Spring Cupcakes

Another easy, tasty & fun dessert perfect for any Spring get together or occasion! I decorated mine for Easter, using some fun Easter sprinkles. These are a fun lemon & raspberry flavor combination that are just bursting with Spring flavor!

Recipe:

I cheated and used a box of white cake mix, adding some lemon flavoring and adjusting it for the high altitude. Homemade cake batter is even better but boxed is what I had on hand and I was short on time. I split the batter evenly into 4 bowls and added my choice of food coloring to each bowl, following the directions on the back of the food dye box. After each bowl was thoroughly mixed, I spooned a portion of the colors into my cupcake liners. I stuck with 2 colors (1/3 & 1/3) per cupcake, filling liner 2/3 full. Once the batter is in the liners, swirl with a tooth pick, using a different tooth pick for each of the color combinations to avoid color contamination.  Bake cupcakes according to directions on box or recipe.

Swirled batter

All baked and cooled

Let cup cakes cool. While cupcakes are cooling, mix up the raspberry filling.

In a sauce pan combine 3/4 C V-8 Raspberry-Cranberry fruit fusion juice, 1/2 C sugar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp raspberry flavoring, 2 tbs corn starch. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until cornstarch is dissolved and mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Spoon filling into a frosting piping bag with a round # 3 tip. On the lower side of the top of the cupcake, push tip of bag into cupcake and gently squeeze filling into cupcake until a little bit squishes out the the hole. Repeat for each cupcake.


  

Cupcakes with filling

Frosting

I like to use a basic cake frosting recipe of my Grandma's that she used when she used to decorate wedding cakes.

1 bag powdered sugar ( 2 lbs)            1/2 C milk                         1/2 C plain Crisco, Crisco only
Flavoring of your choice

I mix my frosting in my KitchenAide mixer and went with lemon flavoring. I also use almond or coconut milk, diluted with water instead of real milk. Just let it mix together and get good and fluffy. I almost let mine mix for 20 minutes.
Frost cupcakes  to cover the hole left by the piping bag. Decorate with sprinkles. Enjoy the yummy Spring flavors!