Up until this point, I had not formally written and tested a recipe for these cupcakes. These are the cupcakes so many fell in love with when I made them on Season 9, Episode 11 of MasterChef.
After a tough team challenge, my team was sent into a pressure test. We had 75 minutes to bake and decorate 12 perfect cupcakes. I decided to keep it easy by sticking to one flavor. My risk of simplicity paid off. The judges were impressed and I “won” that pressure test (if you can win a pressure test).
These cupcakes were my culinary introduction to guest judge Christina Tosi and gave me a foot in the door when I went to work for her at Milk Bar.
When I made them on the show I did not follow a recipe, I had to make them up. I had a basic ratio of ingredients memorized. While this is not the exact recipe I used, it will get you nearly the same results and is a definite crowd-pleaser. Enjoy.
Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2 Muffin/Cupcake Tins
- 24 Cupcake Liners
- Food Processor
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment (optional – hand mixer can work too)
- 2 oz Disher (optional – you can use a quarter cup measure as well)
- Quarter/Half Sheet Pan
- Silicone Baking Mat (optional – sub plastic wrap)
- 3 qt Saucepan
- Pairing Knife
- Pastry Bag
- Piping Tip (I used a 3M)
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- 400 g granulated sugar
- 4 lemons zest only
- 426 g all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 340 g unsalted butter melted
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup half and half or whole milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
For the Lemon Curd
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- pinch salt
- 4 Tbsp butter cut into 3 slices
For the Raspberry Buttercream
- 3 sticks of unsalted butter softened
- 1 clamshell of raspberries
- optional 3 Tbsp freeze dried raspberries ground into a fine powder
- pinch salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Cupcakes Method:
- Pre-heat oven to 350F. line 2 cupcake pans with liners.
- In a food processor, process the sugar and lemon zest until sugar takes on a pale yellow hue.400 g granulated sugar, 4 lemons
- Mix sugar with the remaining dry ingredients until smooth.426 g all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt
- Mix the wet ingredients together one at a time, keeping the mixture as homogeneous as possible.340 g unsalted butter, 4 eggs, 1 cup greek yogurt, 1/2 cup half and half, 1/2 cup lemon juice
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients until they just come together.
- Quickly portion cupcakes into liners (I used a 2 oz disher)
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (trust your instincts you know how to bake cupcakes)
Lemon Curd Method:
- Prepare a small sheet pan by lining it with plastic wrap or a silpat.
- In a 3 qt saucepan, combine all ingredients except for the butter.3 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 lemon, pinch salt
- Heat over medium heat, consistently stirring with a heat safe spatula until thickens. This will take a while and your cupcakes will be ready to come out of the oven before then. You can stop stirring, lower the heat and step away while you take the cupcakes out of the oven. Quickly get back to stirring.
- Take cooked curd off the heat and stir in the butter.4 Tbsp butter
- Transfer finished curd to your prepared sheet pan and cover with more plastic or another silpat.
- When cooled, put curd in an uncut pastry bag and set aside for assembly.
Raspberry Buttercream Method:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip butter until light and fluffy.3 sticks of unsalted butter
- Add raspberries, raspberry powder, and salt. Continue to whip until incorporated.1 clamshell of raspberries, optional 3 Tbsp freeze dried raspberries ground into a fine powder
- Add powder sugar, a half cup at a time. Add salt in your last half cup addition.2 cups powdered sugar, pinch salt
- Transfer buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a 1M tip and set aside for assembly.
To Assemble:
- Take a pairing knife and cut out the some of the center of the COOLED cupcakes (I usually cut an inverted cone, just don’t go to the bottom or else they will be very messy to eat)
- Fill the hole made with lemon curd
- Top with buttercream
- Decorate to your liking and enjoy 🙂
These are the best!