Raspberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Butter Cream Frosting

These were actually the first try as my daughter and I set out to make Pinkalicious cupcakes.
I thought that the raspberry puree would create the most pretty pink cupcakes! I forgot that nature’s natural pink bakes brown. (See the whole beet debacle: Chocolate Beet Cake
).

While these cupcakes did not turn out Pinkalicious- they did turn out delicious!

The raspberry puree gave them a great chewiness and an incredibly moist texture. Plus the natural raspberry flavor was fantastic baked into the little cakes. The truth is, without the buttercream, these could easily be muffins. With the buttercream they are a lovely little cupcake perfect for Valentines Day or a sweet treat for your kids… or yourself.

Raspberry Cupcakes, makes 1 dozen
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
12 oz bag frozen raspberries

Thaw a bag of frozen raspberries. Put the berries in a bowl and mash with a pastry cutter or with forks until the berries are a smooth puree. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin tin with paper liners.

In the bowl of a standing mixer cream together the butter and sugar.

Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and partially combine.

Mix the raspberry puree into the batter and combine all the way.

Scoop the batter into the liners.

Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let these cool before frosting.

Vanilla Bean Butter Cream Frosting
½ cup salted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
¼ cup whole milk, room temperature

In the bowl of a standing mixer, whip together the butter and the powdered sugar with the vanilla bean paste. Add the milk a little at a time until you reach the deired texture.

Frost the cupcakes liberally with the vanilla bean butter cream frosting and add sprinkles.