Fresh Raspberry Cupcakes with Pink Buttercream

Fresh Raspberry Cupcakes with Pink Buttercream (Adapted from Martha Stewart)

For the Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups cake flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
18 tablespoons (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons or 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces fresh raspberries, coarsely chopped
6 ounces fresh raspberries, pureed

For the Frosting

1 cups plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 large egg whites
pinch salt
32 tablespoons (2 cups or 4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
red gel-paste food coloring

For the Chocolate Hearts

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

To prepare cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together milk and vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing until well combined after each. Scrape down bowl as needed.

Add dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Pour pureed and coarsely chopped raspberries into the batter, folding just until combined.

Evenly divide the batter between 36 regular cupcake/muffin wells lined with paper liners (each should be roughly 3/4 cup full). Place into the oven and bake, rotating pans halfway though, until the centers spring back when lightly pressed or a toothpick placed into the center of a cupcake comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached, about 16 to 20 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the frosting

In a heat-safe mixing bowl, add sugar, egg whites and salt. Set bowl over a pot of simmering water (making sure water does not touch the bottom of the bowl) and whisk until the sugar dissolves and the syrup registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove bowl from the heat and using the whisk attachment on your mixer to beat mixture on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to whisk until glossy, stiff peaks form, about 5 to 6 more minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add butter, one tablespoon at a time, mixing until very smooth and creamy. Mix in vanilla and enough food coloring for a pink color.

Frost cupcakes with buttercream.

To prepare chocolate hearts

Place melted chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe enough hearts for the cupcakes you have onto a sheet of parchment paper. Place into the freezer until set, about 15 minutes. Carefully remove hearts from parchment and gently place on top of cupcakes.

Makes 36 cupcakes

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