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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Triple Lemon Cupcakes

Lemon cake... lemon curd filling... lemon cream cheese icing... delicious.


These cupcakes were so good, I made them twice in a two week period. That rarely happens with the stockpile of recipes to try that I have waiting.

I love the cake for these cupcakes, it is so moist and has a very nice lemon flavor. I wasn't sure about the lemon cream cheese frosting at first but it was perfect, especially with the lemon curd filling. Some lemon candy slices made a cute garnish.


Triple Lemon Cupcakes
Cake and Icing Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker and Tartlette
Lemon Curd Recipe from Martha Stewart

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 T lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 12 cup muffin tin with liners. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Add sugar and lemon zest to mixing bowl or stand mixer and rub zest into sugar with your fingertips until well distributed and fragrant. Add the butter and cream cheese to the sugar and beat until light and creamy, 2 - 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating about 1 minute after each egg. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beating on low speed until just incorporated. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk, once incorporated, add the next 1/3 of the flour mix, followed by remaining buttermilk, and remaining flour, beating each addition until just incorporated. Add lemon juice, beating until just incorporated on low speed.

Transfer batter to muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. I use a cookie scoop to evenly fill the muffin tins. (It also makes it easier to get the batter into the muffin tins without spills and drips all over the pan.) Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon Curd:
4 egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup plus 1 T lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
5 T unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

Combine everything but the butter in a sauce pan and whisk together. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the sides of the pan often until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 8 - 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add butter, 1 piece at a time, stirring until incorporated. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the lemon curd and cover with a lid. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.

Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 T lemon juice
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon zest

Beat together butter, cream cheese and lemon juice on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated. Add lemon zest and increase speed to medium-high and beat until smooth.

To assemble:
Use a paring knife to cut a small cone out of the center of each cupcake. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large round tip with lemon curd and pipe into the center of each cupcake. Fill a second piping bag fitted with a large star tip with frosting and pipe a swirl onto the top of each cupcake. Garnish with lemon candy slices (I cut each fruit slice in half so they wouldn't overpower the cupcake) as desired.

23 comments:

  1. Oh. My. Gosh.
    ::Drool::
    Remind me not to open your posts first thing in the morning--you want to send me straight to the bakery! :)

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  2. These look SO amazing. Triple lemony deliciousness.

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  3. I like the look of those cupcakes! Ive made citrusy cupcakes too - but used the lemon curd in the frosting. I want to try making my own now!
    http://ourchocolateshavings.blogspot.com/2009/09/citrus-cupcakes-with-lemon-curd-icing.html

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  4. I love anything lemon plus I have an obsession with cupcakes! Love your blog and decided to follow it so I don't miss a post :o) The cupcakes are gorgeous!

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  5. Suppose this tastes softly! My favorite!

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  6. That's a lotta lemon in one cupcake and it sounds delicious!

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  7. Woah. I want this now. I love lemon!! If you say the cake is moist, I will believe you! :)

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  8. You just solved my dilemma on what cupcakes to make for Easter! I think these would look adorable topped with coconut and mini eggs!

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  9. Gorgeous and simply gorgeous. I cannot resist a triple shot of lemon.

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  10. Love your photos! These look delicious!

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  11. Triple lemon? Count me in! Cupcakes filled with lemon curd sound heavenly.

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  12. I just made these yesterday and I have to say they taste just perfect! Thanks for the recipe!!!

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  13. I made the light curd a few days ago (and couldn't stop dipping a spoon in the jar to "test" it). Today I made the cupcakes. They were delicious, and the three flavors came together perfectly. I was a little surprised (but not saddened by) the thickness, and eggy texture of the cake. I'm going to use the leftover curd in a frosting next! Thanks!

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  14. @Jonna -- so glad you liked them!

    @Momma_S -- glad you liked them as well - the cake is a dense moist cake, but I think it has to be to stand up to the bold flavor of the lemon curd and cream cheese frosting. The lemon curd would be great in a frosting!

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  15. This recipe is amazing! I make them as triple lime cupcakes now too!

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  16. ? If the all purpose flour was substituted with cake flour what would happen? I can't wait to try this triple treat. Looking for a smooth cake. OOOOOO...above....lime sounds fanatastic Carolyn M.

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  17. I would substitute all purpose + cornstarch for the cake flour if you don't have any. Use 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus 1/4 cup cornstarch.

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  18. Made a lime version of these for my husband's birthday yesterday. They were fantastic! Thank you thank you thank you.

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  19. Hi i just made these and they're sooo yummy! A dense but moist cakey texture whilst still being fluffy! Didn't make the lemon curd and only made 1/2 of the icing. Also didn't have any buttermilk so googled a substitute: mixed 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice in with the 1/2 cup milk and let it sit for 10mins. Will have to try with buttermilk next time and the lime version sounds scrummy too :) Love from NZ XO

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  20. I made these tonite and they were good-just not a typical cupcake...really dense and eggy. Wondering if I made a mistake, but double and triple checked and I followed the recipe without any substitutions. Is this how they are supose to be? Tomorrow I will add the curd and the frosting-hopefully this helps the texture.

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  21. This was amazing!!! I just finished making them.

    I added some extra lemon, probably close to another 2T to the cream cheese frosting.


    .... but my lemon obsession is unhealthy.

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  22. Made these cupcakes today. My cake came out very dense. It had the texture of a pound cake. The flavor was great, though. I used the Wilton lemon filling which was a nice pair to these cupcakes. The icing is amazing!!!! I will forever use the icing recipe. Changing the batter will not hurt though. If you are looking for a nice cream cheese frosting with a hint of lemon, use this one!

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  23. Just made these - PERFECT AND DELICIOUS

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