Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners (You can also make them without the liners and very lightly grease and flour the tins, but I find they are easier to make and less likely to deflate when you use liners.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, ½ cup of the powdered sugar, and salt. Mix until combined and set aside.
Process your granulated sugar to make it fine to the touch. Set aside.
In a freshly cleaned and dried mixer, add the egg whites and beat until frothy.
Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the egg whites form medium peaks.
Slowly begin to beat in the granulated sugar. Continue to beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks that are nice and glossy. Beat in the vanilla as well as the lemon zest and raspberry if using.
Sift in the flour mixture into the beaten egg whites. Gently fold in the flour until it is incorporated. Do this by hand and occasionally scrape the bottoms and sides of the bowl. Your goal is to fully add in the flour without deflating the air in the whites. The volume of the mixture will go down slightly and the mixture will turn slightly runny. This is normal, but it should not become watery, if that happens, it is overmixed.
Evenly divide the batter into your cupcake tin and bake for about 14 - 16 minutes, or until the cupcakes are risen and are very slightly golden brown at the edges. They should feel a bit bouncy when you touch them, but do not press down too much.
Remove from the oven and carefully remove from the tin. Handle with a light touch as they are still hot and rough handling can still slightly deflate the cupcakes. Set aside to cool.
While the cupcakes are cooling, beat the heavy cream and the remaining powdered sugar. Dollop on top of the cupcakes and then finish with seasonal fruit.
Notes
Use a gentle hand when mixing as deflated egg whites will result in shrunken cupcakes. Take the time to sift your ingredients.