Raspberry Cream Spread
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A raspberry-based creamy spread blending butter and flour cooked into a thickened fruit purée, whipped with sugar until light and velvety. The recipe swaps classic butter for a mix of butter and coconut oil for richness and subtle aroma. Uses apple purée instead of sugar to introduce natural sweetness and a hint of tartness. Method focuses on heat control and whisking to avoid lumps and graininess. Ideal as a tart filling, frosting alternative, or simply slathered on toast. Holds up refrigerated but benefits from tempering and re-whipping before serving to regain silkiness.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
5 min
Total:
30 min
Servings:
1 litre 4 cups approx
#fruit spread
#dessert filling
#whipped frosting
#raspberry
#buttercream alternative
#coconut oil
#apple purée
Butter melting with that creamy whisper in the pan. Flour joining in, thickening. It smells faintly nutty, the way raw flour does nestled in fat. Then raspberries—fresh, bright, jewel-toned—added slowly. Bubbling softly, the aroma sharpens but softens into that deep, velvet scent of cooked fruit. I learned the hard way: watching bubbles teach you more than clocks. Too fierce, it curdles, separates, gritty nonsense. Just right, it holds like a slow-motion wave on the beach. Cooling under cling wrap, surface taut, no crust. The whip comes next—sugar and leftover butter get the magic wand. Five minutes of lifting, turning, air thrown in with abandon. Creamy, pale, and thick like whipped ganache but fruity and fresh. Apple purée tossed in rather than just sugar, a tip I picked up to tame the sharp tartness without dulling the raspberry bite. Add coconut oil to butter for a whisper of tropical softening; subtle, but worth the experiment. Texture matters. Storage tricks too. Chill and rewhip. Don’t just trust time—watch, feel, taste. It’s about mastering the dance between heat, fat, and fruit.
Ingredients
- 280 ml unsalted butter softened
- 90 ml coconut oil solid
- 80 ml all-purpose flour unbleached
- 200 ml seedless raspberry purée fresh or thawed
- 180 ml apple purée unsweetened
- 200 ml granulated sugar
About the ingredients
Butter remains king here but blending with solid coconut oil softens the mouthfeel and adds a faint sweetness without overshadowing the berries. Coconut oil should be firm, not melted, helps stabilize the final texture during whipping. Flour is best unbleached; bleaching chemicals alter taste and texture subtly. If gluten-free needed, substitute with cornstarch but watch timing closely—it thickens faster and sets differently. Pure raspberry purée without seeds crucial; seeds cause graininess and distract from creamy mouthfeel. If fresh isn’t available, thawed frozen berries blitzed and sieved works fine, but avoid heating frozen berries directly, they’ll release too much water. Apple purée subbing sugar introduces subtle tartness and rounds sharp raspberry acids. Granulated sugar helps with structure and volume during whipping. For vegan adaptation, replace butter and coconut oil with high-quality plant-based margarine blends but note texture shifts.
Method
- Melt 50 ml butter and coconut oil blend in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Swirl to distribute fat evenly but avoid browning; too hot scrambles flour.
- Sprinkle flour into melted fat, whisk aggressively until paste forms, buttery scent lets you know it’s cooked but not toasted — about 90 seconds.
- Slowly incorporate raspberry purée in steady stream. Whisk nonstop; mix thickens, bubbling gently — a shiny, thick texture signals proper gelatinization. If it’s grainy or clumpy, reduce heat immediately and whisk faster.
- Lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cook mixture about 3 minutes. Bubbles become slower and smaller, texture glossy, spoon holds shape momentarily.
- Remove from heat immediately to avoid breakdown of fruit pectin. Pour hot mixture into a bowl and cling wrap directly on surface — no air pockets to prevent crust forming. Let cool 1.5 to 2 hours at room temperature. Should be thick but still soft.
- When cooled, add sugar and remaining butter solid. Using electric mixer on medium speed, whip for about 6 minutes. Look for pale, creamy frosting with volume. Stop occasionally to scrape sides; too much time and it will look oily.
- Taste test sweetness; apple purée cuts sharp raspberry acidity, adjust with small pinch salt or extra sugar if needed. Chill if not using right away.
- Refrigerated spread firms up quite a bit. Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature before whipping lightly to revive softness and fluffiness. Avoid overheating as fats separate.
- Store in airtight container up to 4 days refrigerated. For emergency reheating, microwave 5 seconds and stir vigorously.
Cooking tips
Heat control is everything. Melt fats gently, keep heat medium to low; too hot and flour burns, disintegrates flavor balance. Whisk constantly when flour joins to prevent lumps. Adding fruit purée in a slow stream stops clumps and ensures even cooking. Watch the bubbles—large, furious bubbles mean too hot; soft, consistent gentle bubbling is sweet spot. Simmer briefly until thick and glossy; kitchen turns sweeter and fruit smell intensifies. Remove immediately or pectin breaks down risking watery mess. Cover with cling film tight on surface to dodge skin forming—a common rookie error. Rest time essential for setting before whipping. When adding sugar and softened fats, beat with a mixer, patience pays off. Start slow to avoid sugar flying everywhere, speed up once combined. Whip until light, creamy. Taste as you go. Refrigeration firms the spread, so bring it back to room temp and re-whip before serving, otherwise it feels too dense and buttery. Also stops graininess from settling. If you ever get curdled or separated, a quick warm whisk in a double boiler can rescue or blending with a small splash of milk or cream if no dairy allergies.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Heat control paramount. Melt butter and coconut oil gently medium. Too hot scrambles flour; smell changes nuts to burnt. Sprinkle flour in slowly whisk fast. Paste forms signals right. Watch bubbling; big bubbles scorch, small bubbles mean ready. Texture shifts visible. Adjust heat fast.
- 💡 Add raspberry purée in steady slow stream while whisking. Stops clumps, avoids lumps. Don’t rush this step. Glossy, thick mix forms after a minute; if grainy reduce heat and whisk faster high speed. Timing crucial; overcooking breaks pectin, watery mess appears.
- 💡 Cover hot mix with cling wrap tightly—no air pockets or crust forms. Let sit room temp 1.5–2 hours. Thickness must still be soft; chilled too soon turns rock hard. If crust forms, sweetness and texture degrade. Patience pays off here. Keep surface taut.
- 💡 Use solid coconut oil, NOT melted; softens spread texture subtly, faint sweetness. Butter alone too stiff. Flour unbleached only. Cornstarch substitute only if gluten-free; changes setting and need timing tweak. Pure seedless purée mandatory, seeds cause graininess and crunch unwanted.
- 💡 Sugar added after cooling with remaining solid butter. Whip medium speed 6 min or until pale and thick. Scrape sides often or sugar clumps form. Too long and spread turns oily looking. When chilled, rewarm just 30 min room temp then whip lightly to regain softness; reheated excess heat breaks fat.
Common questions
Why no em dash in instructions?
Formatting strict. Em dashes break parsing. Use comma or semicolon instead. Keeps text clean, clear parsing for machines and humans alike. Instructions stay smooth-looking.
Can I use frozen raspberries?
Only if blitzed, sieved, fully seedless. Don’t heat frozen berries directly. Releases water dilutes texture; affects final thickness. Fresh or thawed purees better. Otherwise spread weak, watery, grainy.
Spread grainy or separated, fix?
Whisk fast in double boiler warm gently. Can add small splash cream or milk if not avoiding dairy. Helps reintegrate fat. If too hot initially, fats break down, grains form. Patience needed, steady heat and whisking.
How to store spread?
Airtight container fridge only, up to 4 days max. Rewhip after sitting half hour room temp for softness. For quick warm-up microwave 5 seconds max then stir vigorously. Overheat ruins texture, fats separate. No freezing.
