Lemon Delicious Cupcakes

Lemon has got to be one of my most favourite flavours ever! These are the perfect cupcake if your looking for a balance of sweet, tang and a deliciously moist cake. This recipe is a double whamy....makes 2 dozen cupcakes or 2 lemon loaf cakes,or 12 cupcakes and 1 loaf cake (you get where I'm going this right).

 I found this recipe in my Barefoot Contessa cookbook. Ina Garten is definately one of my big inspirations, I love her food and her attitude towards food. This is an adaptation of her orange pound cake, obviously used lemon instead and I added slightly more lemon juice (by mistake) and it was lovely, so now it's just how I make them!

The lemon buttercream frosting is so light and delicious I could eat it with a spoon! I found the recipe from a wonderful site http://www.grouprecipes.com/61740/fluffy-lemon-buttercream-frosting.html, I use whipping cream instead of milk which their recipe use which I find makes a more decadent frosting, lovely texture.

Lemon Delicious Cupcakes

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp

2 1/2 cups sugar, divided

4 extra large eggs, at room temp

1/3 cup grated lemon zest

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract




lemon buttercream frosting

3 1/2 cups of icing sugar, sifted

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened

1/4 cup whipping cream (heavy cream)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tblsp lemon zest

2 tblsp lemon juice



Heat the oven to 350f. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper.

Cream butter and 2 cups of sugar together, about 2-5 mins or until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add lemon zest.

In a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl combine 3/4 cup of the lemon juice, the buttermilk and vanilla. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternatley to the batter, beginning and ending with flour. Divide the batter evenly between the patty pans, bake for 15-18 minutes (mine take exactly 18 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.

While the cakes bake, cook the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of lemon juice in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissovles. When the cakes are done, let them cool for 5 minutes. Take them out of the pans and place them on a baking rack set over a tray. Spoon the lemon syrup over the cupcakes and allow them to cool completely.

frosting



Mix the butter lemon zest and vanilla together, making sure all the lumps are gone.


Add the cream and quickly cream into the butter mixture.


By the 1/2 cup mix in the sugar.


Once all the sugar is in the bowl, mix on high for 2 mins.


Mix in lemon juice.

Using a piping bag, pipe frosting onto cupcakes, or simply use a butter knife and generously spread the frosting over cakes.

For Lemon Cakes

Follow above recipe and pour batter into greased and floured loaf tins (line the bottoms with parchment as well), bake for 45 minutes-1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes sit in the pans for 10 minutes after taking them out of the oven, the transfer them to a wire rack set over an oven tray and spoon the syrup over them. Allow them to cool completely.

At this stage it is safe to freeze cakes if you wish.

Then to glaze cakes just mix together 2 cups sifted icing sugar and 3 tblsp of fresh lemon juice, then spoon or pour glaze over top of cakes.