Raspberry Lemon Cupcake Filling

In a medium size pot stir together:

• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. cornstarch

Slowly stir in:

• 1/2 c. milk (I usually use 2% since that is what we drink regularly)
• 1/2 c. berry juice (and water to make 1/2 c. if you don’t have enough juice from the berries)

Stir together in a bowl:

• 2 egg YOLKS
• 3/4 c. lemon juice

Turn the burner on medium high. Slowly add the egg mixture to the pot, stirring constantly. Add:

• 1/4 c. soft/room temp butter

Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add:

• 2 – 3 cups raspberries (if using frozen berries, make sure they are thawed before adding them, reserving the juice for the liquid)

Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir a few more times as it cools down for about 30 minutes. Cover and place in the refrigerator for several hours. I usually make this the evening before I make the cupcakes so that it is ready when I need it.

After cooling completely, use a hand mixer or large stand mixer to beat it. I usually leave it sitting on the countertop for an hour before doing this. The filling is easiest to use to fill the cupcakes or spread on the cake to fill when it is room temperature.

I know this is a long process, but I find it to work into my routine so I don’t notice it as a long ordeal. Just snippets of time here and there really.

To fill the cupcakes, I cut the center of the cupcake completely OUT. I remove the piece totally out, fill the hole with filling, place the cake piece back on the top of the filling (patting in only slightly so it does bump up out of the cupcake), and then frost with a buttercream frosting (tubing it so it hides the bump out). Sometimes I add 4 oz. of cream cheese to the buttercream frosting for a hint of it in the frosting. AND sometimes, when my filling is not quite enough….. I will mix some frosting with the filling and fill the cupcakes with that. It’s all yummy!

THIS RECIPE FILLS ABOUT 36 CUPCAKES