Valentine's Day Recipes: Raspberry Rosewater Cupcakes

Special equipment: 2 12-cup muffin tins, 24 cupcake liners, electric mixer, rubber spatula, cooling racks

Ingredients

yield: Makes 24 cupcakes, active time 1 hour, total time 2 hours, 30 minutes

• For the Cupcakes
• Baking spray
• 2 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons rosewater
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 8 ounces fresh raspberries
•  
• For the Icing
• 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• Seeds of 1 vanilla bean pod
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounces confectioners’ sugar
•  
• For the Rose Petals
• 36 pesticide-free red and/or pink rose petals
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sugar

Procedures

1. For the Cupcakes: Adjust oven racks to upper middle and lower middle positions and preheat oven to 350°F. Coat two 12-cup muffin tins with baking spray and line with cupcake liners.
   
   
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside. With mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add rosewater and beat just to combine.
   
   
3. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk. Mix just until combined, scraping sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Fold in raspberries with rubber spatula.
   
   
4. Divide batter equally between prepared cupcake tins. Bake until cake tester inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to cooling racks and cool 10 minutes in pans. Turn cupcakes directly onto racks and cool completely, about 1 hour.
   
   
5. For the Icing: Using whisk attachment, whip cream cheese, butter, vanilla bean seeds, and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
   
   
6. Reduce speed to low, add confectioners’ sugar, and whip until incorporated, scraping bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed, 30 to 60 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to whip until frosting is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
   
   
7. For the Rose Petals and Assembly: Dip petals, one at a time, in egg whites, gently rubbing whites all over petals with fingertips. Toss petals in sugar, shaking off excess. Arrange on cooling rack and allow to set at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
   
   
8. Ice cooled cupcakes and decorate with rose petals. Serve.