Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes

I have had this idea stewing in my head for a couple days so I finally decided to try it out.  I wanted to see if I could use a plain cupcake base and add raspberry extract to give it the raspberry flavoring, without the fruit, since raspberries aren't always in season and I get cravings for fruity stuff out of season. =)
This didn't turn out completely as I had planned, I had to do a bit of tweaking, but in the end it turned out good.  Different than I had planned, but it'll satisfy my fruity sweet tooth.

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. shortening
2 eggs
2 1/2 tsp raspberry extract
1 1/2 c. flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. buttermilk ( add 1 tbsp. vinegar to equal amount milk if you have no buttermilk, or just plain milk)

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream butter, sugar, and shortening until smooth.  Add eggs and mix until mixture is smooth.  Add raspberry extract. Mix well.  Add baking powder and flour.  Add in milk.  Mix until smooth.  Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.  Fill each 2/3 full of batter. 

Bake 14-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let cupcakes cool completely before filling or frosting.

While cooking, make the frosting and filling

Filling
1 tbsp. shortening
1 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. raspberry extract
1- 1 1/2 cups powder sugar
6-8 tsp. milk

Combine all the ingredients, adding milk by the teaspoon until it reaches the desired consistency.  You don't want it too thin, you want it the consistency of frosting.

Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. butter
2- 2 1/2 c. powder sugar
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice.

Combine until smooth.  Add more powder sugar until it reaches the consistency that you want, thick enough to spread on and keep it's shape.

You can add the filling 2 ways, you can either cut a hole in the top, spoon in the filling and cover the hole with the piece of cupcake you cut out.  Or you can use a decorating tip, poke a hole int eh top and squirt it in.  I dont' have a decorating tip so I used my husbands nifty thingy that he uses to inject turkeys with marinade.  I just take the needle off. 

Once the cupcakes are filled, frost and decorate however you would like. =)  Add food coloring to make bright colors for the frosting and cupcakes.

Print Recipe