Today, I am thrilled to share with you a delightful and refreshing recipe for Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting. Bursting with the zesty flavor of lemons and the delightful sweetness of raspberries, these cupcakes are the perfect treat for any occasion.
Imagine biting into a fluffy cupcake with a hint of citrusy tang, complimented by the delightful crunch of poppy seeds. These Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes are the epitome of a light and delightful summer dessert. The real showstopper, though, is the Raspberry Frosting, which perfectly balances the sweetness of raspberries with the richness of buttercream. The contrasting flavors come together harmoniously, creating a burst of pure bliss in every bite.
Advice for Baking with Lemons:
Lemons are a versatile and bright ingredient that can truly elevate any dish. When working with lemons, it’s essential to select ripe, fresh ones that yield slightly to pressure. You have to be careful when combining lemon juice with dairy for baking, as the juice can cause milk to curdle. Try to add acidic lemon juice slowly, and mix quickly to avoid curdling. For this recipe, we’ll be using both lemon zest and juice to infuse the cupcakes with the perfect amount of citrus flavor. Remember, a little zest goes a long way, so use a fine grater to get just the outer yellow layer and avoid the bitter white part underneath.
How to Incorporate Fresh Fruits in Buttercream Frosting:
The key to achieving a luscious and flavorful raspberry frosting is using fresh, ripe raspberries. Begin by making a raspberry puree on the stove with raspberries, sugar, water and lemon juice.
After the puree thickens, remove from the heat. I advise that you put an immersion blender in your mixture to make everything smooth, but that’s not absolutely necessary.
Finally, using a sieve, remove the seeds from the mixture and preserve the raspberry goodness to add to your frosting. The natural sweetness and color of the raspberries will infuse your buttercream with an enticing hue and a burst of fruity flavor.
How to Make the Cupcakes and Frosting:
Now, let’s get baking and frosting those delectable Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting! Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients for Raspberry Puree:
- 1 ½ cups raspberries (can be fresh or frozen)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- Zest of two lemons
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup any kind of milk
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- Raspberry puree from above
- 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions:
Raspberry Puree:
- Add all ingredients in a sauce pan over low-medium heat.
- Stir constantly until mixture comes to a light boil. Do not let the mixture come to a heavy, or rolling, boil. Just keep stirring until the mixture thickens to the consistency of pancake syrup (This takes around 10 minutes).
- After the mixture thickens, remove from heat. Let cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Stick an immersion blender in the sauce pan and blend to make sure the raspberry puree is really smooth.
- Place a sieve over a bowl, and pour your raspberry puree into the sieve. Using the back of a spoon, push the mixture through the sieve to remove the raspberry seeds.
- Finally, throw out the seeds, but save the raspberry puree for your frosting.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Then, in another bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, mix until combined. Mix in the lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Stir in the milk until well-combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Gently fold in the poppy seeds into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly
- When done let cool completely before frosting
Fresh Raspberry Buttercream:
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy and smooth.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition.
- Then, add in the fresh raspberry puree (make sure you’ve given it time to cool) and heaving whipping cream until the frosting is smooth and fluffy.
- Fill a piping bag with a frosting tip (I like the Wilton 1M tip) and your frosting. Pipe frosting onto completely cooled cupcakes.
Congratulations! You’ve just created a masterpiece of flavors with Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes and Raspberry Frosting. \The tangy zest of lemons, the gentle crunch of poppy seeds, and the sweet allure of raspberries make this recipe a true winner. So, go ahead, gather your ingredients, and embark on a delicious baking adventure. Trust me; your taste buds will thank you!
Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Fresh Raspberry Buttercream
Ingredients
Raspberry Puree for Frosting
- 6 oz raspberries fresh is preferred, but frozen can be used in a pinch
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice can be fresh or from a bottle
Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
- 1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 lemons zest of
- 1/4 cup lemon juice fresh
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- raspberry puree from above
- 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Raspberry Puree
- Place all puree ingredients in a sauce pan on the stove over medium-low heat
- Stir constantly until most of the water has evaporated and the mixture has thickened to about the consistency of pancake syrup
- Remove from heat, let cool 5-10 minutes
- Stick an immersion blender in the sauce pan and blend the mixture so it gets extra smooth (This can be optional if you don't own an immersion blender, but it makes the process a little easier)
- Place a sieve over a bowl and pour your raspberry mixture into the sieve.
- Use the back of a spoon and press the raspberry mixture through the sieve. Collect the remaining raspberry sauce in the bowl, and throw out the separated seeds.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350° F
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
- Cream butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy
- Add in eggs to butter and sugar. Mix until combined.
- Add in zest of two lemons and lemon juice. Mix until combined.
- Add in milk. Mix until combined.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until well-combined, but do not over-mix.
- Gently fold in poppy seeds
- Place liners in cupcake pan and fill liners about 3/4 the way with batter. You will end up with 12-14 cupcakes.
- Bake cupcakes at 350°F for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly
- Let cool completely before frosting
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
- Cream butter until fluffy
- Slowly add in powdered sugar until well-incorporated with butter
- Mix in raspberry puree (from above) and heavy whipping cream until thoroughly incorporated and everything is one color and texture. You can add in more whipping cream 1 teaspoon at a time if your frosting is too thick.
- Place frosting in a piping bag with a tip and frost your cooled cupcakes
