Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
These lemon raspberry cupcakes taste gourmet but come from a box mix! They have a soft, moist lemon cupcake base and a creamy rapsberry buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 box lemon cake mix I like Duncan Hines, but any brand will work
- 1 cup buttermilk Use buttermilk instead of whatever amount of water your cake mix calls for(It's usually 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil Or whatever amount your cake mix calls for
- 3 eggs
- Zest of on lemon optional, for extra flavor
- 1 tsp vanilla
Raspberry Puree
- 1 cup fresh raspberries Frozen can work in a pinch, about 6 oz if you go by weight
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water Use slightly less if using frozen raspberries
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar Can adjust amount a bit for consistency of frosting
- Raspberry puree From above, strained from seeds
- 1-2 Tbsp heavy cream (or milk) To adjust for consistency
Instructions
Make Raspberry Puree
- Place all the puree ingredients in a pot over medium-low heat
- Stir constantly, breaking up the raspberries while you stir. You want the mixture to come to an "almost boil" without boiling too much.
- Keep stirring until almost all the liquid has evaporated and your puree has thickened to have about the consistency of pancake syrup.
- Remove puree from the heat and let it cool. You don't have to let it cool completely (The next step will actually be a little easier if the puree is still warm).
- Place a strainer over an empty bowl. Pour the raspberry puree into the strainer. Using the back of a spoon, press the raspberry puree through the strainer and into the bowl beneath. This step takes some time! However, you want to push as much liquid through the strainer as possible, leaving behind the raspberry seeds.
- Dispose of the seeds left in the strainer and set your liquid raspberry puree aside.
Make Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make Raspberry Buttercream Frosting
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
- Gradually add in the powdered sugar, beating on low speed until incorporated.
- Pour in the raspberry puree and mix until the frosting turns a beautiful pink color and the raspberry is evenly spread throughout.
- Add heavy cream or milk (1 tablespoon at a time) until you reach your desired consistency.
- Beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes to make the frosting extra fluffy.
Decorate Cupcakes
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your favorite piping tip. I like the Wilton 1M tip for cupcakes.
- Pipe a generous swirl of raspberry frosting onto each cooled cupcake.
Notes
A note about quantity of cupcakes: Most cupcake mixes are made to make 24 cupcakes. I usually only get 16-20 cupcakes out of my cake mixes, depending on the brand. Depending on how generous you are with your frosting, you may have more cupcakes than you do frosting, but you can always call your cupcakes without frosting "muffins" and save them for breakfast the next day. :)