Raspberry Cupcakes You’ll Love This Summer

This isn’t my longest trip of my life, but it is the longest trip without kids, since I became a mama. Cassidy and I went to Alaska three summers ago but that was “only” 9 days without kids. At the end, their other set of grandparents got them for a day or two. That’s happening again. That said, with taking them to meet my parents two days before our trip, and our long trip, it’s 12 days without my kids. 11 days without my dogs. I know they’re all in good hands and so am I.

Raspberry Cupcakes:

What You’ll Need:

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of butter – softened
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 cups of fresh raspberries – rinsed and drained – divided; see instructions
2 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup of chocolate milk
1/3 cup of cocoa
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Nonpareils – or favorite sprinkles

FOR THE FROSTING

1 cup mashed raspberries – pulsed in the blender
1/2 cup of sugar – for mashed berries
1/2 cup of cream
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese – softened
1 stick of butter – softened
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Nonpareils for topping – or your favorite sprinkles

FOR THE CUPCAKE CENTERS

Whole raspberries for the cupcake center
Sugar for dipping berries for center of cupcakes
Whole raspberries for top of cupcakes

COOKS TOOLS NEEDED:

1 – 24 count muffin tin (or 2 12 count)
1 pastry bag
Stand mixer (or equivalent)
1 star tip
Blender
1 corer (to remove center of cupcakes)
Cooling racks
Foil

What You’ll Do:

• First, preheat oven to 350 degrees

• Then, in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and sugar

• And stir on low, just to blend ingredients

• With the mixer turned off, add the butter, heavy cream, eggs, chocolate milk, and vanilla, and mix on low until all ingredients are mixed together, then mix for one minute on medium high

• Turn off mixer, and remove bowl from stand, and scrape sides of bowl with a spatula, and mix in any ingredients that were not mixed with the mixer

• Place 24 cupcake liners in either one 24 count cupcake pan, or 2 12 count cupcake pans, and fill 2/3 full with batter

• Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean

• Then, when cupcakes are baked, remove to a wire cooling rack, and cool completely before frosting.

• Rinse the raspberries in a colander under cool water, and drain on paper towels

• Place 1 cup of the raspberries in the blender with 1/2 cup of sugar, and pulse until the berries are mashed. Set aside.

• While cupcakes are baking and cooling, make the frosting:

• In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy

• Add the cream, smashed raspberries and vanilla, and blend on low to medium until well blended

• Turn off mixer, and add about a third of the powdered sugar, and mix on low until blended, and repeat until all powdered sugar has been added

If the frosting needs to be a little thicker, add a little more powdered sugar.

• If it’s a little too thick, add cream, a teaspoon at a time until you have desired consistency

• Remove the mixing bowl, scrape down sides, and blend with a spatula

• Cover the mixing bowl with foil, and place in the refrigerator until cupcakes are completely cooled and ready to frost

• When cupcakes are completely cool, using the corer, core the center out of the top of the cupcake, and lay the cored out piece next to the cupcake

• And then place a whole raspberry, dipped in sugar, in the center of the cupcake

• Place the cored out piece of cupcake back in the cupcake, pressing down slightly – and repeat until all cupcakes have a sugar coated raspberry in the center

• Remove the icing from the refrigerator, and place icing in a pastry bag with the large star tip, and swirl icing on top of cupcakes forming to a peak

• Lastly, top with a raspberry, and sprinkle with nonpareils, or your favorite sprinkles

• Serve immediately, or place cupcakes in a cupcake container in a single layer, and place in the refrigerator until time to serve

Cupcakes should be kept in the refrigerator, and will keep for up to 6 days. Enjoy!

Here are some of my other cheerful and awesome cupcake recipes:

• Rainbow Sprinkle Cupcakes

• Patriotic Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

• Snow Cone Cupcakes

• Floral Chocolate Cupcakes