Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

We Get By With a Little Help from our Friends

I woke up needing my peeps. Not the pastel marshmallow kind.

This is supposed to be a peppy, pre-Easter cupcake post. But, as I sit here staring at the blank screen and blinking cursor I’m not feeling peppy. I’m spinning in the middle of Holy week while my heart is longing to walk slow and deliberately towards Sunday.

Despite my mini-van driving, carpool wheeling, pancake flipping, table gathering, friendship keeping, neighbor meeting, front yard living self, this turquoise loving extrovert bears a contemplative heart. Maybe you do, too?

Today is Maundy Thursday. Tonight is my most favorite church service of the entire year. And, I’m not sure I’ll even make it. Wassup with that?

So, I reached out to a couple of dear friends who helped set my heart straight. You know how they helped? They listened.

No advice. No fixing. No pontificating on how I might, could, or should have re-arranged my priorities to avoid the Holy week blues.

The ministry of presence is powerful. Listening in our fix-it and forget-it world is a hard discipline. But, am I ever grateful for the friends who make themselves available to “just be.”

One friend wisely pointed out I was in need of a dose of my own medicine– table time. Time to sit, breath, and be still at the Turquoise Table. If you see me sitting outside today, soaking up the spring skies, I’m not blowing off all the things. I’m remembering the gift of the main thing.

Just Be

Back to cupcakes, shall we? I didn’t make these yummy lemon raspberry delights. My daughter and her friend whipped them up. Side by side in the kitchen, taking turns measuring, spilling, and tasting, these giggling girls reminded me of the joy of simplicity.

Maybe make some lemon raspberry cupcakes this weekend? Invite a friend, or your daughter, to join you making a marvelous mess in the kitchen.

Take time to sit at the table. Walk slowly into the days ahead. Listen with your whole heart. Eat a lemon raspberry cupcake.

Just be.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Surprise friends & neighbors with a spring treat! Lemon raspberry cupcakes will make kids of ALL ages smile.

• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the lemon cupcakes:

• 1 ½ cups cake flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup milk
• 2 large eggs
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• Zest of one lemon (about 3 teaspoons)
• 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the raspberry buttercream frosting:

• 1 ¼ cups frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• ¼ cup fresh raspberries, for decorating

Instructions

Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl combine sour cream, milk, and eggs.
4. In a large bowl or standing mixer, beat the melted butter, sugar and lemon zest until well combined; about 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice and beat for another minute. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add in sour cream mixture and beat on low until just combined.
5. Pour cupcake batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 17-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Raspberry Buttercream Frosting:

1. In a small saucepan, simmer the raspberries and lemon juice. Stir together over medium heat until the mixture is smooth, resembling jam. Remove from heat and allow raspberry puree to cool completely.
2. In a large bowl or standing mixer, cream the softened butter until light and fluffy. Add the raspberry puree and beat until completely combined; about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, on low speed. Add the cream and salt, beating on high-speed until the frosting is fluffy.
3. Frost cupcakes and top with raspberries.