Lemon Cupcakes

Meal Monday is a weekly post series on the subject of food. I’ll talk about my love for food to sharing recipes that I love cooking to food tips.

*If you would like to guest post on my blog on the topic of food or any other topic, send me a message.

Do you love cupcakes? What is your favorite flavor? One of my favorite is lemon cupcakes.

I don’t bake that often; I probably bake few times a year. Mostly on special occasions and holidays. When I do bake, I love making my lemon cupcakes from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. This is the recipe I used to make my lemon raspberry cupcakes.

I baked these lemon cupcakes one year for my husband and I’s birthdays. When I made the frosting, I added little extra lemon juice and lemon peel for extra flavor. I added sliced lemons for my topping on my cupcakes. The lemon slices could be candied if wanted.

Here is my recipe for lemon cupcakes.

Lemon Cupcakes

*This recipe can be made into a cake or cupcakes.

Makes: 12 dozen cupcakes or two layer round cakes

Ingredients:

batter:
1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup butter)
4 eggs
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup buttermilk (or 2/3 cup plain yogurt and 1/4 cup butter)

frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter (or 1/8 cup plain yogurt and 1/4 cup butter)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
4 1/2 – 5 cups powdered sugar

Directions for cake batter:
1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Grease and lightly flour two round cake pans or place cupcake liners in cupcake tin; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.
6. Add sugar, lemon peel, and lemon juice; beat until well combined.
7. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Add plain yogurt if substituting part of the butter.
9. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture (plus plain yogurt if substituting part of the butter milk), beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
10. Spread into cake pans or fill 3/4 full into cupcake tin.
11. Bake for 28-32 for 8-inch pans, 25-28 minutes for 9-inch pans, or 12-16 minutes for a cupcake tin.
12. Make the frosting while the cakes/cupcakes are baking.
13. Take out of oven once a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
14. Cool cakes on wire rack for about 10 minutes; then remove from pans. Place cupcakes on wire rack to cool.

Directions for frosting:
*If making cupcakes, I would half the recipe.
1. Allow cream cheese to soften.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, and lemon juice.
3. Beat with electric mixer on low to medium speed until light and fluffy.
4. Add plain yogurt if substituting part of the butter; beat until combined.
5. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until frosting reaches spreading consistency.
6. Stir in the lemon peel.
7. Place frosting on cakes/cupcakes and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.
8. Add decorations on top such as slices of lemons.

Bake these lemon cupcakes for the next birthday coming up. I know you’ll enjoy them as much as I did. Enjoy!