Lemon Cupcakes

A friend of mine asked me to make cupcakes for a family member's graduation party. She requested LEMON! I had never made lemon cupcakes, and truthfully, have never really been much of a fan. But... I have been converted. I found this recipe on a blog called Our Best Bites. The story they told about these cupcakes had me sold. I added candied lemon peel to the top. Recipe is below, and I'll add a pic later.

Lemon Cupcakes
1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) of REAL butter
3 c. cake flour (no substitutions here--you really need the lightness of cake flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. sugar
5 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 2 lemons (just zest the other lemons before you squeeze them)
1 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners (I used yellow, although white would also be cute).

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Don't go skimping here--you want the mixture to be almost white and super fluffy. This is absolutely essential to the outcome of the cake.

While butter and sugar are mixing, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside. After butter and sugar have mixed sufficiently, With the mixer running, add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Beat in vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

With mixer on low speed, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating until fully incorporated.

Using a standard cookie scoop, place about 2 scoops of batter into each muffin cup. Fill these almost to the top--due to the final texture (again, think super-moist and light pound cake), these cupcakes won't have a nice, curvy crown, but that's okay--no one will ever know or care.

Bake about 20-25 minutes or just until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. You don't want to overbake these even a bit, or they'll start to lose their delicious moisture. Remove from oven and cool completely. Frost with lemon buttercream and garnish with candied lemon peel.

Lemon Buttercream
1 1/4 c. butter (2 1/2 sticks)
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 c. powdered sugar

Beat butter, lemon rind, and lemon juice in an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating to spreading consistency. Makes 2 3/4 c. I had to 1 1/2 this recipe to make enough for 2 dozen cupcakes.

Candied Lemon Peel
I got this recipe from Cupcakes by Shelly Kaldunski.

3 large lemons, washed
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water

Cut the lemons into quarters and pull the flesh away from the pith and peel. Cut the peel with the pith still attached into 1/2-inch wide strips.

Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of water to boil over high heat. Add the lemon peel and boil for 4 minutes. Drain the peel and rinse under cold water. Repeat this step twice, using fresh water each time, to remove the bitterness from the peel.

In a saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups water, and the prepared lemon peel. Bring to a simmer over medium-low hear and cook until the peel is soft and translucent, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature in the syrup.

Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the lemon peel to a wire rack set over a baking sheet; discard the syrup. Let the peel stand until it is no longer wet and feels only slightly tacky to the touch, about 2 hours.

Spread the remaining sugar (1 cup) in a shallow dish. Toss the peel in the sugar until all the pieces are completely coated. Transfer to a clean wire rack and let dry for 1 hours. The candied peel can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.

Chapter 4 - Salted Caramel Cupcakes & Other Fun Things

I'm excited to share the Salted Caramel Cupcakes Recipe. I wish I could take credit for this, but I got the recipe from Shelly Kaldunski's Cupcakes: Luscious Bakeshop Favorites From Your Home Kitchen. I actually made these cupcakes for a friend's wedding and they were a huge hit!



Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rack in middle of oven. Prepare muffin pan with liners. This recipe makes 12.

1 1/4 c flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c unsalted butter, at room temp
2 large eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c whole milk

Caramel Swirl Buttercream
12 caramel candies
sea salt

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on med-high speed, beat sugars and butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, beating on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 15-18 minutes (recipe actually says 20-22 but my oven runs hot, so I err on the side of less time.) Let the cupcakes cool in the pan of a wire rack for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream/caramel mixture (see below). Top each cake with a caramel candy, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and serve.


Caramel Drizzle

1.5 c sugar
1.25 c heavy cream
pinch of salt

In a heavy bottomed, high-side sauce pan cook the sugar over medium-high heat until it begins to melt around the edges, about 5 minutes. Stirring with a wooden spoon, continue to cook until the sugar is melted and has turned golden amber, about 3 minutes longer.

Carefully pour the cream down the side of the pan in a slow, steady stream (it will bubble and splatter), stirring constantly until completely smooth. Stir in the salt. Pour the caramel into a small heatproof bowl and let cool completely before using. It can be stored for up to a week in an air tight container in the fridge.

Vanilla Buttercream
Feel free to use any one you have... that's what I do.

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Personal Note:
Once all of the components are made, in a pastry bag fitted with the tip of your choice, fill one side with buttercream and the other with caramel (don't put too much in there because it's really rich and will over power the buttercream). Pipe the buttercream/caramel mix on the cupcakes (it should come out looking swirly. Then I use Werthers original soft caramels and dip one half or the bottom half in chocolate (let it dry) and then garnish the cupcakes with them. Once they've been frosted, sprinkle sea salt on top... play with it a little to see how much you like on there... i like a lot because my buttercream is really sweet and rich... so it's a nice counterbalance.


OTHER FUN THINGS FROM CHAPTER 4

Here's a picture of the house that inspired the Cullen Home.


The 1967 Camaro Emmett is restoring.


The 1956 Chevy Truck that Billy Black owns.