Mini Raspberry Cupcakes

Photo by Kate Spears/Woman's Day

Just the right size of sweetness and indulgence! These moist light mini cupcakes are perfect for spring with their raspberry delights.

INGREDIENTS

1 stick (1⁄2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3⁄4 cup sugar
11⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp raspberry or vanilla extract
1⁄2 cup milk
11⁄3 cup all-purpose flour

Raspberry Buttercream

1 stick (1⁄2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 Tbsp milk
1 tsp raspberry or vanilla extract
1⁄2 tsp salt
Red or pink gel or liquid food color (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Line mini– muffin pans with paper liners. (Don’t worry if you only have one pan. After baking a batch, remove baked cupcakes to rack. Then place the pan in your freezer to cool quickly before lining and baking the next batch.)

2. Beat butter, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Stir extract into milk. Beat in flour in three parts, alternating with milk, just until blended. Spoon 1 Tbsp into each muffin cup.

3. Bake 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes before removing from pan to rack. Cool completely.

4. Raspberry Buttercream: Beat all ingredients in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Then increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy. Tint pink if desired. Frost cupcakes.

Recipe from Woman's Day.

Heavenly Lemon Honey Cupcakes

Photo Courtesy of Woman's Day/Con Poulos

Yummy sweetness! This sumptuous Lemon-Honey Cupcakes recipe comes from Woman's Day, and is a perfect treat to welcome Spring!

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp each baking powder and baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream 1/4 cup milk 1 1/2 Tbsp grated lemon zest 4 Tbsp lemon juice 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup honey 1/4 cup sugar 3 large eggs

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. 2. Mix flour, baking powder,baking soda and salt in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sour cream, milk, lemon zest and juice in a small bowl until well mixed. 3. Beat butter, honey and sugar in large bowl with an electric mixer 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until blended. 4. With mixer on low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, then the sour cream mixture. Beat in remaining flour mixture until just combined. 5. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon-Honey Frosting 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup honey 1 1/2 Tbsp grated lemon zest 4 cups confectioners’ sugar 7 to 8 tsp lemon juice Few drops yellow food color

Beat butter, honey and lemon zest in large bowl with an electric mixer until creamed, about 2 minutes. On low speed, beat in confectioners’ sugar until blended. Beat in lemon juice and a few drops food color until mixture is fluffy and pale yellow. Spoon into a large ziptop freezer bag, snip off one corner and pipe onto cupcakes, or just spread frosting onto cupcakes.