These moist and zingy lemon Valentine cupcakes are crowned with delicate pink roses piped from raspberry Swiss; a truly delicious treat!
These lemon cupcakes topped with raspberry-flavored buttercream are the perfect treat for any occasion but especially appropriate for Valentine’s day! A dozen roses are a nice gesture but a dozen rose cupcakes are a delicious surprise. 
HOW DO YOU PIPE BUTTERCREAM ROSES?
- Piping buttercream roses is actually pretty simple once you get a little practice in!
- I used a 125 tip for the petals and made sure to start off by creating a cone-like base of buttercream to build the flower on.
- Making that cone creates height at the center of the flower for a more realistic look.
- Start with a spiral at the center then make little arcs for the petals that get larger as the flower reaches completion.
- I have a COMPLETE how to video and post on the blog for buttercream flowers. Check it out if you have any questions!
HOW TO MAKE VALENTINE CUPCAKES
1. For the raspberry reduction; add the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice into a medium sized pot and place over medium heat. Mash the raspberries and simmer until a syrup is formed.
2. Strain the syrup into a bowl using a spatula to help push all the juices through. Transfer to the fridge to chill.
3. For the cupcake batter; Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pan with papers and sift all the dry ingredients including the sugar into a medium sized bowl. Give it a whisk and set it aside.
4. Add the sour cream, butter, milk, vanilla, egg whites, lemon juice and zest into a separate bowl and mix until everything is well incorporated. Mix in a few drops of food coloring to obtain a soft pink color.
5. Combine the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together until homogenous.
6. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake papers 2/3 the way up. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
7. For the Swiss buttercream; Separate the egg whites into a clean bowl. You can reserve the yolks for a batch or pastry cream or French buttercream.
8. Place the egg whites, sugar and salt into a glass bowl.
9. Whisk the sugar into the egg whites.
10. Transfer the bowl over a pot of simmering water making sure the bowl does not touch the water.
11. Whisk continuously until the mixture reaches a temperature of 160 degrees or until the egg sugar mixture feels hot and smooth.
12. Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and and mix on high.
13. Run the mixer until the meringue reaches room temperature. I often pack the bowl with frozen peas to speed the cool down up.
14. Switch to a paddle attachment and add butter 1 tablespoon at a time while the mixer is running at medium speed. Add the orange blossom water after the butter.
15. Whisk in the raspberry reduction a tablespoon at a time until the desired color and flavor have been achieved. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a 125 tip or a medium petal tip.
16. For the assembly; Spread out a tall conical dollop of buttercream at the base of your cupcake. Pipe a spiral in the center of the cupcake then begin piping small petals making them larger as you go. You can always practice first if you please!
PRO TIPS TO MAKE VALENTINE’S DAY CUPCAKES
- I made a batch of the cupcakes flavored with the 3 tablespoons of the raspberry reduction but they turn lilac after baking. Not the end of the world but wasn’t the look I was going for.
- You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
- Making the raspberry reductions takes a minute or two so if you’re in a hurry try adding in some strained preserved or a bit or the juice from frozen raspberries instead.
- Don’t try to add less butter to the Swiss Meringue buttercream. It needs every tablespoon!
Ingredients
For the raspberry reduction
- ▢6 oz raspberries 170g
- ▢1 tbsp granulated sugar 12g
- ▢1/2 lemon juiced
For the cupcakes
- ▢1 2/3 cups all purpose flour 213g
- ▢1/4 tsp salt 1g heaping
- ▢1/4 tsp baking soda 1g, heaping
- ▢1 tsp baking powder 4g
- ▢1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- ▢3/4 cup unsalted butter 170g, melted
- ▢1/2 cup sour cream 115g
- ▢1/2 cup whole milk 118mL
- ▢3 egg whites room temperature
- ▢1/2 tbsp vanilla extract 7mL
- ▢zest of a lemon
- ▢1/2 lemon juiced
- ▢pink food coloring
For the Swiss buttercream
- ▢5 eggs room temp
- ▢1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 300g
- ▢pinch of salt
- ▢2 cups unsalted butter 454g
- ▢1 tsp orange blossom water 5mL Optiona
