Raspberry Takeover Cupcakes

One time, on January 11th, a baby boy was born.
I don't know really what he looked like then, if he was red and scrawny, fat and crying, had big eyes or squinty ones. But I do know that he grew up to be one amazing man.
And then quite a few years later, he and his beautiful wife had a baby of their own. I do know all about that baby, because she's me. :)

Yep! Yesterday was my dad's birthday! Prepare yourselves for some dadoration in this next paragraph. (Like that word, dadoration? I totally made that up on my own and I think it's awesome. Don't judge. Shakespeare made up words all the time, people.)
My dad is hard to describe. He has so many great and amazing attributes, and yet he's so very completely different from any other dad I know. He doesn't take me out on "Daddy-daughter" dates, he isn't the kind of father who gives me everything I want, he can't stand sitting through ballet and violin concerts. He doesn't do a lot of the things you think of when you think of "Dad of the Year" awards. But he IS. The dad of the year century, that is.
We film short films together. He takes beautiful pictures. He sticks his beard in my eye to make me squirm when he gives me a hug. He sits down and let's me know when I'm being a jerk. He also sits down and lets me know when I need help. And then he gives me the help I need. We also make funny faces. We watch cooking shows together sometimes. But we mostly watch football together because, honestly, football is a little more exciting than "Chopped".  I love my dad. I think he is the best.
He is full of wisdom, knowledge, love, corny jokes, brilliant ideas, patience, and experience that I can only hope that I have when I am his age. (Which is not that old, btw.)

So birthday cupcakes it is! My dad loves raspberry. It's his favorite flavor of anything. He buys raspberry yogurt, raspberry sorbet, raspberry granola bars, raspberry flavored vitamins. He eats cartons of raspberries all the time. He likes raspberry.

Look! My dad's in the background there...watching football with me as I baked. See? Awesome.

So of course, this week's cupcake is Raspberry Takeover! Everything about it is raspberry. Raspberry Cake filled with a Raspberry Vanilla Cream, and topped with Raspberry Cream Cheese Icing.

I was told that it tasted like a fancy Raspberry Zinger, and I was okay with that. I've never had one before, but I understand that they are generally awesome??

Raspberry Take Over Cupcakes - Yield 12

Raspberry Cakes:

-1 cup sugar

-1/2 pkg of raspberry jello

-1/2 cup softened butter

-2 eggs

-1 2/3 cups cake flour

-1 1/4 tsp baking powder

-1/2 c. milk

-1/2 Tablespoon vanilla

-1/4 cup pureed fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Beat butter, sugar, and jello together until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well after adding each egg. In a blender puree your raspberries. Make a "smoothie" by whisking the puree with the milk. Set aside. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add this set of dry ingredients to the butter and eggs in two additions, alternating with the "smoothie". Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake about 20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when pressed.

Raspberry Vanilla Cream Filling- This will make extra, but we LOVE it in our breakfast smoothies, so no one is complaining. But feel free to halve this recipe if you only want enough to fill your cupcakes. Also, make this filling up to 2 days ahead to manage time better. Just don't eat it before you make the cupcakes. ;)
-8 tbsp unsalted butter
-12-oz package frozen raspberry, thawed (or 1 pint ripe)
-5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
-3/4 cup granulated sugar

-1 pkg vanilla pudding

-2 cups milk
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the raspberries, egg yolks, and sugar
Stir frequently, until it starts to boil, and then stir constantly. Cook over medium heat until it thickens, about 6-8 minutes.
Pour the mixture through a mesh sieve set over a bowl, pressing down on the mixture with a wooden spoon to squeeze as much liquid as possible through. This is to get rid of those crunchy seeds.
Cover the curd, placing plastic wrap directly on the curd itself to avoid it from forming a skin on the top. Chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 2-3 days. The curd will thicken as it cools. Set aside 3 Tablespoons for the frosting. When it is cool, prepare the pudding mix as directed on the box. Fold the curd into the pudding mix and set aside in the fridge. 

Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting-

-8 Tablespoons of butter, softened

-6 oz Cream Cheese, softened

-4 cups powdered sugar

-1 Tablespoon Raspberry Liqueur

-3 Tablespoons of the Raspberry Curd

Beat the butter and cream cheese together. Add the Sugar, cup by cup. Add the liqueur and the curd, beating til well combined. 

Team Assemble! 

Cut a cone out of each of the cupcakes. Enlist the two eleven year olds in your house to eat these middles, you won't need them anymore. ;) Fill the core with the raspberry vanilla cream. Fill a piping bag with the frosting and pipe onto the cupcakes., or spread it straight on the cupcake with a spatula for a more rustic look. (Or for faster consumption, that's good too. :D) I decorated mine with small pink pearls, having learned that my mom used the fresh raspberries for I had intended on using for garnishing in my brother's smoothie for breakfast. :/