Fruit Bites & Mini-Raspberry Cupcakes

This is my favorite Mini-Raspberry Cupcake recipe:

Mini-Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes

         1 stick(s) (1⁄2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

         3/4 cup(s) sugar

         1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder

         1/4 teaspoon(s) salt

         2 large eggs

         1 teaspoon(s) raspberry or vanilla extract

         1/2 cup(s) milk, & 5-6 fresh raspberries

         1 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour

Raspberry Buttercream

         1 stick(s) (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

         4 cup(s) confectioners’ sugar

         4 tablespoon(s) milk, and 2-3 fresh raspberries

         1 teaspoon(s) raspberry or vanilla extract

         1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

         Red or pink gel or liquid food color (optional)

directions

1.            Heat oven to 350ºF. Line mini-- muffin pans with paper liners. (Don't worry if you only have one pan. After baking a batch, remove baked cupcakes to rack. Then place the pan in your freezer to cool quickly before lining and baking the next batch.)

2.            Beat butter, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Stir extract into milk. Beat in flour in three parts, alternating with milk, just until blended. Spoon 1 Tbsp into each muffin cup.

3.            Bake 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes before removing from pan to rack. Cool completely.

4.            Beat all ingredients in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Then increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy. Tint pink if desired. Frost cupcakes.  I love to use silicone, recyclable cake cups.  I let my kids top the mini-cakes with fresh raspberries for the final touch.  Enjoy!

These are pictures from a gathering my cooking club friend, Rupali hosted.  The theme was fruit desserts.