Raspberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

A friend requested raspberry recipes after she picked 7 pounds of fresh raspberries.  I tested and loved this recipe, which I modified slightly from the original recipe by Elinor Klivans published in the “Washington Post” Food section (2001).

Raspberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

Yield: 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 ½ C. cake flour

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. almond extract

½ C. milk

1/3 C. (about ½ pint) fresh raspberries

For the frosting:

1 ¾ C. heavy whipping cream

4 oz. white chocolate, coarsely chopped

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. almond extract

36 fresh raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
2. Place paper liners in 12 standard size muffin tins.
3. For the cupcakes: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter & sugar until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape the bowl down after each addition.
6. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix just until incorporated.
7. Reduce the speed to low. Alternately add the dry ingredients with the milk in 2 stages, mixing just until incorporated.
8. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and use a rubber spatula to stir the raspberries in gently by hand.
9. Spoon the batter into the prepared liners filling them ½ full.
10. Bake approx. 20 minutes until the tops spring back when touched and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
12. For the frosting: In a medium saucepan over low heat, heat ¼ C. of heavy cream until it begins to steam, but do not boil! Remove the pan from the heat.
13. Add the white chocolate and set aside until the chocolate softens, arrpox. 1-2 minutes. Stir until the white chocolate melts and is completely smooth.
14. Transfer the white chocolate mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap so that the wrap is touching the surface of the chocolate, and refrigerate until cold, approx. 45 minutes.
15. In a large stainless steel mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed, beat the remaining 1 ½ C. heavy cream with the vanilla & almond extracts and the cold white chocolate mixture until soft peaks form.
16. Frost the cooled cupcakes and garnish with 3 fresh raspberries atop each.