Vanilla & Lime Cupcakes with Raspberry filling
Fluffy vanilla cupcakes with a hint of lime, raspberry compote filling and a lime Swiss meringue buttercream frosting
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 1 box Vanilla cake mix
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup Water
- ½ cup Vegetable oil
- ½ cup Sour cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp Lime zest
For the Raspberry Compote
- 4 cups Frozen or fresh raspberries
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- ¼ cup + 3 tbsps Water
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch
For the Lime Buttercream
- 1½ tbsp Lime zest
- 2 tbsp Lime juice
- 3 Egg whites
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- ¾ cup Cold butter, cubed
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 pinch Sea salt
Instructions
To make the raspberry compote: I recommend making this ahead, typically I make it a few day before and keep it in the refrigerator until I'm ready to use it.
- In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, add in the raspberries, sugar, and ¼ cup of water.
- Stir frequently until it begins to boil.
- Lower heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for about 12 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Use a metal strainer suspended over a medium bowl, push through the raspberry mixture using a rubber spatula to remove the seeds. Make sure you use a sieve style strainer.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the cornstarch with the 3 tbsps of water. Stir until the cornstarch is completely mixed in.
- Pour the cornstarch mix into the strained raspberry filling and mix well.
- Rinse out the sauce pan (to get out any left over seeds), then pour the raspberry compote mixture back into the pan.
- Heat the pan over medium-high heat again. Stir constantly so that it doesn't burn.
- Cook until it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to stir for a few more minutes.
- Turn off the heat and pour back into the bowl to cool. I highly recommend letting it cool on the counter and then moving to the fridge to cool for an additional hour.
To make the Lime Swiss buttercream:
- Start with 2 bowls, 1 larger one* and a small one. Separate your eggs. I used the small bowl to put the egg whites. Then I one by one add them to the larger bowl. This is in case one yolk breaks, you don't have to ruin your whole batch.
- Whisk the sugar into the egg whites.
- Set the heat friendly bowl (glass or stainless steel are my recommendations, but see my notes below) over a sauce pan filled with 2 inches of simmering water. Make sure the heat is set to medium. The bottom of your bowl should not be touching any of the water.
- Whisk the eggs white and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Test by dipping your clean finger into the bowl (caution: it can be hot). Rub between your fingers – When you don't feel any sugar granules, that is when you know it is done.
- Transfer directly to the mixer – if you used a bowl that doesn't fit on your mixer, transfer the sugar and egg white mixture to clean mixer bowl.
- Using the whisk attachment, on medium-high speed beat the mixture until stiff peaks form – about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Your meringue should be cooled a bit while whipping, but if its warmer than 70°, put the bowl in the fridge for a bit.
- Switch to the paddle attachment on your mixer. Cut your butter into tablespoon sized pieces.
- On medium-high speed, add in your butter 1 piece at a time. Make sure your piece of butter is incorporated before adding in another.
- After all the butter is added and mixed in, turn the mixer down to medium speed and add the vanilla, salt, lime zest and lime juice. Mix until just combined.
- Cool your frosting in the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Line your cupcake baking pan with liners.
- In a mixing bowl, add in your eggs, water and vegetable oil. Beat with a whisk.
- Add in your vanilla cake mix. Mix again until just combined.
- Mix in your sour cream and vanilla extract, again mixing until just combined.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop the batter into each cupcake liner filling it ¾ full.
- Baking about 14 - 15 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. *if you are baking full sized cupcakes, they will probably take a little longer in the oven.
- Take out once bake and let completely cool on a cooling rack.
Assemble:
- Cut out a little center piece in your cupcake where your raspberry filling can go. For the mini cupcakes, I used a smoothie straw (a bit wider straw) and twisted it in the top center of the cupcake and kept twisting and pushing down gently until about half way down the cupcake. Pull it out and you will have some cake in the straw. I usually blow it out using the other end of the straw. For regular sized cupcakes, I use a pairing knife and just cut a small circle in the stop and pull a little bit of the insides out.
- I put my raspberry compote into a piping bag and pipe the raspberry into the center of each cupcake until it comes out of the hole just a little bit.
- Take your lime butter cream out of the fridge, mix with a spatula and spoon into a piping bag. I use another piping bag fitted with a piping tip. Apply an even amount of pressure to the top of the bag and pipe the icing on to your cupcakes.
- Although these are shelf stable, I highly recommend refrigerating them in an air tight container for freshness.
- Add a little more lime zest or a fresh raspberry on top if you want to be fancy.
- Enjoy!