Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Marionberry Frosting (Doctored Cake Mix)

M is for mini and marionberry this month. I found this recipe years ago when I had a bunch of leftover cake mixes from helping with a school music and dessert sale. Sometimes it is nice to just fall back on a boxed cake mix though we use them less than once a year. Just to note, this needs a standard boxed mix that has a fat included in the ingredients. It will not work with those super simple organic mixes that are only dry ingredients. Ask me how I know. I prefer Duncan Hines because it has fewer ingredients than Betty Crocker or Krusteaz. (Incidentally, that is why an upcoming muffin recipe turns out so beautifully tender, the fat worked into the flour first, stay tuned!)

 

Feel free to use the frosting with your favorite scratch cake too! There is no artificial coloring so it will not be a vivid pink color. I like to fall back on my secret weapon to add natural color: freeze dried fruit powder! You could use powdered strawberry or raspberries, or as I did in this case, dragonfruit!

 

Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Marionberry Frosting
makes 5-6 dozen mini cupcakes or 18-24 standard cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix (15.25oz/432g)
7½ oz Greek yogurt with lemon curd (I use Ellenos brand, which is an 8oz. cup)
2 tbsp oil
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
~2/3 cup buttermilk
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Add the juice of the lemon to a 1 cup glass measure, and add enough buttermilk to equal 2/3 cup.  Combine this and the remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix on low 30 seconds to combine.  Mix for another minute and a half on medium low speed.  Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners.  Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, fill each liner with about ½ tbsp batter.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until done.  Be careful not to over bake.

For the marionberry frosting:

1 cup salted butter

6 cups powdered sugar (690g)

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup marionberry syrup or jam

2-4 tbsp whipping cream

Mix butter, sugar, vanilla and syrup together to make a fairly firm frosting.  Gradually add the cream and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, and has a soft, pipeable consistency.  About 4 minutes, scraping down the sides regularly.

  

Here are some more letter M recipes:

• Food Lust People Love: Milk Roasted Chicken with New Potatoes and Mushrooms 
• Blogghetti: Movie Night Charcuterie Board 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Mango Bread Pastry - No Bake Dessert 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Mocha Milkshake 
• Palatable Pastime: Trout Meunière (Amandine) 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Maple Pecan Madeleines 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Steak and Mushroom Bites 
• A Messy Kitchen: Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Marionberry Frosting (Doctored Cake Mix)
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Moong Dal Salad | Kosambari 
• Magical Ingredients: Mint Mascarpone Dip 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Pineapple Ketchup Ground Turkey Skillet Meatballs 
• Culinary Cam: Mini Peach Galettes