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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

raspberry cream cupcakes.

It's funny, really.

raspberrycreamcupcakes

Last Friday was my half birthday. Six months away from the BIG 2-5.

I completely forgot.

And this is funny because I will try to find an excuse to celebrate anything. ANYTHING.


Like... surviving a week at home alone while my husband is a jillion miles away for work. The proper way to celebrate something like that is to buy approximately 7 pairs of shoes.

Give or take.

So for me to forget my own half birthday is insane. I can't believe I did that to myself.

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I guess it just means I'm getting old.

I mean, isn't that what happens? You start to have to really think hard about what age you are. You stop caring about your birthday... it's more of a nuisance anymore. It's just a reminder that you're getting older.

Lines are forming on your face.

Things are popping and creaking.

What you eat and drink is starting to matter.

You can't sit "pretzel style" for more than two minutes.

raspberries

Maybe it's just me, but I think my subconscious helped me forget my half birthday for a reason. It was trying to save me from the depression of realizing that life is just flying by...

WHEEEE!!!

If you know what I'm talking about, I have the solution for you.

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Cupcakes!!

But, not just any cupcakes, my friend. These will help you forget your aging woes.

In fact, these made me feel just like a kid! Did anyone have that Fisher-Price play kitchen with the naked cupcakes that you could put the plastic frosting on top?


Ahh... cooking was SO easy then. Anyway, these kind of reminded me of that.

Except edible.

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The cupcakes are perfect if you've got some raspberries burning a hole in your fridge.

And you have something to celebrate. Like a belated half birthday, perhaps.

These are the lightest, fluffiest, jolliest cupcakes I've ever tasted in my mouth. It's like eating a cloud topped with a cloud and sprinkled with some sugar on top.

It's like if you could taste air and it tasted like angel food cake and fruit and world peace.

nakedcupcakes

HEY! Let's not be indecent in front of our guests.

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Much better. Sorry about that. Not as easy as frosting a Fisher-Price cupcake, but so much more flavorful than rubbery plastic.

I may or may not have sampled the play frosting as a child.

......

IT LOOKED SO REAL!!!

Okay, back to business.

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Raspberry Cream Cupcakes (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

Prep Time: 30 min.   Inactive Time:  30 min.   Cook Time:  15-20 min.

Ingredients

1 (18.25 oz) box white or yellow cake mix (I used yellow)
1 1/3 c. water
3 large egg whites
2 Tblsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 Tblsp. vanilla extract
2 6-oz. containers fresh raspberries, divided
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/3 c. powdered sugar, plus more for dusting

Directions


Line 18 muffin cups with muffin papers, or grease a muffin tray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Using an electric mixer, beat the cake mix, water, egg whites, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a large bowl for 2 minutes, or until the batter is well blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups to about 2/3 full.
Bake the cupcakes until they are very pale golden on top, about 15 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely on a cooling rack.

For the whipped topping, chill the bowl and beater you are going to use. Put them in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the fridge for 30.
Using a fork, coarsely mash 1 1/2 containers of raspberries in a medium bowl. Beat the cream and 1/3 cup of powdered sugar in a large bowl until firm peaks form. Fold the mashed raspberries into the whipped cream.
Top each cupcake with a generous heap of the raspberry whipped cream. Dust with more powdered sugar and serve with the remaining berries.

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It's perfectly okay if you eat these for dinner. I did.

1 comment:

  1. Omg these look delightful.... I'm going to have to make these. So while Scott and I were running the other day we decided that chocolate muffins with lemon cream icing would be delicious. Yes, we think about cupcakes when we run lol....

    ReplyDelete