Sweet Tea Cupcakes With Lemon Sweet Tea Frosting Food

RASPBERRY ICED TEA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 36 cupcake cups with paper liners.
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined and sifted. In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup of unsalted butter until fluffy with an electric mixer set on medium speed. Mix in 2 cups of sugar and the lemon pudding mix, and beat on high speed until very fluffy and well combined, about 8 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. With the electric mixer running, beat in milk in 1/3 cup increments, alternating with the flour mixture; beat in vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest just until mixed. Fill the prepared cupcake cups about 2/3 full with the batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cupcakes are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 23 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool.
• When cupcakes are cool, make filling; pour about 2 inches of water into the bottom of a double boiler, place over medium heat, and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and place the egg whites and 2/3 cup of sugar into the top of the double boiler. Do not allow the water to touch the upper part of the double boiler. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, and mix with electric mixer set on high speed until the meringue holds soft peaks, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium, and beat in the butter, 2 or 3 tablespoons at a time. When butter is smoothly beaten in, beat the creme de menthe candy flavoring oil in until the flavoring is fully incorporated and the filling is fluffy, 1 to 2 more minutes. Remove filling from heat and set aside. When cooled, load the filling into a piping bag with a medium-sized round tip.
• To make the frosting, place cream cheese, raspberries, both amounts of tea powder, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl, and beat until smooth with an electric mixer set on high speed. While mixer is running, slowly pour the cream into the bowl, and beat until the frosting forms stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl often.
• Insert the piping tip into the top of each cupcake, and squeeze about half a tablespoon of filling into each cupcake. Top each cupcake with a generous dollop of frosting to serve.

ARNOLD PALMER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon zest and lemon juice. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition (batter will be thick). , Fill 30 lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup batter. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, combine butter and confectioners' sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. In another small bowl, stir together milk and iced tea mix until dissolved. Add to butter mixture; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes.

GREEN TEA CUPCAKES TOPPED WITH GREEN TEA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with 24 cupcake liners.
• In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until thoroughly blended.
• Whisk together the milk and oil, and add to the dry ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the matcha powder, almond extract and eggs and beat again for 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour the batter into the pans, filling three-quarters of the way full. Bake until cakes test done, about 15 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely.
• For the buttercream: Place the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add one-third of the sugar and blend well. Add in the remaining sugar one-third at a time, blending well between each addition. Add in the milk and matcha powder and beat until light and fluffy.
• To assemble: Add the buttercream to a large pastry bag with a grass tip and pipe in small dollops to resemble grass.