Summer time and the living's easy

The heat is rolling in, and for some baking would seize to happen, but not for me. I prepared to sweat it out as I made some summer inspired cupcakes. 

I don't know about you, but when I think of summer, I think of berries ... berry salads and family picnics, juicy strawberries, tart raspberries, and blueberries. And then, then you can bake them, blueberry muffins, blueberry pies, the list goes on and on with all sorts of delectable ideas.  

But really, berries are good, but what makes it even better is citrus. I happen to love citrus desserts. Super yummy lemon cake, lemon tarts, lemon bars ... so super delicious. 

And then there's the summer drinks, lemonade, limeade, and of course margaritas. How can you go wrong with lemons and limes? You really can't, especially when you combine them with berries. 

So the other day, I was hanging out with a friend, and we had raspberry margaritas, and when a flavor combination goes well, it makes me think of cupcakes, how could that flavor combination be turned in to a cupcake. Once the idea hits ... it has to happen.

It turns out the stars agreed, because they aligned just right, not only were lemons and limes on sale at the grocery store, but so were raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. Which means baking was on. 

The first cupcake to be baked was a delicious lime cupcake, with a raspberry buttercream frosting. After zesting and juicing half a dozen limes I was ready to bake ... my oven and apartment heated up, with the oven going, and my mixer whirling. Until finally the cupcakes were done. 

The pink frosting is the result of fresh raspberries mixed in, all natural no food coloring. The cupcakes have a light raspberry filling, and a citrusy lime flavor. 

The next batch was my second attempt at a lemon blueberry cupcake, changing around the recipe, adding more lemon zest, the cupcakes came together fantastically, light and airy, with an amazing sweetness from the baked blueberries, topped with a light lemon marscapone frosting, an almost overwhelming burst of lemon, toned down with the sweetness of the baked blueberries.