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Raspberry-Almond Cupcakes
July 14, 2008 | 50 Comments
“Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup.” ~ Wendell Berry
Three and something years ago we planted a tiny raspberry sapling. Now it’s taken over a 9×6 feet patch of our garden, and has started showing up in other areas. After the birds have eaten their fill, we still get plenty to last us a whole year. We don’t get to half of them ‘cos it’s so thorny in the middle, where the best ones are. Ever tried plucking raspberries with a T-shirt and shorts?
J – the deisgnated berry picker – has scratches all over his arms and legs when he picks them from our backyard, which is almost daily in summer. The tradeoff is a freezer full of sweet, organic raspberries.
A basket of freshly picked berries + a jar of almond butter in the fridge = some sort of cake. Preferably one with frosting, ‘cos it’s a special occasion.
This recipe seemed perfect. Low-fat, easy and heartily endorsed by those who tried it. It’s more like a breakfast bread with a crunchy almond topping.
We doubled the quantity, made many alterations based on what we had at hand, and added two types of frosting ~ chocolate-almond, and lemon-cream cheese.
If you don’t have organic almond butter, make your own. HERE’S HOW.
RASPBERRY-ALMOND CUPCAKES
Makes 15 cupcakes or one bundt cake.
2 cups fresh raspberries
** if using frozen, thaw and drain
1/3 cup brown sugar or maple syrup
** we used regular sugar plus 2 tsp unsulphured molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour or wholewheat pastry flour
2/3 cup organic cane sugar
**the sugar can be reduced to 1/2 cup if using frosting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
1/3 cup almond butter (or 1/4 cup regular butter at room temperature)
1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
2 eggs (or 4 egg whites or 1/2 cup silken tofu)
2 to 4 tablespoons milk
raspberries to garnish
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin moulds or grease bundt pan.
2. Lightly mix raspberries and brown sugar and set aside to macerate.
3. Mix together the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
5. Mix together the wet ingredients except the milk and the macerated raspberries and add to the dry (yogurt, almond butter, almond extract, eggs).
6. Lightly mix in the macerated raspberries and some milk if you need it, to make a thick batter (there should be no flour pockets, and it should be easily spoonable). Do not over mix if you want tender cupcakes.
7. Spoon into muffin mould using a 1/3 cup measure, or into the bundt pan.
If you want to omit the frosting:
Top with 1/2 cup lightly toasted and chopped almonds. It will give you a crunchy topping.
8. Bake muffins for 21 to 23 minutes (test with a toothpick), or about 40 minutes for a bundt cake.
Cool on a wire rack before frosting.
Chocolate-Almond Frosting
We used our Chocolate-Peanut Butter frosting, using almond butter in lieu of peanut butter. For 7 cupcakes, make about half the amount of frosting specified in the recipe.
Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting
for 7 cupcakes
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese
2 tsps lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
3 tbsps powdered sugar
Mix it all with a spoon. If you want a hint of yellow colour, add the tiniest pinch of turmeric or saffron. Careful with the turmeric. More than a tiny pinch will impart a bitter taste.
Cool the cupcakes and frost.
Garnish with raspberries. Refrigerate for an hour for the frosting to set.
Raspberry flower
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DUDE !!!
VERDICT: Moist, delicious and wholesome. Both frostings were wonderful, but the lemon-cream cheese has a more summery flavour and complemented the raspberries beautifully. Both of us preferred it to the chocolate.
We will be trying this again with other berries and nut butters.
I just had one for breakfast, so I’m sending it in for Sia’s Weekend Breakfast Blogging: Summer Feast @ Monsoon Spice.
And to Susan, the lovely FoodBlogga, who is hosting Sugar High Friday this time around. The theme is Berries.
- bee
Filed Under: Almond, Chocolate, cream cheese, cupcakes, GARDENING, Lemon/Lime, nut-butter, Nuts, Raspberry, Wheat, yogurt
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50 Comments
Happy birthday to jai and yes they look absolutely perfect for the special occasion. Have a wonderful day , you guys!!
happy bday J, im so hungry now….. gosh
J! It’s your day!! Happy Birthday!
happy burrrrrrrrrday Jai
Happy Birthday, Jai!!! you guys have rasberries in your garden?!?! thats so cool!!!! I wish I had a garden too….
Happy B’day J.
Happy birthday Jai.
Wow..is there any fruit/veggie in the world that is not growing in your garden?? Hats off to you guys. Love that first picture with fresh berries.
Dear Jai -
Happy Birthday!
And that’s one yummilicious muffin!
wow, raspberry on your garden. what a cool! I love gardening but can’t deal with worm.
By the way Happy b’day!
Guys u hold a nursery in your area? Wonderful….Love the choco and rasb great combo!
Happy Birthday to Jai!
Happy Birthday Jai!
Happy Birthday, Jai! Wow–you are SO lucky to have your own raspberry bushes–that first photo is breathtaking! And the cupcakes look pretty good, too
Dear Jai,
Happy Birthday…!!!
Have a wonderful day ahead.
Sonu:)
Happy birthday, Jai!
You have your own overgrowth of raspberries?! Color me extremely jealous!
These cupcakes are worth all the scratches. Happy birthday, J. Have a fun filled year ahead!
choc almond frosting looks so good
happy b’day J!
Wishing you many more happy returns of the day J! May the days ahead bring more happiness and peace to you!
Happy Birthday to you, Jai!
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday Jai! Lucky man you are with that cupcake!
Happy bday Jai and pl send some cake over
HI first pc is ultimate. I can’t take my eyes.
cup cakes looks toooo good.
Happy Birthday Jai!
What a lovely b’day treat, and I agree that the lemon cream cheese topping sounds even more delish than chocolate.
Both cupcakes sound & look absolutely delicious. Sending birthday wishes to Jai…
thanks all for the wishes. i usually take solace from the fact that even the most remote french village bursts fireworks on my birthday….but this time you have just put me over the top
- j
Hi B & Happy B’day J!
These cupcakes look wonderful. Must try soon.
I recently tried your red curry recipe and it was delicious. Thank you for posting such wonderful recipes
There is a huge plot of land behind the house we are staying in for the summers and its covered with blackberry bushes. I pick the berries almost everyday and it is painful. The thorns and fear of snakes hovering!!..I still do it it because the berries are so plump and juicy. Each time I tell myself, “I will stay on the periphery of the bushes,” but as you said, somehow the best ones are always in the middle so I tread in between the bushes as far as I can. In the moment, it feels like an adventure and the access to plumper berries make me forget the discomfort, but once I am out with thorns in my jeans and scratches on my arms (which sting when using soap) I always say to myself “this is the last time.” And then I do it all over again the next day.
Enjoy your summer adventures in your garden!
Sorry J, for being late…hope you had a great day…belated wishes
The cupcakes look gorgeous…we don’t have any berries growing in our garden, but we do have blackberries growing wild near our house, and yes, we do get a few scratches
happy birthday j…
I wish I could just reach into the screen and grab one, or two..no wait all
Happy B-day Jai!
Oh, these cupcakes look so good. Fresh berries! Yum!
A very Happy Birthday to you Jai, sorry for dropping in late!
Happy Birthday Jai! It’s always heartwarming to read your In Season posts.
Happy Budday J and Oh MY goodness! Those cupcakes look scrumptious!
Happy Bday to Jai and such tempting pefect cakes.
Belated birthday wishes J!!!!!!!!!wow raspberries in ur garden….thats fantastic!!!!!!!!i have never grown anything in my apartment….but seeing those….wish i had a big garden too!!!!!!!
regards,
Veda
A raspberry lemon cream flavored birthday! Yum.
My goodness, those look wonderful. Happy Happy Bday, to Jai with wishes for many more joyous years. I am so envious of the bounty from your garden (of your garden in general, really). *sigh* xxoo
they look fab and belated happy birthday to Jai… the raspberry pics are beautiful!
Belated birthday wishes J. Wow, nobody has tagged you yet inspite of Bee’s request. The cupcakes look so good Bee. I think I would prefer the chocolate frosting. I also have a jar of almond butter and prepared almond buttr laddus and posted it today.
Happy B’Day, Jai! Now, can you have Bee send me some cupcakes? Please?
Awesome pics…
Happy Birthday Jai!!
Belated Birthday wishes Beee. lovely berriess… u guys are awesome… love th homgrown produce..
When I lived at home, I loved raspberries so much that my dad planted a raspberry bush for me. There was nothing like picking those beautiful, plump berries every summer. Your lovely post just reminded me of how much I miss that. Thank you. And that you for the scrumptious muffins for SHF. I’ve got to try that almond butter frosting.
Belated Happy Birthday, Jai. I missed this post. Wonderful cupcakes!
Beautiful cupcakes.
I really don’t like frosting as it is usually too sweet and loaded with butter! But I’m going to try your version for sure.
Thanks.
Happy birthday!! What a delicious way to celebrate!
Belated Happy Bday J! those raspberry cupcakes looks awesome… You both are amazing you grow raspberries too!
I think I’m in love with these cupcakes – the looks and the flavours!!
[...] we went out of town for a few days a couple months ago, a lot of raspberries in the garden shrivelled up into little dried red nuggets. They sat on the branches and air-dried for a month. [...]