Halloween Cupcakes

I've been in such a big baking/cooking mood lately. Today, I made Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing. Here's the recipe for you to enjoy!

Raspberry Sauce: 

1 cup washed raspberries

4 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and place over medium heat. Stir frequently until juices from berries boil. Let ingredients boil for 2 minutes until sauce is dense. Put in food processor until smooth. Cool in refrigerator. (Yes, you need to put sauce in refrigerator! If you put it directly in icing, your icing will be too runny to put on top of cupcakes!!)

Icing:

8 oz. cream cheese

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

raspberry sauce (see recipe above)

Cupcake Ingredients: 

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided

3/4 cup cake flour (I like Softasilk Cake Flour best)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. milk

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners. In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, the cake flour, baking powder and salt; whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice. With the mixer on low speed, mix in half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Blend in the milk. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

For the icing, combine cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Fold in raspberry sauce until mixed throughly. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. (Tip: You can put icing in a gallon-sized baggie then cut a small portion off the corner. It squeezes out easily to frost the cupcakes!) Garnish with fresh raspberries and an adorable topper - THEN ENJOYYYY!! We'd love to see pictures of your precious cupcakes if you make them! Please share your comments. :]

P.S. - I got these cutteee Danny Brito cupcake toppers off of Elsie's Blog. You can find them here.

XOXO - Alexa