The Best Lemon Cupcakes

Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• zest of one lemon

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1 1/2 cups lemon curd (you can make or buy at the grocery store) 

• lemony-cream frosting (recipe below)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

2.  In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth, about a minute on medium speed.  Add in sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes more. With mixer on medium-low, add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add in vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest.

4.  With mixer on low, add in a third of the flour mixer, followed by half of the milk and the sour cream.  Add in the next third of flour, the remaining milk, and finally the remainder of the flour mixture.  Mix until just combined.  Use a rubber spatula to fully incorporate the mixture, being sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

5.  With an ice cream scooper, divide up the batter evenly among the paper liners.  (I use a scoop that holds 1/3 cup, which works perfectly.) Tap pans on the counter to remove any bubbles.

6.  Bake at 350, or until a toothpick inserted into the center ones comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.  Let cool in pans for at least ten minutes before removing to a cooling rack.  Let cool completely before decorating.  

7.  Reserve 1/3 cup of the lemon curd and set aside for the frosting.  Use a melon baller to scoop out a small hole in the center of each cupcake.  Spoon out remaining lemon curd into the holes. 

8.  Put lemony-cream frosting into a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (I can never find the big round tips to go with the big pastry bag, so I actually just used the pastry bag without a tip).  Pipe frosting onto each cupcake, starting at the edges, and swirling around to the center.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

Lemony-Cream frosting

• 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature

• 1 cup  sugar (I use Bakers sugar - ultra fine sugar)

• 1/8 teaspoon  salt

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup  lemon curd (add 3/4 cup for increased lemon flavor)

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions 

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla. 

2. Add the lemon curd and mix until fully incorporated. 

3. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. 

4. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.