Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes!

A few weeks ago I baked up some lemon raspberry cupcakes for a pool party with friends. I saw the idea on Pinterest and loved the cute little white cups to bake them in (recipe from Pastry Affair). These were perfect for a hot summer day here in South Florida - light, creamy, and full of fresh fruit flavor.

Margarita Cupcakes! (A Second Time)

Ah the delicious world of boozy cupcakes ... I think they may be my favorite kind to make! They are just so fun and people are always pleasantly surprised to hear that, yes, there is alcohol baked right in!

Margarita cupcakes are a revelation ... I first made them for Cinco de Mayo last year (check them out here). I used the same recipe from Brown Eyed Baker, but I went for a different frosting. Instead of a tequila-infused buttercream, I went for a more basic, lighter heavy cream-based frosting infused with lime zest and freshly-squeezed lime juice. The lightness of the airy frosting was a complement to the cupcake.

Piña Colada Cupcakes!

A few days ago I decided to bake up some Piña Colada cupcakes, recipe courtesy of the always interesting Cupcake Project. I was intrigued by her recipe which included coconut milk, pineapple juice, shredded coconut, and actual chunks of crushed pineapple. The frosting was a cream cheese based frosting with a dash of coconut cream. The amount of coconut rum in this recipe is small but the flavor definitely comes through. I enjoyed them but next time would go without the chunky bits of pineapple; although they resulted in a really moist cupcake, the cake was a bit too dense for me, although this was many of my co-worker's favorite aspect of the dessert.