As its January and its still very icy cold and windy (sometimes rainy) outside, why not introduce some summer into your life! Try my superbly easy, moist, yummy, flavourful cupcake – the bottom has whole raspberries, with the vanilla cupcake on top, piped with raspberry mascarpone cream fluff – and with the always ‘extra’ Ammna flair – some merengue bits (totally not necessary but always necessary if you ask me lol). Loved by All!

Here’s how you bake them!

INGREDIENTS :   (makes 22 large cupcakes)

Vanilla Raspberry Cupcakes – 

• 430 g flour

• 230 g sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3 tsp baking powder

• 375 ml milk

• 125 ml vegetable oil (I use rape seed oil, but any veggie oil works)

• 125 g unsalted butter, softened

• 2 tbsp Turkish yogurt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 large eggs (or 3 small ones)

• 300 g frozen raspberries

Raspberry Mascarpone Fluff –

• 400 ml Whip Cream
• 300 g mascarpone
• 120 g cream cheese
• 100 g frozen raspberries
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence
• 100 g sugar

Additional Topping – 

• Merengue bits (store bought works fine, if you have the time to make merengue yourself, go ahead!)
• 22 frozen raspberries (or however many cupcakes you make)

METHOD : 

Vanilla Raspberry Cupcakes –  

1. In a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand held mixer) beat the butter until it softens. Then add the sugar and whisk until combined thoroughly (roughly 4 min)
2. Add all the dry ingredients in and mix until combined.
3. In a small bowl add all the wet ingredients, and just give it a light whisk with a fork, then pour it into the bowl with the dry ingredients and butter/sugar. Whisk until combined. You shouldn’t whisk for more than 5 min.
4. Grab your cupcake forms, and place some rasberries in the bottom – make sure all the raspberries are distributed evenly with non left behind. Using an ice cream scooper (i do this only because its easier and the cupcakes come out equal in size and shape) – scoop one scoop in each cupcake form on top of the raspberries.
5. Bake in the oven for 20-22 min. until a cupcake tester comes out clean.
6. Leave them to cool completely before piping the topping on.

Raspberry Mascarpone Fluff – 

1. In a small saucepan, heat the raspberries and sugar until the raspberries break down and the sugar is completely melted. Then raise the heat a little until it starts to bubble for 2 min. Put the heat down to medium and let simmer for 8 min. Put it into the fridge to cool completely. (It is important that the raspberry coolie is cooled completely). 
2. In a medium sized bowl with a hand mixer (or a stand mixer) whip the whip cream until a little extra stiff (stop just before it seems like it will become butter). Take it out and put into a bowl, set aside.
3. In the same mixing bowl, whip the mascarpone and cream cheese together. Then add in the whipped cream, and the vanilla extract, and whisk for 5-7 min on high speed. Don’t worry if it looks runny in the beginning it will all come together.
4. Once its fluffy and light, fold in gently the raspberry coolie, evenly.
5. Pour into a piping bag, and pipe on the top of the cupcakes. For a little extra tough (like I did) pip in a circle, and fill the center of the cream with merengue bits) and then top with a dollop of cream and with one raspberry.

And Voila! They are all done to be eaten in a matter of minutes! 😀

Enjoy!