Raspberry Cupcakes

It's Spring!! Today is the official first day of Spring and I feel like I want to do so many things all at once. Go for a run, spring cleaning, fly a kite, plant a garden. All of it.  But in reality, running is few and far between these days, I hate cleaning, I haven't flown a kite in maybe 20 years and I tend to kill any plant I own. But at least the weather makes me feel like doing all those things, right? It may snow next week because Nebraska, but for now I am celebrating feeling springy.

And what better way to celebrate the first day of Spring than with some fresh raspberry cupcakes. Raspberry with a hint of lemon and a light raspberry buttercream frosting. Could any dessert be more perfect for Spring?

Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite Spring dessert is! 

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

Zest of 1 lemon

2 cups sugar

5 large eggs

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup fresh raspberries, roughly chopped

Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cupcake tin with liners. This recipe yields about 28 cupcakes.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. With a mixer, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest on medium high speed until light and fluffy. About 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg.

4. In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients then alternating with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined after each addition. Gently fold the chopped berries into the batter.

5. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full and bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tin for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING

1. In a mixer, beat the butter on medium high until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and mixing completely after each addition.

2. Add the salt, vanilla and raspberries. Mix again on medium speed until all combined. Frost the cooled cupcakes and garnish with a fresh raspberry.

So pretty.