🧁 Raspberry Lemon Heaven Cupcakes
✨ What to Expect:
• Soft, moist lemon cupcakes
• A burst of raspberry filling in the center
• Luscious raspberry-lemon buttercream
• Optional raspberry or lemon zest garnish
📝 Ingredients:
For the Lemon Cupcakes (makes ~12):
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (~1–2 lemons)
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Raspberry Filling:
• 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water (slurry)
For the Raspberry Lemon Frosting:
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3–4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp raspberry puree (strained) or raspberry jam
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Optional: Pink food coloring for visual flair
🥣 Instructions:
1. Make the Lemon Cupcakes:
1 Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2 In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3 In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2–3 mins).
4 Beat in eggs one at a time. Add lemon juice, zest, sour cream, milk, and vanilla. Mix until combined.
5 Slowly add dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
6 Divide batter among cupcake liners (fill ~¾ full).
7 Bake 16–20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8 Cool completely before filling and frosting.
2. Make Raspberry Filling:
1 In a small saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat.
2 Cook until raspberries break down (~5 minutes).
3 Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook another 1–2 minutes until thickened.
4 Strain if you prefer a smooth filling. Cool completely.
3. Make Raspberry Lemon Frosting:
1 Beat butter until creamy (2–3 minutes).
2 Add lemon zest and raspberry puree or jam.
3 Gradually add powdered sugar, then lemon juice.
4 Beat until fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to thicken or lemon juice to loosen.
4. Assemble:
1 Use a cupcake corer or knife to remove a small center from each cupcake.
2 Fill the center with raspberry compote.
3 Frost with raspberry lemon buttercream using a piping bag or spatula.
4 Garnish with fresh raspberries, lemon zest, or a raspberry swirl.
🌟 Optional Variations:
• Use a lemon cream cheese frosting if you want something tangier.
• For extra indulgence, brush the cupcake tops with lemon simple syrup before filling.
• Make them gluten-free with a 1:1 baking flour swap.