Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
Cream together butter and sugar until light and pale in a large bowl with an electric mixer. About 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, salt, flour and baking powder. Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes, until well combined. Then fold in the raspberries.
Divide the batter evenly in the cupcake liners, to the 2/3 level.
Bake for 19-24 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool.
Frosting
For the buttercream, put the raspberries and lemon juice in a small saucepan over low heat. Heat them slowly until they begin to break down, then mash them with a fork, and simmer for 10 minutes. Press the cooked raspberries through a sieve to get the juice, and allow to cool.
Beat the softened butter in a mixer for 5 minutes, until pale. Add the confectioners’ sugar in 2 stages, mixing for 2 minutes each time. When fully mixed, gradually add the raspberry juice and mix until the butter cream is pink, and fluffy in consistency.
Pipe the icing on top of the cupcakes, and top each with a fresh raspberry, a sprinkling of freeze-dried raspberries if desired.
Storage – You can store the frosted cupcakes covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Make Ahead - If you want, you can make these a day or two ahead of time. Just bake the cupcake batter, and make the frosting as you would in the recipe. Keep the frosting in the fridge, and the cupcakes covered at room temperature until you’re ready to assemble.
Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 760IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg