Valentine Cupcakes
These moist and delicious lemon Valentine cupcakes are topped with a silky Swiss meringue buttercream flavored with a zingy raspberry reduction pipes into delicate roses.
- Prep time
- 35 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 18 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 6 oz raspberries (170g)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar (12g)
- 1/2 lemon (juiced)
- 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour (213g)
- 1/4 tsp salt (1g heaping)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda (1g, heaping)
- 1 tsp baking powder (4g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170g, melted)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (115g)
- 1/2 cup whole milk (118mL)
- 3 egg whites (room temperature)
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract (7mL)
- zest of a lemon
- 1/2 lemon (juiced)
- pink food coloring
- 5 eggs (room temp)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter (454g)
- 1 tsp orange blossom water (5mL Optional)
Instructions
- 1
For the raspberry reduction
- 2
Put raspberries, lemon juice and sugar into a small pot and place over medium heat.
- 3
Break up the raspberries with the back of a spoon and simmer until reduced by a third or so.
- 4
Use a spatula to help strain into a bowl. Place in fridge to chill.
- 5
For the cupcakes
- 6
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep your cupcake pan by lining it with cupcake papers.
- 7
Sift the dry ingredients including the sugar into a medium sized bowl. Give it a whisk. Set aside.
- 8
Add all of the wet ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk to combine.
- 9
Add the soft pink food coloring to the wet mixture a drop at a time. whisk and add more if the color isn't saturated enough.
- 10
Combine the wet to the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine.
- 11
Pour batter into prepped pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch.
- 12
Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- 13
For the Swiss buttercream
- 14
Place egg whites, sugar and salt into a glass bowl.
- 15
Transfer the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water.
- 16
Whisk continuously until the mixture reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees or until the sugar has dissolved.
- 17
Transfer to a stand mixer and mix on low to high to get soft peeks. Mix until the mixture reaches room temperature.
- 18
Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Wait until each piece incorporates before adding the next.
- 19
Add orange blossom water or vanilla extract.
- 20
Whisk in a tablespoon of the raspberry reduction at a time until desired flavor and color are reached.
- 21
For the assembly
- 22
Spread out a dollop of buttercream as the base of your cupcake.
- 23
Place the soft pink buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 125 tip or a medium petal tip.
- 24
Pipe a spiral in the center of the cupcake. Begin piping small petals. Make them larger as you go.