Cupcakes with raspberry buttercream

I did promise to post the recipes I made for my big birthday spread and I thought I'd start with an easy one: Cupcakes with raspberry buttercream.

It's not for someone counting calories but hey, they taste great!

Ingredients for 24 cupcakes:
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
200g softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 dash of vanilla extract
1 cup milk 
abt 48 frozen (or fresh) raspberries


Ingredients for raspberry buttercream:
250g softened unsalted butter
350g icing sugar
150g raspberries (defrosted)

Preheat oven to 170C. 

Line two 12-hole muffin trays with cupcake papers.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. 

Add sugar a third at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition.

After the last addition beat until the mixture is light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved. 

Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg or until mixture is light and fluffy. After the last egg has been added beat until it has all come together nicely.

Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. 

Add a third of the flour to the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add half of the milk and beat until combined. Repeat this process. 

Add the remaining third of the flour and beat until thoroughly combined; do not over-beat or the mixture will toughen.

Spoon mixture into cupcake papers, filling each about three-quarters full. Put two raspberries into each case.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the trays immediately and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before frosting. 

For the buttercream cream butter and slowly add icing sugar. In a seperate bowl, puree the raspberries and strain them into the buttercream. Mix together well.

Once the cupcakes have cooled enough you can start decorating them. I used a Wilton #1M tip. To create the rose bud design simply start piping in the middle of the cupcakes and turn the cake while you slowly work your way to the outside of the cake. Et voilà the cupcakes are done! I put a blueberry on each cake to top it off (and to hide where I stopped piping).