Lemon Cupcakes w/ Raspberry Buttercream

I love my cupcake magazine I picked up a few weeks ago, I can't stop trying different recipes from it.  I've been craving lemon and raspberry for sometime now and finally had time to whip up a batch of cupcakes today just for me :) Plus I found a photography club on base started by a couple of Airman and attended a very helpful workshop today. Lots of great info and hopefully some great photos. By the way the lemon cupcake rocks! super moist and not to much lemon flavor to overwhelm the cake.

Lemon Cupcakes w/ Raspberry Buttercream

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications 2012

Yields: 24 Cupcakes
Bake Time: 17 minutes

 Ingredients
3/4 Cup butter
3 Eggs
1 3/4 Cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Cup Almond milk
1 1/2 Cup sugar
1 Tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel (I used a small cheese grater)
1/2 Cup lemon drop candies (crushed)

Directions
Let your butter and eggs stand a room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile line two cupcake tins with liners and preheat over to 350 F. Combine your dry ingredients (except the sugar) flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter in a electric mixer for 30 seconds on medium high speed. Add your sugar and shredded lemon peel and mix till combined.  Add the eggs in one at a time, mixing after each addition. Alternatly add your milk and dry mixutre to the batter and beat on low speed to just combined. (note: the least amount of time you spend mixing the fluffier and moist the cake will be)
Spoon batter in the cupcake liners to 3/4 full and bake for 17 mintues or until toothpick instered comes out clean.  Remove cupcakes from tin and let cool on wire rack.

Raspberry Buttercream

Ingredients

1/2 Cup butter

1/2 Cup raspberry (fresh or frozen..thawed)

4 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

using a fine mesh strainer, mash your raspberries in the strainer over a bowl to remove the seeds. this makes for a smoother frosting.  if you don't mind the seeds skip this step.  Add your butter, vanilla, raspberries and salt and beat till combined, then add your powdered sugar in about 1/2 cup at a time, until fully combined and smooth. 

Frost your cupcakes and sprinkle the crushed candie on top, dont forget to add the raspberry on top.