Valentine's Cupcakes - Lemon Raspberry

I almost feel like I'm giving a nod to a character in the Mortal Instruments books.  If you've read, then you know what I mean! :)  But anyhow.........

I've been attempting to make new flavors.  There's no point in continuing this if it's always the same thing.  I made a Lemon Blackberry cupcake some time ago and lemon is one of my favorite flavors.  So for Valentine's Day this year, I decided to try a Lemon Raspberry.

Excuse the horrid photos - it suddenly became overcast when I wanted to get photos!  Grrrr!  

The cupcake is a light lemon vanilla cake filled with raspberry puree and topped with a dark chocolate frosting, dark chocolate drizzled on top and sugar cookie hearts that I made for the theme.

Here is the inside of the cupcake, filled with seedless raspberry puree.

And for the anti-valentine, a broken heart cookie.

I can't say it's my favorite.  Could very well be my allergies are interfering with my taste buds.  However, the lemon cake came out soooo nice and along with the chocolate was very good.  Next time I may try just folding the raspberry into the lemon cake.  Recipe and instructions below :)

Ingredients (makes 24)

1 box white cake mix

zest of 1.5 to 2 lemons

1/2 cup oil

1 cup milk or butter milk

3 eggs

1/2 tspn vanilla

1.5 cups seedless raspberry puree

Zest the lemons.  Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl with the zest and mix until well incorporated.  Fill cupcake liners and bake at 350 for 12 - 15 minutes.  Allow to cool.

Hand whisk puree.  Cut center out of cupcakes, fill with puree.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

2 dark chocolate candy bar, 7 oz

4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

3 sticks butter, room temp

1/2 tspn vanilla

Break the candy bar up and melt.  Put butter in mixing bowl and cream.  Slowly add confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time mixing on slow.  Once incorporated, mix on high for 10 seconds to give the frosting some air.  Add vanilla, mix well.  Add chocolate (reserve 1/4 cup for drizzle), mix well (scrape down sides of bowl).   Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.