…tart lemon & raspberry are a perfect combination
Congratulations to Tonya, my sister’s dearest friend, who is moving to New York City to become The Beauty Expert for Macys.com! What an incredible opportunity for her—I couldn’t be more excited to celebrate her achievements! I wanted to congratulate the beauty queen in the sweetest way by making her Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes, with hot pink high-heel sugar cookie toppers. They turned out ultra-fabulous—perfect for the fashionista herself. The sweet lemon cakes are jam-packed with a tart raspberry filling, frosted with a fluffy, lemon buttercream, and topped with a soft, glazed sugar cookie. Oh, la, la :) After a few margaritas and burritos, the guests celebrating Tonya’s move to The Big Apple, were happy to indulge in such a treat. As they dissected the cupcakes with their forks, they were pleasantly surprised to find the sweet raspberry sauce pour out of the center. Everyone enjoyed the cupcakes and I hope you do too! As for Tonya, I wish you good luck and happiness in all of your future endeavors—you will be truly missed.
Lemon Cupcakes
1 box yellow cake mix
Eggs, oil, and water, as directed on box
1 small box of instant vanilla pudding mix
1 can of raspberry cake filling (or you can make your own using raspberry jam)
Lemon Buttercream:
(Recipe by Good Life Eats)
4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
juice of one extra-large lemon
2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
milk, if needed, to reach desired consistency
Sugar Cookie Toppers (optional):
Refrigerated sugar cookie dough
High heel cookie cutter (here is the exact one I used)
For the Lemon Cupcakes:
(1) Preheat oven to 350°F
(2) Mix ingredients according to box; blend in dry pudding mix until moistened
(3) Divide batter among 24 cupcake liners and bake according to box instructions
(4) Allow to completely cool; then using handle of wooden spoon poke small holes in the center of each cupcake (Do NOT press handle all the way to the bottom of the cupcake, or the filling will leak)
(5) Fill pastry bag (or large Ziploc bag) with raspberry cake filling and evenly distribute filling among cupcakes (reference picture for example)
(6) Set aside; meanwhile, make the buttercream…
(1) Cream the butter in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixture
(2) Slowly incorporate the powdered sugar as you continue to cream
(3) Add the salt and lemon juice; scrape down the sides of the bowl
(4) Beat on high speed until fluffy and smooth, adding milk (if needed) to reach desired consistency
(5) Pipe onto cupcakes, decorate with sprinkles, (top with sugar cookies if you’d like) and enjoy :)