Valentine Cupcakes
User Reviews
5
Valentine Cupcakes
Description
Valentine Cupcakes are moist, lightly tangy cupcakes enhanced by lemon and a raspberry reduction. The batter combines all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, melted unsalted butter, sour cream, milk, egg whites, vanilla, and pink food coloring. The raspberry reduction, made by simmering raspberries with lemon juice and sugar, adds fruity notes either on top or stirred into the batter.
After baking, the cupcakes are topped with Swiss buttercream frosting made from egg whites, sugar, salt, and a large quantity of unsalted butter, optionally flavored with orange blossom water. This frosting has a smooth and silky texture that contrasts with the tender crumb of the cupcake.
Substitutions like whole milk yogurt for sour cream have minimal effect on texture. The raspberry reduction can be replaced with strained preserved raspberries or frozen raspberry juice when time is limited. The frosting requires beating egg whites with sugar to stiff peaks before adding butter to yield a silky consistency.
Ingredients
For the raspberry reduction
- 6 oz raspberry 170g
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar 12g
- 1/2 lemon juiced
For the cupcakes
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 213g
- 1/4 tsp salt 1g heaping
- 1/4 tsp baking soda 1g, heaping
- 1 tsp baking powder 4g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 3/4 cup butter 170g, melted, unsalted
- 1/2 cup sour cream 115g
- 1/2 cup milk 118mL, whole
- 3 egg room temperature, white
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract 7mL
- lemon zest
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- Food Coloring pink
For the Swiss buttercream
- 5 egg room temp
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 300g
- pinch salt
- 2 cups butter 454g, unsalted
- 1 tsp orange blossom water 5mL Optional
Instructions
For the raspberry reduction
- Put raspberries, lemon juice and sugar into a small pot and place over medium heat.
- Break up the raspberries with the back of a spoon and simmer until reduced by a third or so.
- Use a spatula to help strain into a bowl. Place in fridge to chill.
For the cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep your cupcake pan by lining it with cupcake papers.
- Sift the dry ingredients including the sugar into a medium sized bowl. Give it a whisk. Set aside.
- Add all of the wet ingredients into a separate bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the soft pink food coloring to the wet mixture a drop at a time. whisk and add more if the color isn't saturated enough.
- Combine the wet to the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine.
- Pour batter into prepped pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch.
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
For the Swiss buttercream
- Place egg whites, sugar and salt into a glass bowl.
- Transfer the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water.
- Whisk continuously until the mixture reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees or until the sugar has dissolved.
- Transfer to a stand mixer and mix on low to high to get soft peeks. Mix until the mixture reaches room temperature.
- Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Wait until each piece incorporates before adding the next.
- Add orange blossom water or vanilla extract.
- Whisk in a tablespoon of the raspberry reduction at a time until desired flavor and color are reached.
For the assembly
- Spread out a dollop of buttercream as the base of your cupcake.
- Place the soft pink buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 125 tip or a medium petal tip.
- Pipe a spiral in the center of the cupcake. Begin piping small petals. Make them larger as you go.
Notes
- Whole milk yogurt can replace sour cream without significant difference in texture or flavor.
- Using raspberry reduction in the batter can alter cupcake color to lilac, which may differ from the intended look.
- If short on time, substitute raspberry reduction with strained preserved raspberries or juice from frozen raspberries.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 18cupcakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 293 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 75g | |
| Calories | 293kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 42g | 14% |
| Protein | 2.2g | 4% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 2.2g | 11% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4.8g | 28% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5.7g | 29% |
| Cholesterol | 56mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 202mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 40mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 0.2g | 1% |
| Sugar | 31g | 62% |
| Vitamin A | 100IU | 2% |
| Calcium | 36mg | 4% |
| Iron | 0.8mg | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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