A few days ago Mike brought home a raspberry lemonade for me and I thought, hmm…this would make a great cupcake. Raspberry and lemon are a great flavor pair, and as always I wonder who first decided to put them together, and why some flavors goes so well together, but would be disastrous with others. For example, raspberry goes well with both lemon and chocolate…but you’d never put lemon and chocolate together, would you? Blegh.
In any case, this cupcake is a delicious, sweet creation with just the right amount of tartness. You can use basic ingredients that you’re likely to have in your pantry and fridge, except maybe for the lemon extract. Trust me, lemon extract is absolutely worth it; you cannot achieve the same level of lemon-ness with juice and zest alone. As followers of this blog know very well, I’m a huge fan of lemons; and yes, that’s a vintage lemonade sign on the wall of my kitchen that you see in this photo. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Lemonade Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon lemon extract
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons milk (about 7 ounces)
Raspberry Lemon Buttercream
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375. Line cupcake tins with paper liners; this recipe makes 15 cupcakes.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon extract until light and fluffy.
Add egg and lemon zest and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times.
Add flour mixture and milk alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour, beating until combined. Scrap the sides and bottom of your mixing bowl well to make sure everything is fully incorporated.
Using a cookie scoop, fill cupcake tins about half-full.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately remove from cupcake tins; cool completely on the wire rack before frosting.
To make the frosting, place butter and 2 tablespoons raspberry jam in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed for about two minutes, then on high speed for another two minutes, until mixture is fluffy.
Add 1 cup powdered sugar, mixing on low, then medium speed, until combined. Add remaining powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add additional tablespoon raspberry jam and lemon juice, beating on medium speed until well combined.
Frost cupcakes using a small offset spatula; store in an airtight container at room temperature.
amy bakes in the 'burgh 