I chose this recipe to make for family and friends during the summer from the Better Homes and Gardens online recipe collection because it sounded fun and delicious and totally reminded me of a refreshing glass of lemonade on a hot day, and also I’m a huge raspberry fan. They turned out to be so spongy and flavourful, everybody loved them. I’d definitely make them again. These would be perfect for spreading some love on Valentine’s Day because of their sweet taste and festive coloured icing. I had a little trouble finding the liqueur but decided to make them without and they were great anyway. I also used blue food colouring in the icing to add a nice summery splash to them. Enjoy!
Spiked Raspberry-Lemonade Cupcakes
- ¾cup butter
- 3eggs
- 1 ¾cups all-purpose flour
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- ¼teaspoon baking soda
- ¼teaspoon salt
- 1 ½cups sugar
- 2teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
- 2tablespoons lemon juice
- 2tablespoons raspberry liqueur or milk
-
2/3cup buttermilk or sour milk*
- Red food coloring
-
1recipe Creamy Raspberry Frosting
- Thin lemon wedges (optional)
- Fresh raspberries (optional)
Directions
1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line eighteen 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice, and liqueur; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Tint batter pink with a few drops of food coloring.
3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.
4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.
Creamy Raspberry Frosting
- ¾cup butter
- 7 – 7 ½cups powdered sugar
- 3tablespoons milk
- 3tablespoons raspberry liqueur or milk
- 5drops red food coloring
Directions
Allow butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in milk, liqueur, and food coloring. Gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar until frosting reaches spreading or piping consistency.
nutrition facts (Spiked Raspberry-Lemonade Cupcakes)
Servings Per Recipe 18,
- Calories 455,
- Protein (gm) 3,
- Carbohydrate (gm) 75,
- Fat, total (gm) 16,
- Cholesterol (mg) 77,
- Saturated fat (gm) 10,
- Sugar, total (gm) 63,
- Sodium (mg) 202,