Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Here's the second of the three flavors of cupcakes I made for Matt's brother's wedding a few months ago.  They're a variation on my vanilla cupcakes and the frosting is my standard Swiss meringue buttercream with an ample dose of fresh raspberry puree to make the frosting not only a vibrant shade of pink but also tart and redolent of raspberries.  They're light and bright and perfect for a party.

Photo credit: Ryan Ray

Photo credit: Ryan Ray

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Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

makes 8 regular size cupcakes or 24 minis

For the cupcakes
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

For the frosting
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
4 ounces fresh raspberries

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Heat oven to 350 F.  Line the wells of a muffin pan with papers and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Add the butter, granulated sugar, turbinado sugar, and lemon zest to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and mix for 10 seconds.

Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until barely combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add half of the milk.  Mix until combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then repeat with the remaining flour and milk.

Add the lemon juice and vanilla and mix until combined.

Divide the batter between the lined cups and bake until the tops spring back when pressed and a toothpick comes out clean, about 17 minutes for regular sized cupcakes and 12 minutes for minis.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.


Make the frosting
Follow my directions for basic swiss meringue buttercream frosting using the amounts of egg white, sugar, and butter specified above.

While the egg whites are whipping, make the raspberry puree.  Use a hand blender or food processor to puree the raspberries, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds. You should have about 1/4 cup.

Once the frosting has come together, add the raspberry puree one tablespoon at a time, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.  After all of the puree has been added, beat the frosting for a full minute to make sure the puree is fully incorporated into the frosting.

Assemble the cupcakes
Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.  Pipe swirls onto the top of each cupcake. If you so desire, decorate with small sugar pearls or other decorations.