Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

are my brand new creation!  Delicious made-from-scratch lemon cupcakes....with fresh raspberry butter cream icing! These little treasures come together in a snap and are the perfect flavor combination to welcome spring.They are light, sweet and a little tart, like biting into a refreshing glass of Raspberry Lemonade! 

I have been dying to make some kind of homemade lemon cake for weeks... I raved about it on my Facebook page in March. After spending one of the best spring days I've experienced in years out and about in down town DC at the National Zoo with my amazing kiddos and a great friend, I thought I'd share with you my newest and most exciting recipe. I actually made these mini darlings for a charity event hosted by OWC Events this passed Sunday for World Vision, a relief organization currently helping in Japan among many other places globally.

This has a yellow cake base, so its got 2 extra egg yolks. The trick to lightness in a cake is less flour. On top of that, if you can use cake flour, its even better! Cake flour has been sifted for you, and its a finer grain than just all purpose flour. A box will cost you $1.50-$2.25 depending on the grocery store you shop at. The foundational yellow cake comes from the The New Best Recipe cook book -- which has become an absolutely integral part of my life. I could read it for hours! Unfortunately I can't link to the book, but I can link to amazon where you can get a copy! Check it out here! The butter cream recipe is one I stumbled upon looking for some other kind of frosting idea, but I can't remember what I was looking for because I have been drooling over this recipe since I found it. Anyways, here's the link to the original!

Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

As you may have noticed one of my favorite citrus spices is ground cardamom. Its bold and pairs SO well with citrus and fresh fruits.

For the cake:


1.5 cups Swan Downs cake flour (or any other brand!)
1 stick butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon extract
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp salt, if you are using unsalted butter
zest of 1 lemon
A drop or two of yellow food coloring, just for presentation if you desire

Step 1.
Set out your butter and eggs so they get up to room temperature.

Step 2. 
In a stand mixer or large bowl combine all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cardamom, baking powder and salt if you are adding it. Mix evenly.

Step 3.
Preheat your oven to 350!

Step 4. 
Slowly add in your wet ingredients, starting with the butter. Then eggs/yolks (one at a time), the sour cream, the lemon zest and then the lemon extract. Beat each addition thoroughly before the next. (if you're adding yellow food coloring, do it now!)

Step 5.
In a paper-lined muffin tin, evenly distribute the batter. I used about a tablespoon and a half per cupcake, so the baked right up to the edge of the liner. Bake these mini delights for 20-25 minutes, or until a tooth pick stuck in the middle of them comes out clean.

Step 6.
Let them cool on a wire rack. While they are cooling whip up some fresh frosting!











For the butter cream frosting


This frosting is tart and sweet and an Au natural shade of beautiful pink. Its going to have little bits of raspberries stuck in it, giving it a unique texture and presentation.

1 stick softened (but not melted!) butter
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 16 oz package confectioner's sugar

Step 1.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter, raspberries and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. I put my mixer on 4 and let it go for about 5 minutes.

Step 2.
Sllooooooowllllyyy start adding in the powdered sugar, making sure the mixture is creamy and smooth after each addition.

Step 3.
Fill your favorite frosting bag, or use a zip lock baggie with a corner cut out and pipe the frosting in a nice dollop on the top of your cooled cupcakes.

See? Totally amazingly cute! And so easy to do! I bet you didn't think you could make a cake from scratch, but there you go, you did it and I'm proud! ;)  Give them that finishing touch, topping with fresh raspberries and a spring of fresh crisp mint if you've got it! (I didn't have any on hand, but I will for next time!)

Happy Spring baking!! <3<3