Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Buttercream

So, something good came out of needing to make a *little* room in the fridge freezer last week. Correction, something great. I had a jar of lemon curd that quite frankly hadn’t been in the freezer that long, but was taking up valuable room!

When I came across this recipe for lemon cupcakes, I knew that’s exactly where my lemon curd was headin’. Topped with some cream cheese frosting? This was some kind of heaven.

Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Buttercream
Makes 24

For the cupcakes:

• 250 grams butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 2 tsp lemon rind
• 250 grams sour cream
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup lemon curd

For the buttercream:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 115 grams cream cheese, softened
• 4 – 4 1/2 cups icing sugar
  
• 1 1/2 cups raspberries
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add eggs, lemon rind and sour cream. Blend well, gently fold in the flour and the baking powder.

Fill the lined cupcake pans 1/2 full of batter. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pans for 5-10 minutes then remove. Will a teaspoon measure scoop a small amount of the cupcake away. Fill with 1 tsp of lemon curd. Cool the cupcakes with the lemon curd completely on wire racks before icing with the buttercream.

For the buttercream, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly add 1 cup icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add half of the raspberries and mix until combined. Add remaining icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating until well incorporated.

Add vanilla essence and the rest of your raspberries. Beat well, until frosting is creamy. Depending on your preferred consistency, add additional icing sugar if necessary. Chill for 30 minutes before piping onto your cupcakes. Enjoy!

This recipe is also my entry for Sweet New Zealand this month, which is being hosted by Sue from Couscous & Consciousness. Head along to her blog and check out all the entries at the end of the month!