Since it's summer and since I LOVE raspberries...I really wanted to make a raspberry sort of cupcake. I was talking to my friend Maggie, who told me her friend made some raspberry lemonade cupcakes. Ummmm....Yes please!!And so began the search for a raspberry lemonade cupcake recipe...lots to choose from. Some with lemon pudding. Some with lemonade drink mix. Some with a raspberry on top. Hard decision! I went with the recipe that included a raspberry puree in the middle and in the butter cream icing. Score!
This was a fun cupcake to make as you actually made the raspberry puree, and used lemon juice and lemon peel from a real lemon. I got to buy cheese cloth! (Amber had no idea what this was! Glad I could edumacate her!)
Here ya go!
Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Lemon Cupcake (makes about 12)
1/3 c. butter (softened)
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1/4 c. lemon juice, fresh squeezed
3/4 c. milk
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 package (6 oz.) fresh raspberries – You can substitute frozen in a pinch
1. First, do your prep work! Make a raspberry puree by putting the fresh raspberries in a blender. Then, over a bowl, pour the puree onto a few layers of cheese cloth. Get your hands dirty and squeeze the puree through the cloth in order to strain out all the little seeds. Set strained puree aside; it will be used for both the cupcakes and the frosting.
2. Zest two lemons into a bowl – the zest will be used for both the cupcakes and the frosting. Squeeze those two lemons, careful to catch all the seeds, making sure that you have at least 1/4 c. of juice for the cupcakes themselves.
3. Now, get started on the cupcakes themselves! Cream together the softened butter and the sugar together. Add the eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest and blend until just combined.
4. In a measuring cup, combine the lemon juice and milk (do not do this too far ahead of time or else it will curdle!).
5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate blending in the milk mixture and the flour mixture, ending with the flour.
6. Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 way up. Top each scoop of batter with about a teaspoon of raspberry puree. Now, add a bit more batter on top of the puree, making each cup 3/4 full.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Take into account that the raspberry may show on the toothpick. Just be sure that there’s no raw cake batter!
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
1/2 c. butter
2-3 c. powdered sugar (to taste)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. raspberry puree
Just like a standard butter cream, start by creaming the butter! Blend in the vanilla. Start to mix in the powdered sugar. Just before you reach a thick consistency that you want, add the raspberry puree. The frosting will be thinner now, so continue to add powdered sugar until you reach the taste and texture that you like. If the frosting is still thin, let it sit in the fridge before piping onto the cupcakes!
In make these, I would change a few things. 1. I would use 2 layers less of cheese cloth. My puree ended up more like juice. Tasty juice, but juice none-the-less. 2. I would use more lemon juice. Maybe double. It smelled lemony and had a hint of flavor, but I would have liked it to be a little more tart. 3. I would have beat my buttercream a little longer and would have added a little more powdered sugar. The puree that was juicy changed the texture just a little bit.
Sara's Name: All Puckered Up Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Amber's Name: Rainbows & Smiles Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes
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