Raspberry Lemonade &
Boston Cream Pie CupCakes
I know it's been a while since I posted, but it's time to start getting creative again and right now I am having a bunch of fun experimenting with various cupcakes.
I came up with these yummy cupcakes for my little sister's 40th Birthday Party on June 16th. They were such a hit that I made them again to take to work for my best friend's birthday and again - "A Hit"
Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
1 Box Lemon Cake Mix
12 oz Diet Lemon Lime Soda ( I prefer sugar-free- Sierra Mist)
3 egg whites
64 washed and dried fresh raspberries (optional)
Seedless Raspberry preserves, jam or cake filling or Lemon Curd
Preheat over 350 Degrees F for conventional oven or 325 degrees F for a convection oven
Mix dry cake mix with the diet soda & egg whites. Beat until almost fluffy.
Line cupcake pans with papers & fill ½ to ¾ full. If you choose to use the fresh raspberries, place one on top of the batter for each cupcake. The batter should fill about 32 papers. Bake according to recommendation on cake mix box for cupcakes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes in pan . Remove and place on cooling rack. Using a Bismarch #230 tip pipe in the Raspberry preserves or Lemon Curd into each cupcake at this point. Pipe Raspberry Butter Cream See recipe below on to each cupcake using a #22 Star Tip.
Garnish the top each cupcake with a fresh raspberry if desired and sprinkle some decorating sugar for some extra sparkle. To really finish the presentation, take straws and cut into1 ½ inch pieces and insert one into each cupcake.
Raspberry Buttercream
1/2 cup Seedless pureed raspberries (blended into a puree and pushed through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds)
2 stick light butter – room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 ½ tablespoons clear vanilla extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar, 10x)
2-4 tablespoons very cold no-fat half & half (add until you reach desired consistency)
Cream the butter and shortening in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add extracts and raspberry puree and combine well.
Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each cup. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, begin adding the very cold half & half… one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition (mixer on medium-high to high speed) until you reach the desired consistency.
Boston Cream Pie CupCakes
Cupcakes:
1 box yellow cake mix
12 oz diet sugarfree cream soda (Jones Soda or Faygo are my favorites)
1 small box of Vanilla Pudding or Custard prepared according to directions**
Preheat over 350 Degrees F for conventional oven or 325 degrees F for a convection oven
Mix dry cake mix with the diet soda & egg whites. Beat until almost fluffy.
Line cupcake pans with papers & fill ½ to ¾ full. The batter should fill about 32 papers. Bake according to recommendation on cake mix box for cupcakes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes in pan . Remove and place on cooling rack. Using a Bismarch #230 tip pipe in the vanilla pudding or custard into each cupcake at this point. Pipe The Chocolate Buttercream Frosting on to each cupcake using a #22 Star Tip. (See recipe below on to each cupcake.)
**(Shortcut - use a can of Thank You Brand Vanilla pudding)
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 ½ stick), softened (but not melted!)
¼ cup shortening
3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
½ cup Ovaltine – (this is the secret ingredient)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Cream butter and shorting for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Turn off the mixer. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar, Ovaltine and cocoa powder into a separate bowl. Add the dry mixture one cup at a time on the lowest spreed until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Repeat until all dry ingredients are blended into butter/shortening. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk/cream 1 tablespoon at a time.
