Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cakes

• 1½ cups (360 ml) milk at room temperature
• 7 large (210 grams) egg whites (pasteurized are fine), at room temperature
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste OR 1 vanilla bean scraped OR 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1½ teaspoons lemon extract
• 460 grams ( 3¼ cups) gluten free all purpose flour*
• 2 teaspoons xantham gum**
• 450 grams (2¼ cups) granulated sugar
• 7 grams (1 teaspoon) salt
• 1½ sticks (170 grams) butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes
• 85 grams (6 tablespoons) vegetable shortening
• Zest from 1 lemon finely minced

To assemble

• 1 recipe Lemon Merengue Buttercream (recipe follows)
• approximately 1 cup raspberry jam

For the frosting

• 8 large egg whites (30g each–total 225g, or 1 cup)**
• 400 grams (2 cups) granulated sugar
• The peel of 1 lemon
• 560 grams (5 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened but cool, cut into cubes
• 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Yellow Gel Coloring

Directions

Make the cakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3 cupcake tins with papers, grease the tops of the pans and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together ½ cup of the mil, the egg whites, egg and vanilla
3. extract.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients including the sugar on low speed for 30 seconds.
5. Add butter & shortening and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the remaining milk and stir untill just moistened. Increase the speed to medium and mix for a
6. minute and a half.
7. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg/milk/extract mixture in 3
8. groups, scraping down the sides before each addition.
9. Gently stir in the lemon zest.
10. Using a large ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly among the cupcake papers,
11. making sure that none of them are more than ? full (or you could have a little bit of
12. a mess).
13. Bake 2 cupcake trays at a time for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the
14. center comes out clean.
15. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack.

Notes

*I use Cup4Cup gluten-free flour in almost all of my recipes. I find that it gives me the most consistent results. You can also use Jules’ Nearly Normal flour, Better Batter or the King Arthur gluten-free flour (this one requires the xantham gum). Baking mixes or bean flour based mixes will not work. **If your mix contains xantham gum, guar gum or expandex, leave this out.

Assembly

1. While the cupcakes bake, make a recipe of Lemon Merengue Buttercream.
2. Remove the centers from the cupcakes using a cupcake corer or a paring knife, making sure you don’t go all the way to the bottom of the cupcake.
3. Fill the wells with raspberry jam. I find that it is neatest when you use a pastry bag and a large, plain tip.
4. You can replace the tops on the jam wells if you only fil them ? full.
5. Pipe the buttercream on top.

Frosting

1. Combine the egg whites, sugar and lemon peel in a small pot until they reach 140 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Strain your sugar syrup into a clean stand mixer bowl, you want to make sure that the lemon peel doesn’t make it into the bowl. Using the whisk attachment, beat until light and fluffy (soft peaks) and the temperature is neutral – the bowl should not be warm to the touch.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment and add the butter one chunk at a time until it is all combined.
4. It might look like it is starting to curdle, don’t panic! It should all smooth out by the time you add the last bit of butter. If it is getting too loose, you can pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes to help it set up.
5. Add small amounts of yellow gel coloring until the buttercream is the color you desire.

Recipe Courtesy:  Mary Fran Wiley