Sweet Inspirations: Raspberry-Almond Cupcakes

Did You Know? Half to one pound of raspberry fruit per day can provide twenty to thirty grams of fiber, which is adequate for an adult daily nutrition requirement.

I've mentioned my hopes for someday opening a bakery, Sweet Inspirations, with my best friend Chris in the near future, so that's pretty much what I've been busy with these past few days. We had our first order for an engagement party on Saturday evening, and we never would have predicted the success that was to come. Chris' brother Jeff had been working on our logo for a while, and I couldn't have asked for anything more perfect (and I can so see it on a t-shirt someday). He's thinking about taking it a little further, but his design sense is awesome, so I know I'll love whatever he decides on.

Raspberry-Almond Cupcakes and Lemon Bars were on the menu, so I thought I'd show you the cupcakes today. I wanted something girly, but classic looking, and I thought a raspberry-hued cake with an almond-scented buttercream would be perfect. The red berry against the white frosting was really traditional looking, and very fitting for the occasion. Packaged inside crisp, white bakery boxes, our first engagement turned out to be pretty professional.

The guests couldn't get enough of our desserts, and loved the original flavors we had paired together. Our next step will definitely be to finish our business cards, and maybe make some bumper stickers to put on all the cars of our friends and family members. We even booked two more clients for June, both for cupcakes, and the future bride of this engagement party rebooked us for another event she is going to have sometime over the Summer. We definitely have some hard work ahead of us, but so far things are looking really good. If we can keep delivering for small gatherings, and getting our name out there, I really see a future in the baking business. So if any of you live in the South Shore area, and are looking for a baked good for a party of yours or to bring along with you, send me an email, and we would love to create something special for you. And those lemon bars I mentioned will definitely be featured soon!

Rough Draft of our Logo/Engagement Quote

Raspberry-Almond Cupcakes
These were definitely on the less sweet, more muffin-like spectrum as far as cupcakes go, but when paired with the sweet, almond buttercream, I thought they were perfectly balanced. Add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar if you're looking for something sweeter.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups puréed raspberries, fresh or frozen, thawed
3/4 cup milk (or soymilk)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with paper cups, and set aside.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together remaining ingredients. Add this to the dry, beating with a wire whisk.

Pour into prepared cupcake tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until done when tested with a toothpick.

Makes about 30 cupcakes.

Almond Swiss-Meringue Buttercream
Enough for the 30 cupcakes, plus leftovers

4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 pints fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Mix egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk to combine. Set over a medium pan of boiling water, and whisking constantly, heat egg whites and sugar for about 4-5 minutes, until hot to the touch.

Remove from heat and reattach to the stand mixer fixed with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until the mixture resembles marshmallow fluff, a few minutes.

At this point, you want the frosting to be completely cool before adding the softened butter, so surround with ice or frozen vegetables, until it has reached room temperature.

When cool enough, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time. Halfway through, scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Add the remaining butter, the extracts, and beat until fluffy. Frost the cupcakes, garnish with raspberries (if desired) and enjoy!