Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes, Gluten Free

Ingredients

• Cupcake
• 7 oz. sugar
• zest of one lemon
• 4.5 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature (9 tablespoons)
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon oil or flavoring
• 1 teaspoon Limoncello
• 7 oz. GF flour (3 oz. superfine brown rice flour, 3 oz. superfine white rice flour, 1 oz. tapioca starch) (about 1 and 1/3 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 oz. buttermilk (a hefty 1/3 cup)
• Raspberry Buttercream
• 3 oz. (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, just barely room temperature
• 4 oz. regular cream cheese, chilled and cubed into small pieces
• 16 oz. powdered sugar, sifted (additional 2 oz. if needed)
• 2-3 tablespoons raspberry jam, strained
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Limoncello
• 1 teaspoon Framboise
• 12 fresh raspberries

Instructions

Cupcake

1. Preheat oven to 350 and place cupcake liners in a muffin tin (12). Set aside.
2. In a small bowl combine the sugar and the zest. Work the zest into the sugar with your fingers and let the mixture sit about 10 minutes to infuse the sugar with the lemon. Cream sugar and butter in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until fully incorporated. Mix in all the flavorings. In a small bowl, weigh the flours with the baking powder, soda and salt. Add to the butter, sugar egg mixture and mix until just incorporated – on low unless you want the kitchen (and you) to be full of flour dust. Add in the buttermilk and mix until combined. Remove bowl from the stand mixer and using a silicone spatula, make sure all the dry stuff is worked in. Fold until everything looks well incorporated. Fill the liners using a scoop about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and reduce oven temperature to 325. Bake about 15-18 minutes more or just until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a minute and then remove the cupcakes to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Raspberry Buttercream

1. Using the whip attachment place the butter in a stand mixer. Whip until light and fluffy. Drop in cubes of the chilled cream cheese while the mixer is running and incorporate it with the butter. Only whip until it is mixed in – if you warm up the cream cheese too much it causes the frosting to look grainy. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix on low just until it is incorporated. Add in raspberry jam puree one tablespoon at a time until the buttercream is pale raspberry red. Add in vanilla, Limoncello and Framboise. Whip on medium to high until light and fluffy, about a minute. If the cream cheese buttercream is not stiff enough, add in more sifted powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time if necessary. Pipe or spread icing on cupcakes. Top with a fresh raspberry. Refrigerate for a few minutes to set the frosting if necessary.

Source: Gluten Free Canteen
http://glutenfreecanteen.com/2012/03/14/lemon-raspberry-cupcakes-gluten-free/#more-6891