Tickled Pink!

To me, cupcakes are like a party in your mouth. I like that you can get three distinct flavors and textures all in one bite. The cake, the filling and the icing. It’s the perfect little package.  A friend of mine asked me if I would make some cupcakes for her “tween-agers” birthday party.  I thought the girls would enjoy a rich, eggy yellow cake topped off by a vanilla buttercream icing.  Just to kick it up a notch, I thought I would add the raspberry preserves for an unexpected surprise.

And, if you’re talking “tween-agers”, the accent color HAD to be pink, which is also my favorite color.

Recipe for Yellow Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling and Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Adapted from The Well-Decorated Cake

Makes about 30 cupcakes

Moist Yellow Cake

2 cups cake flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Raspberry Preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with cupcake papers.

In a medium bowl sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt.

Cut up the butter into smaller pieces and place in large bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment. Beat for 3 minutes on medium-high speed until butter is light and creamy in color. Stop and scrape down the bowl and beat for another minute.

Add the sugar in small increments beating well after each addition, scraping down the bowl as you go. Add the eggs one at a time until incorporated.

Reduce the mixer speed. Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.  Mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another minute.

You can spoon the batter into the cupcake papers, or I used a piping bag which made it easier for me. I filled the liners 2/3 full. Tap the cupcake pan on the table several times to get out all the air bubbles.

Place the pan in the lower third of the oven and bake for 21-24 minutes until slightly golden brown on top, or when a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

To fill the cupcake:

Wait until cupcake is completely cooled. I used an apple corer to core out the center of the cupcake. With small spoon, fill the center with the preserves. Then cover with icing.

Buttercream Icing

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), room temperature

4 1/2 – 6  cups powdered sugar, sifted

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

up to 6 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter using the paddle attachment on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes scraping down bowl every so often. Turning the mixer to the lowest speed, add 4 cups of powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, increasing the speed as the sugar becomes incorporated with the butter.  Add vanilla extract, salt, lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. Depending on the consistency that you want, add more sugar for a stiffer icing, or more milk (a tablespoon at a time) for a thinner icing.

For this cupcake, I wanted a stiffer icing.  I used a piping bag with a large round tip to get this particular look.