Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Here is another leftover cupcake for you!  Leftover lemons and leftover raspberry pie filling = lemon raspberry cupcakes.  I have been wanting to experiment with lemon curd for quite some time now, so the pile of lemons in my fridge proved useful.  A light and refreshing cupcake resulted from my endeavors!  


Cake:

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

4 egg whites

1 box white cake mix

Lemon Curd Filling:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup lemon juice

zest of one large lemon

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

6 large egg yolks

Frosting:

1 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup raspberry pie filling

1 tsp raspberry extract

3-4 cups powdered sugar

1.  Begin by making lemon curd filling.  Melt butter in medium sauce pan over medium-low heat.
2.  Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and zest.
3.  Combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch in small bowl and add to the mixture.
4.  Whisk in egg yolks until smooth and return to heat.
5.  Cook over medium-low heat for roughly 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a spoon.  Do not allow mixture to boil!
6.  Once thickened, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into medium bowl.  Allow to chill completely before using.
7.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
8.  In a large bowl, whisk together water, buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
9.  Add eggs whites; whisk to combine.
10.  Slowly add the white vanilla cake mix while stirring.
11.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake for 13-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
12.  Place cupcakes on wire rack to cool completely.
13.  After cupcakes are cooled, using an apple corer, remove center of cupcake and fill with lemon curd filling.
14.  To make frosting:  beat butter until light and fluffy; add raspberry pie filling, raspberry extract and powdered sugar; beat until desired piping consistency is reached.
15.  Pipe onto cooled and filling cupcakes.

Source:  Lemon curd recipe courtesy of Annie's Eats

Cranberry-Blueberry Cupcakes with Fresh Lemon Buttercream

This cute little cupcake is similar to the last cupcake posted in some ways, but also has its own unique quirks.  When I opened my refrigerator today I was reminded I had some fruit leftover from other cupcake orders.  Instead of letting perfectly good fruit go to waste, I decided to just put everything in a cupcake together and see what happened.  The cake part of this cupcake is essentially the same as the previous recipe, with a few additions and subtractions.  The tartness of the cranberries balances out the sweet and citrusy flavor of the lemon frosting.  I wasn't sure how this recipe was going to turn out, and I certainly didn't think it would be blog worthy, so I'm sorry I didn't take any pictures along the way.  I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted the end result of my concoction.  It is a light and fruity cake with a sweet and fresh tasting frosting!  Enjoy!    

Cranberry-Blueberry Cupcakes with Fresh Lemon Buttercream 

1 cup butter, softened

3 1/4 cups sugar, divided

3 eggs

3 1/2 cups cake flour

1/4 cup corn starch

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

1 cup buttermilk

12 oz fresh cranberries

1 cup fresh blueberries + 1 T cake flour

2 cups water

Frosting:

2 cups butter, softened

2 tsp lemon extract

2 T lemon zest

5 T half and half

6-8 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2.  Combine 2 cups water, 1 cup sugar, and 12 oz cranberries in medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Boil until cranberries begin to burst.

3.  Strain cranberries and toss with 1/4 cup sugar.  Set aside to cool.

4.  Beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

5.  On low speed, add eggs one at a time, being sure to let fully incorporate before adding the next.

6.  In a separate bowl, whisk together cake flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together

7.  Add about 1/3 dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, then buttermilk, then 1/3 dry ingredients, sour cream, then final 1/3 dry ingredients.  Make sure to let the ingredients fully combine before adding the next.

8.  In another bowl, lightly toss blueberries with 1 T cake flour, then fold blueberries and cooled cranberries into batter.

10.  Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 16-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

11.  To make frosting:  beat butter and lemon extract until light and fluffy, add lemon zest; beat until combined.  Add half and half, and powdered sugar (a couple of cups at a time) until desired consistency is reached.

12.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Lemon Cranberry Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream

Last night I worked my very first 12-hour night shift in the hospital nursery.  It actually went surprisingly well.  But I have to say that after 25 years, trying to convince your body that staying up all night is the right decision is a difficult task.  You basically need to tell your circadian rhythm to take a hike and go about your tasks.  I think the strangest part of being up all night, besides acting like it was completely normal, was trying to decide what to eat.  Do I eat dinner at 2AM or breakfast?  Then, when I got home at 8AM, I couldn't decide whether to eat cereal or pasta.  I don't know if there is any right or wrong answer to these questions, except to avoid garlicky pasta, as my heartburn quickly taught me.  So when I woke up this morning . . . I mean this afternoon . . . I was inspired to make something that could double as breakfast and/or dessert.  One of my family's favorite cookie recipes is a citrus-glazed cranberry oatmeal cookie (which will be a later post).  I decided to take this versatile cookie and turn it into a cupcake.  This cupcake has the citrus flavors often associated with breakfast, yet it is in cupcake form, which classifies it as dessert.  Basically, it is the perfect snack for any time of the day or night!

Lemon Cranberry Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T lemon juice
1/2 cup milk, room temperature
1 cup dried cranberries (such as Craisins)


Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (16 oz) package powdered sugar, divided
1/3 cup milk
2 T orange zest


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2.  Combine all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk together and set aside.
3.  Combine butter, sugar, and lemon zest and beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

4.  Beat in eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.
5.  Beat in vanilla extract and lemon juice.
6.  With mixer on low speed, mix half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Add milk.  Mix remaining dry ingredients, just until incorporated.  Stir in dried cranberries.

7.  Divide batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about 3/4 of the way full. 
8.  Bake 20-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9.  Let cool in pans 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.
10.  To make frosting, beat butter at medium speed until creamy.
11.  Add 1 cup powdered sugar until blended.  Add milk, beating until blended.
12.  Add remaining powdered sugar, beating until well blended.
13.  Stir in orange zest.
14.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes to make frosting easier to work with.  Frost cupcakes as desired.