I have a confession. I don't love raspberries. I barely like them. I'm not a super huge fan of the taste, and I am FAR from a fan of the seediness. (Is that a word, 'seediness'? I'm sure you catch my drift) So why would I make a raspberry cupcake, you ask? Well, it's a lemon cupcake and I *heart* lemon anything. Plus, I like raspberry filling in donuts. Maybe it would be like a raspberry filled lemon donut...?
The result was surprisingly delicious. The homemade raspberry curd concerned me, initially, because it was pretty tart, but when it was combined with the sweetness of the lemon cupcake and the frosting, everything evened out. How awesome was it to see the shock an awe on the faces of my coworkers when they bit into it, just to find a raspberry treat inside?!? These were great - a real hit for both raspberry loves, and non-lovers. I think these would make perfect wedding or baby shower treats due to their sweetness and semi-fanciness!
Raspberry filled Lemon Cupcakes
Inspired by Smells Like Home
For the raspberry curd:
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 pint fresh raspberries, rinsed and dried
5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 c granulated sugar
pinch of salt
For the Cupcakes:
2 1/3 c cake flour
2 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
5 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
5 Tbsp lemon zest
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 c whole milk
For the Lemon Buttercream
1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c shortening
2 Tbsp lemon zest
3 c confectioners' sugar
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
Let's start with the raspberry curd.
Melt butter in medium saucepan, then add raspberries, egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Cook at medium heat, while mashing berries. Make sure you stir constantly, because you don't want your eggs to scramble! Continue to stir until mixture is nice and thick, about 15 minutes. Set a mesh sieve over a bowl, and pour mixture into it, working it through with a wooden spoon. Once you've extracted as much juice as you can, discard of solids, and set aside to cool. Curd will thicken as it cools, but to help it along you can put it in the fridge until you are ready for it.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare your cupcake tins with cupcake liners. Set aside. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl - set aside. In a clean mixer bowl, whip egg whites at medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and increase mixer speed to high. Whip until stiff peaks form. Transfer meringue to clean bowl and set aside. Rinse out your mixer bowl, and replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment. Beat butter until smooth, then gradually add sugar. Add lemon zest, then beat mixture until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with flour. Once incorporated, remove bowl from mixer and mix in about 1/4 of the whites with a spatula. Once blended in, fold in the rest of the whites, gently. Continue folding until you see no more white streaks.
Scoop batter into cupcake lined pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until tops bounce back when touched. Remove from oven, cool in pan for 5 minutes, then cool the rest of the way on a rack.
While cupcakes cool, and curd continues to thicken, make your frosting! In your mixer, beat butter, shortening, and zest until light and fluffy. Begin adding sugar, about 1/2 a cup at a time, and add lemon juice as needed to reach a semi firm consistency. Add whipping cream and whip for about 2 minutes until it's very light and cloud-like.
To assemble, core out the center of your cupcake with a cupcake corer (or a paring knife - the corer is easier and more fun!) Use a piping back to fill each core. The curd will seem almost too thin to be a filling, but it will continue to thicken within cupcake (I know -- weird!)
Once cupcakes are filled, pipe frosting on top, garnish with a fresh raspberry, then dig in!!
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