does set up, although I am not sure if it is firm enough for cellophane wrapping. I have only ever tried it on baked goods that don't require individual wrapping. In my experience, it would likely work if it is a thin coating and has time to dry in the air. However, I certainly don't want to make a promise that I have not tried myself. If you do decide to try it, let us know how it goes!
IVETTE P DANZO says
Thanks for the reply! I'm going to try it out this weekend, I'll let you know how it turns out!
Debbie says
Used a chocolate cake mix in a heart shaped pan and made this glaze. Turned out incredible. Love it.
Niki says
Great recipe. Came out just right!
Misty says
So glad you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to share with us.