Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

As I've stated before, I love to bake and used to do so all time when I worked at a bakery. Seeing as I've been on the savory side of things for the last year, I crave baking at home more often now. These lemon scented cupcakes are topped with silky raspberry buttercream... yum!

Lemon Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, zested; 1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup milk

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
• In a mixing bowl with a whip attachment, beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
• In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. 
• Add to the butter mixture a third at a time, alternating with half the milk and half the lemon juice after each of the first two additions of flour. Beat until just combined.
• Fill the prepared tins and bake for 20 minutes, until springy to the touch.
• Let cool before decorating.

Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

4 egg whites

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup raspberry puree

• Combine egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer and set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches 160 degrees F.
• Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. On high speed, beat the mixture until it holds stiff glossy peaks and has cooled down; about 6 minutes.
• Switch to the paddle attachment. On medium-low speed, add several tablespoons of butter at a time and beat well after each addition. {Beat on medium-high speed for several minutes if the buttercream isn’t smooth enough after adding all the butter.} On low speed, add in the vanilla and raspberry puree and beat until smooth; about 2 minutes.

Ashley