Pink Funfetti Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream {Valentine's Day Cupcakes}

I have really grown to love raspberries over this past year.  I owe it to those soda shops where you can get fruit puree in your soda.  Diet Mountain Dew with fresh raspberry puree is my go-to.  

I took my favorite go-to vanilla cupcake recipe and added pink sprinkles.  They turned into the prettiest pink speckled cupcakes with a nice vanilla flavor and a hint of almond.  Then, I topped them with a beautiful raspberry buttercream frosting.    

This frosting has real raspberry flavor.  Thanks to freeze-dried raspberries, you get the fresh berry flavor without adding extra moisture from fresh fruit.  Plus, no food coloring is needed to achieve this beautiful raspberry color.

The frosting is a perfect balance of tart and sweet.  However, if you don't care for raspberries, you could always use freeze-dried strawberries.  Also, this frosting will have seeds, because raspberries have seeds :)

If you are a raspberry lover, you have got to make these cupcakes.  

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Pink Funfetti Cupcakes
(Printable Recipe)

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 c. sugar

5 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. pink sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy; about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each.  Scrape down the bowl.  Add the vanilla extract and almond extract and mix well.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry.  Mix until just combined. Stir in sprinkles.  

Line a muffin tin with paper liners and spray with cooking spray.  Fill liners 2/3 full.  For regular cupcakes: Bake about 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, but be careful to not over bake. Yields: 28-30 cupcakes.  Cool completely and top with frosting.  

Raspberry Buttercream

From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

12 Tbl. unsalted butter, room temperature

pinch of salt

1 (1.4 oz.) pkg. freeze-dried raspberries (I use Trader Joes)

4 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3-4 Tbl. milk

Add the freeze-dried raspberries to a food processor.  Make sure to take out the white packet that's in the package and discard.  Pulse the raspberries until they're a fine powder; set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and salt and mix (using a hand mixer or stand mixer) until creamy. Add the raspberry powder and mix until combined.  Add one cup of powdered sugar and vanilla and mix to combine.  Add remaining powdered sugar, one cup at a time, adding milk as you go, until desired consistency is reached.  Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes.  I used a 1M Wilton piping tip.  

Base Cupcake Recipe adapted from: Ina Garten