Thursday, June 23, 2011

Raspberry Cupcakes

This is a guest post by Sister1.

Rain in June! Come on! It’s the time of year for bbqs, baseball games and swimming...not sitting inside watching Mad Men episodes one after the other while baking way more than two people could possibly need. Thank goodness for mamas who complain when their dessert supply gets low!


[Editor’s Note: Sister1 lives 5 minutes from my parents, so she is the official dessert supplier for the family. I only wish I could teleport home to eat some of her cupcakes on a regular basis!]


While on a post-yoga shopping trip yesterday, I picked up blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. I wanted to make something delicious and summery, hoping to influence the weather gods to change their weekend forecast. Unfortunately their predictions were correct (Rain! Cold! It’s June!) but I decided to make something bright and friuty anyways to cheer myself up.

These cupcakes were so delicious and light. I especially loved the buttercream - because it wasn’t too sugary and had an almost whipped creamy texture. They were so good that when I delivered them to the Mama she instantly ate two in a row!

Raspberry Cupcakes
(Adapted slightly from Martha Stewart’s Blueberries and Cream Cupcakes)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising), sifted
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pints fresh raspberries
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard paper liners. Whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each. Fold in raspberries by hand.
4. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until pale golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

Fluffy Vanilla Bean Buttercream
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
7 cups powdered sugar
3 vanilla beans, insides scrapped out
1/3 cup milk

Beat butter and vanilla bean until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar and milk and whip until fluffy and smooth. Depending on how you like your frosting, add more powdered sugar or milk.


Enjoy!