Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes

It was my friend's birthday this past week, and she's a huge fan of cupcakes, so naturally, I had to bake her a batch. While chocolate cupcakes kept creeping up in my mind as I was deciding what kind of cupcakes to make her, I opted for something lighter and fruitier to celebrate what is left of the summer.

I love the combination of lemon and raspberries. The tartness from both fruits compliment one another so well. I also love anything citrus because it always helps cut through the heaviness of anything.


I added a little something extra by swirling some raspberry jam into the batter before baking. These cupcakes are great for anytime because it uses raspberry jam rather than fresh berries, so you can even enjoy these summery cupcakes in the dead of winter. I like to use jams with seeds in the them, but feel free to use seedless jam.

Super cute cupcakes—pale yellow cake with a red swirl, pink buttercream, and an adorable marshmallow flower blooming on top. How can you resist?


Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes
Adapted from Martha Stewart and Bakergirl
Makes 12

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
Finely grated zest of 1 1/2 lemons, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
12 teaspoons raspberry jam

For the raspberry buttercream:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cups powdered sugar

30 mini marshmallows
2 tablespoons red sanding sugar
12 yellow M&Ms or candy-coated sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in zest and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and lemon juice, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Top each cup with 1 teaspoon jam and using a knife, swirl the jam around the cupcake. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature in airtight containers.

To make the buttercream: Cream butter and raspberry jam together until well mixed and smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until you reach a consistency that you desire. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large open-star tip with buttercream. Pipe buttercream onto each cupcake.

To finish: Cut mini marshmallows in half and dip the sticky ends into the sanding sugar. Place a yellow M&M or sunflower seed on each cupcake, and surround with 5 marshmallow halves to create a marshmallow flower. Serve immediately, or can keep overnight, covered, in the fridge. Bring cupcakes to room temperature before serving.