Diary of a Secret Housewife: Raspberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Hello!  Remember me?  I used to blog here.  But then I started a new job, got super swamped, and started neglecting my blogging duties.

Sigh.  Sorry.

As an apology/peace offering, let me offer you some cupcakes.

These cupcakes are loaded with tart, juicy raspberries, and covered with a quick and easy buttercream frosting.  My husband insists that they are muffins, but my feeling is that any little cake with frosting can and should be called a cupcake.  What ever you call them, though, they are super easy to make and quite delicious.

Ingredients (for 18 cupcakes):

For cake:

1 1/3 AP flour

1/4 cup cake flour

1 1/2 teapoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup frozen raspberries (fresh raspberries tend to sink and turn to mush while baking)

For buttercream frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

A few drops of red food coloring (optional)

Make cake.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pans with liners.  Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl.  In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Reduce speed to low.  Add dry ingredients to the creamed butter in 3 batches, alternating with the milk.  Add vanilla.  Gently fold the frozen raspberries into the batter.  Portion the batter into the muffin cups.

Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Cool cupcakes on a rack.

In the meantime, prepare the frosting.  Beat butter and one cup of sugar at medium speed until fluffy and creamy.  Then add the milk and vanilla -- don't worry if the mixture looks broken or curdled initially, as it will come together during beating.  Add the remaining sugar, a little at a time, until it is sweet enough for your taste and thick enough for piping.  Add the food coloring, if desired.

Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.  Enjoy!