Pink Lemonade Cupcakes? Yes that’s correct refreshing raspberry lemon curd and raspberry buttercream make these beautiful Pink Lemonade Cupcakes one of the most delicious cupcakes you’ll try this summer.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
Refreshing and Sweet | The combination of lemon and raspberry take this cupcake from good to great! The lemon adds the tang and tartness whilst the roasted raspberries add a delicious sweetness that makes it such a great combination.
Roasted Raspberry Lemon Curd | Yes you heard that correctly, roasted raspberries. You can read more about why we roast the raspberries for this recipe below but you’ll never go back once you tried them.
Something a little different | This take the base of an ordinary lemon cupcake which we all love, but transforms into something new and exciting that is sure to wow whoever is lucky enough to eat it.
WHAT IS PINK LEMON CURD AND HOW TO MAKE IT
Lemon curd is one of life best creations, in fact it’s my weakness in the kitchen, so while I never wish to replace it, I’m certainly here for adapting it with fun flavours.
Think of it this way, if someone put a plain lemonade and a pink lemonade in front of you which would you pick? If you answered Pink Lemonade then stick around because this Pink Lemon Curd is for you.
The ‘pink’ comes from raspberries, but not just any raspberries, these beauties are roasted and then added with the rest of the curd ingredients. You might be wondering why it’s called pink when the curd looks orange, and to all of you I say “let’s not be so pedantic”. Going back to my early years learning art, here is a simple lesson in primary and secondary colours. When Yellow and Pink/Red are combined, what colour is made? Orange! Perhaps if the stark contrast between the colour and the name are really bothering you, let’s meet in the middle and call it a coral lemon curd.
Right so with the colour issue addressed let’s focus on how we make this delicious curd shall we, as it’s all in the taste at the end of the day.
Why you should roast your raspberries
When any soft berry like blueberries, strawberries or raspberries heat in the oven, they break down and the juices are caramelised with the natural sugars in the fruit and the additional sugar you add on top. This process deepens the flavour of the fruit and makes it even more intense and perfect for baking with.
To roast your raspberries
- Add the raspberries to a roasting tin with a sprinkle of sugar across the top
- Toss the raspberries and sugar together around in the tin then cover them with tin foil and bake for 10-12 minutes
- Remove from the oven and allow them to cool before moving into a bowl or sterilised jar if you’re keeping it for more than one use.
Roasted raspberries or strawberries are great for batch baking as you can store them in jars and use them in many different recipes. They’re delicious on top of porridge or granola, dolloped onto pancakes, sandwiched between cake layers or used as the filling of a delicious pastry dessert. So next time you have a punnet of berries and no idea what to do with them, give them a roast and you’ll have something new and delicious in your hands.
THE BEST WAY TO DECORATE THESE PINK LEMONADE CUPCAKES
If you fancy adding a tad more finesse to your cupcakes then dried lemon slices are such a great way to decorate anything lemon flavoured like these Pink Lemonade Cupcakes.
They’re super easy to bake and store really well so you could make a huge batch and leave them in a jar ready for whenever you want to add them to your bakes. They look great on cupcakes but also make fantastic details on a layer cake or a loaf cake like my Lemon Drizzle Loaf.
Find the instructions and recipe on how to bake them HERE.
TOOLS YOU WILL NEED
- 12 hole cupcake tray (or 6 hole if you want to half the ingredients and bake 6)
- Cupcake cases | I like using white ones but you can use any colour you like
- Mixing Bowls
- Handheld whisk or standing mixer
- Zester
- Ice Cream Scoop (optional)
- Piping Bags
- Open Star Piping Nozzle
- Roasting Tin
- Nonstick Saucepan
- Wooden Spoon
Shop These Tools
I would love it if you tagged me @mykitchendrawer on Instagram if you make these Pink Lemonade Cupcakes. It’s the biggest honour to see my recipes come to life in your kitchen and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to drop me a message. Happy baking!
Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 150 g unsalted butter softened
- 150 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs large
- 150 g self-raising flour
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 1 tsp Lemon Extract Nielsen Massey, optional
For the roasted raspberries
- 250 g fresh raspberries
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
For the pink lemon Curd
- 2 unwaxed lemons juice and zest
- 100 g caster sugar
- 50 g unsalted butter cubed
- 1 egg whole
- 1 egg yolk
- 4 tbsp roasted raspberries
For the roasted raspberry buttercream
- 200 g unsalted butter softened
- 400 g icing sugar
- 3 tbsp roasted raspberry juice
Instructions
For the cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 160°C and line a 12 hole cupcake tin with cupcake cases
- Cream together butter and sugar for about 3 minutes until light and airy, scraping down the bowl when necessary
- Add the eggs, lemon zest and juice, and self-raising flour and mix together until combined and smooth
- Scoop a tbsp (or use a icecream scoop) of batter into each cupcake case and bake for between 17-20 minutes depending on your oven, until golden and springy to touch.
- Once baked leave to cool on a wire rack in the tin for a few minutes then remove the cupcakes and let them cool completely whilst you get on with the lemon curd
For the Roasted Raspberries
- Lay the fresh raspberries onto a roasting tin and sprinkle over the sugar. Gently mix the raspberries around then cover them with tin foil.
- Heat the oven to 180°C and bake the raspberries for 10-12 minutes until softened and the juices have been released.
- Remove from the oven and allow the raspberries to cool before scooping them into a bowl
For the lemon curd
- Put the sugar, lemon zest and juice, roasted raspberries and butter into a medium bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water. MY KITCHEN TIP: make sure the bowl is not touching the water
- Stir the mixture together until the butter and sugar have melted, then add the whole egg and egg yolk and whisk them into the mixture. You may notice a few lumps as some of the egg starts to curdle, but just continue whisking. You'll be passing the mixture through a sieve later on so any lumps will be removed
- Continue whisking the mixture over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until it has thickened and coats the back of a spoon
- Pass the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any lumps then leave to one side to thicken further as it cools.
For the roasted raspberry buttercream
- Add the butter to a mixing bowl and beat it a little to soften.
- Slowly add the icing sugar a tbsp at a time and beat it in through the butter until all the sugar has been incorporated and the mixture is soft and creamy.
- Add in the raspberry juice and fold it through the buttercream until it's combined and tinted the buttercream a light pink. Add a little milk (optional) if the mixture needs to be slightly loosened. You want it to be a firm but soft consistency for piping smoothly onto cupcakes. A good test it to hold a spoon of it upside down, if it doesn't fall off after 5 seconds it's too firm.
To assemble
- Cut a hole in the centre of each cupcake using a cupcake corer or the end of a piping nozzle. Keep the pieces of sponge to you remove to one side.
- Fill a sauce bottle or piping bag with the thickened pink lemon curd and fill each cupcake with a generous amount, then top it back with the peice of sponge you removed.
- Fit a large piping bag with an open star nozzle and fill it with as much buttercream as you can. You might need to refil a few times. Pipe generous swirls of buttercream onto each cupcake then top each with a dried lemon slice (optional)
