White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

It is so good to be back beautiful readers!  Last week Allison shared a gorgeous post with all the delicious summer food she's been eating.  I thought about doing something similar, but then I remembered that my meals from the last few weeks consist of frozen pizzas, prepackaged salads,and Thai takeout.  Not exactly the stuff that culinary dreams are made of.  John has spent the last 3 1/2 weeks working in Chicago, and what I've learned is that I don't cook well without an audience.  When it's just me, a giant bowl of chips and salsa and a glass of red wine does the trick.       

The good news is that John is back on California soil, and I found a new frosting I'm crazy about.  I'm feeling like myself again, and really excited to bring you a great cupcake.

I'm baking for a wedding next month, and the bride-to-be loves a classic white chocolate raspberry combo.  I've had a few misses in my quest to find the right recipe, but when I brought her these beauties, we both agreed that we have a winner on our hands.

There are three parts to this goodness, so you might want to spread out the baking across a couple of days.

Once you're ready for assembly, use a small sharp knife to cut little cores out of each cupcake.  They don't need to be huge, a little filling goes a long way.

Fill these babies with raspberry goodness.  Hello delicious!

Pipe on some buttercream, and you're in business!

 

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, Food & Wine, and Group Recipes

Makes 30 cupcakes

Note:  I burned the first dozen.  They may not come out very golden, so use the toothpick test in order to tell when they're really done.

For the cupcakes:

 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour (not self-rising)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line cupcake tins with papers.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled). Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.

Use a cookie scoop to drop batter into the cupcake tins.  Fill about 3/4 full, and wipe the sides of the pan clean.  Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely before assembling.

For the filling:

2 12 ounce packages of frozen raspberries (not packed in syrup)
1 1/3 cups water
1 1/2-2 cups granulated sugar (or to taste, 2 cups will be pretty sweet)
2 tablespoons lemon juice 
5-6 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup water

In a saucepan combine the raspberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice.  Bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the raspberries have broken down.

Remove the mixture from the heat and strain with a fine mesh sieve. Return the strained mixture to the heat.

Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/2 cup of water.  Whisk the slurry into the raspberry mixture.  Bring the mixture back to a boil and simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Let cool completely before assembling cupcakes.

For the frosting
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 pound powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces white chocolate, chopped, melted, and cooled.

In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter until creamy. At low speed, beat in the confectioners' sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, scraping down the side of the bowl, about 2 minutes longer.

At low speed, beat in the cream and vanilla, then gradually beat in the white chocolate. Scrape down the side of the bowl and the paddle, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light, 3 minutes longer. Using a wooden spoon, vigorously beat the buttercream for 30 seconds to deflate any air bubbles.

To assemble

Use a small sharp knife to cut a cone-shaped core out of the top of each cupcake.  Fill the core with raspberry filling.  Use a pastry bag and a decorative tip to pipe frosting on top of the cupcake, and top with a fresh raspberry.  Enjoy!