Spiked Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes

This recipe from Better Homes and Gardens calls for Raspberry Liqueur in the cupcakes and the frosting. As I had part of a bottle of Chambord I tried that today. The cake is a nice texture and flavor and the frosting is very good. I will caution here that these are probably not good for kids because of the liqueur in the frosting. Really nice for a adult treat though.

 There are no raspberries in the recipe, but you could garnish them with raspberries and/or thin lemon slices. The recipe does make a LOT of frosting so you might want to cut back some on that. We thought they could have had a lot less frosting for our tastes and that is what I will do next time.

 Spiked Lemonade Raspberry Cupcakes

Makes: 18 cupcakes

Bake: 15 mins to 18 mins 350°F

Ingredients

¾ cup butter

3 eggs

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups sugar

2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur

⅔ cup buttermilk 

Red food coloring

1 recipe Creamy Raspberry Frosting

  Bring butter and eggs to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line 18 muffin cups with paper bake cups. In medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside

  Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter for about 30 seconds. Add sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice and liqueur; beat until combined, scraping side of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk starting and ending with flour, just until combined. Tint pink with a few drops of red food coloring.

  Put batter into prepared muffin cups, fill about ¾ full. Smooth with back of a spoon. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcake in pans for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes and cool completely on wire rack.

Creamy Raspberry Frosting

Ingredients

¾ cup butter

7 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons raspberry liqueur (use lemon juice to thin it

if frosting is too thick)

Red food coloring

  Allow butter to soften to room temperature. In large mixing bowl with electric mixer beat butter till smooth. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in the milk, liqueur. And food coloring. Gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar until frosting reaches spreading or piping consistency.