Flavored with roasted raspberries, these fluffy raspberry cupcakes are topped with a pink raspberry buttercream naturally tinted with roasted raspberry puree!
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) with a rack in the center position. Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
On one end of the prepared baking sheet, place 2 cups of raspberries in a single layer – this will be for your cupcake batter. On the other end of the baking sheet, place the remaining 1 cup raspberries – this will be for your buttercream. Make sure the 2 sections are well seperated. Sprinkle both sections with the granulated sugar
Bake for 20 minutes, until the juices are just beginning to release. Remove the raspberries from the oven and set aside to cool.
For the Cupcakes:
Reduce your oven temperature to 350°F (176°C) - if you have a separate oven thermometer, make sure to check it before baking the cupcakes, to ensure the temperature is correct. Because the berries were just roasted at a very high temperature, you don’t want to burn or over bake your cupcakes! Line two 12-cup muffin pans with 20 to 24 cupcake liners.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the granulated sugar and butter. Cream together on medium-high speed for about 6 minutes, until very pale yellow and fluffy.
While the batter mixture is beating, add the 2 cup section of of roasted raspberries to a food processor and puree. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Repeat with the remaining 1 cup section of roasted raspberries, keeping the 2 raspberry purees separate.
Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture in the stand mixer bowl, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Reduce your mixer speed to low and mix in the first (2 cup; it won’t actually measure to be this amount) portion of raspberry puree, a small amount at a time.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add ½ of the flour mixture to your stand mixer. Mix on the lowest speed until combined.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and oil. Add to your stand mixer bowl.
Add the remaining flour mixture to your stand mixer bowl and mix on low speed until well incorporated. Be careful not to overbeat. Add the vanilla and raspberry extracts and food coloring, if using. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Using an ice cream scoop (with trigger release) or a spoon, scoop the batter into the cupcake liners until each is ¾ full. Be careful not to overfill. Bake for 17 to 21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out mostly clean but still moist.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Let cool to room temperature. Lightly cover the cupcakes with foil or plastic wrap so they do not dry out.
For the Buttercream:
Clean your stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment. Add the confectioners’ sugar and butter and mix on very low speed, increasing the speed to medium-high once the sugar is fully incorporated. Continue to mix until light and fluffy.
Add the remaining portion of raspberry puree, raspberry extract, and salt and beat until the mixture is cotton-candy pink and the puree is fully incorporated.
Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost them with the buttercream (I used a large star tip). Garnish with raspberries (optional) and serve.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams, Agate Surrey, 2015.