Raspberry Buttercream

Delicious served on lemon cake or lemon cupcakes.

1/2 c. Seedless raspberry preserves
2 cubes butter
1/2 c. Shortening
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. Raspberry extract
1 1/2 lbs. Powdered sugar (yes, pounds!)
1-2 Tablespoons cold milk

Cream butter and shortening together in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add extracts and raspberry preserves and mix well. Begin adding the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all the sugar has been mixed in, begin adding the cold milk one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

**If you don't have raspberry extract you can just add a bit more preserves until you reach your desired raspberry flavor.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcake...

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil’s food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup warm water

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, water, and vanilla.
3. Using a large cookie scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells; about 3 tablespoons of batter per well.
4. Measure .4 ounce balls of cookie dough (about 1 teaspoon) and drop a ball of dough into each cupcake. Be sure to use a spoon to completely cover the dough ball with batter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick entered into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
5. Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Once cupcakes are cool, prepare your frosting.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosting


Ingredients
FROSTING BASE:
1-3/4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
Eggless cookie dough (recipe below)
EGGLESS COOKIE DOUGH:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)



*****When I made this cupcake recipe, I used this vanilla buttercream recipe for the frosting. I think if I use the cookie dough frosting I wouldn't use a chocolate cake mix. I am going to try this again with the cookie dough frosting and this cupcake recipe.

Better Than Whatever Cupcakes...

1 box milk chocolate cake mix
Make cupcakes according to package directions

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup Caramel Topping

2 Heath Bars smashed

After Cupcakes have cooled poke lots of holes into cupcake. Pour 1/2 a can of sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 45 seconds. Then slwoly put a tablespoon of sauce onto each cupcake. (They will get messy) Then sprinkle with smashed heath bar. Then top with vanilla-bean buttercream frosting.


Vanilla-Bean Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter , softened
1/2 tsp. madagascar bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
3.5 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more if necessary

Using a kitchen aid, Cream the butter until very smooth. Add in the vanilla bean past until they're evenly distributed. Add confectioners sugar, the vanilla and milk, and mix until combined. . If the frosting is too loose, add a few more tablespoons of confectioners' sugar, and mix until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap until you're ready to use; mix well just before using.
Decorate cooled cupcakes as desired. Enough icing for 12 cupcakes

Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes...

I got the recipe from here

-1 box of your favorite moist WHITE cake mix. (it makes it easier than making them from scratch)

-6oz package of fresh raspberries.

Combine ingredients with the cake mix according to the instructions on the box. (oil, milk, eggs).

Take half of the raspberries and mash them slightly with a fork. Add to cake mixture and mix for 2 minutes. Divide in baking cups, and bake according to the instructions on the box (usually around 20 minutes at 350 F.

While the cupcakes are baking you can prepare the YUMMY Lemon Buttercream.

You'll need:

-2 1/2 cups icing sugar

-1/4 cup butter (room temp is best for mixing)

-1/2 cup "Fluff" marshmallow topping

-2 tbsp whipping cream

-1 or 2 drops yellow food color, for fun.

-zest of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients and mix with electric mixer until smoooooth. You'll want to taste test.... for no other reason than pure enjoyment. :) **A little trick. If you have a tool for icing, with a rosette tip, it's best to put the icing in the fridge for 15 minutes so it thickens up a little.

**If you're not into lemons, try adding a few tbsp of raspberry puree, and omit the zest. (i've tried this with strawberries, and it's fabulous!)

Allow 10 or more minutes for the cupcakes to cool, before icing them (or the icing will melt, and run off!)

Top each cupcake with one beautiful raspberry.

***Emily's Findings...the raspberry flavor in the cupcakes was not strong enough for me. I think next time I will try some raspberry extract or add more raspberries. I had to double the frosting in order to have enough to pipe onto the cupcakes. Also the frosting was a little tricky for me to come together. I had to use more whipped cream then the recipe called for. The lemon flavor wasn't strong enough for me with just the zest. I added the juice of half a lemon. Next time I think I will try the juice of a 1/4 of a lemon and go from there.