Raspberry lemonade cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes
Ingredients:
3 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 lemons, zested and juiced (3 tablespoons zest, 3/4 cup juice)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the lemon zest and sugar with a fork until the sugar is coated with lemon. Add the butter and cream until it is light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, egg whites and vanilla. Mix it until it is combined. Add the lemon juice and mix it well. (Your mixture may start to look funny here, just continue with the next step.)
With the mixer on low add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the bowl and allow that to combine. Then add 1/2 of the buttermilk and wait for that to combine. Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix. Add the other 1/2 of the buttermilk and mix it. Then finally add the remaining of the dry ingredients. Mix it until they are combined. Stop to scrape down the bowl as often as needed. Do not over mix.
Pour the batter into a muffin pan prepared with paper liners. Fill the liners about 2/3 full.
Bake 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
Cool the cupcakes in the pan 1-2 minutes, then carefully remove them from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
Frost with some raspberry buttercream frosting (recipe below) when they are completely cooled.
Raspberry buttercream frosting
Ingredients:
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
8 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 ounces raspberries, pureed and pushed through a sieve
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and shortening (about 30 seconds). Add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until it is well combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy. Add the raspberry puree and salt. Beat until it is fluffy, about 1 minute.
Use immediately or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)
