Cupcakes

I have just been given the newest version of the iPad. And I was even asked to be one of the "experts" at our faculty training today. I find that kind of funny, but I did spend hours and hours trying to figure out how to blog and send emails with my personal one before I went to France in both January and March. What I really was itching to do all day was get home and take some food photos. (According to the ads for this thing the photos are the best possible -- something with retinas... I don't need many technical details, just point, click, and upload!) I really don't think that our computer gurus or my middle school director will read this and wonder why they put this thing in my hands. I do promise to use it in class, too. Especially when the little darlings get them and we can work on our class blog, research Paris projects in class and not fight for computer lab time, use it as a whiteboard to conjugate verbs, etc.
Anyway, I did get home to my kitchen finally and my advisees will be happy tomorrow. I found a new book when my Frenchies were here last week while we were checking out Barnes and Noble. One recipe caught my eye--



(I am even seeing some shadows in there!)


Raspberry & Lemon Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

From Cupcakes & Muffins published by Weldon Owen Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia, 2011

Makes 12

1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup superfine sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh raspberries, plus 12 extra, for decorating (I did not have any raspberries, but I did have some seedless all-fruit raspberry jam so I substituted about 1/3 cup of this for the fruit)
4 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Frosting

9 ounces cream cheese, chopped, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cupcake tin with paper liners.

Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the flour and baking soda into a small bowl. Fold flour mixture into butter mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour.

In another bowl, mash 1/2 cup fresh raspberries and confectioners' sugar together, using a fork. (I did not add sugar to the jam, I just mixed it in.) Mix in zest. Fold into the cake mixture.

Spoon into cupcake liners to 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes or until cakes test done with a toothpick.

Cool in pans for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

To make frosting, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar together with electric mixer until smooth. (I added a couple of drops of raspberry flavoring to the frosting, too.) Spread over cooled cupcakes. Top with raspberries. (I used some raspberry dark chocolate M&M's for decoration.)




We'll see what the kiddies think tomorrow! Think I will ask them to guess what the flavor is.

Bon appetit, iPad and cupcakes!

Where are the accents???

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