Sunday Baking with Cindy!

1st August, 2010 - Posted by cmwhitten - No Comments

Rachel, Cole and I whipped up another batch of Lemon Zester Cupcakes and we have declared these to be the best yet!  Once again, many thanks to VCVC Cupcakes in Melrose, MA for your insight and numerous recipe options. 

After comparing about two dozen recipes, we decided upon the one that appears below to make our Lemon Zester cupcake.  If you prefer to make vanilla cupcakes, just omit all of the lemon ingredients from the recipe and you’re good to go.

Lemon Zester Cupcake Ingredients½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp lemon extract (1 tsp vanilla extract for vanilla cupcakes)
¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (no seeds)
3 large eggs
Zest of 1 large lemon, finely grated/chopped
1 ½ cups of cake flour sifted
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup milk

Lemon Curd Filling Ingredients

3 large egg yolks
1/3 fresh squeezed lemon juice (no seeds)
1 tbsp Lemon zest, finely grated/chopped
¾ cup granulated white sugar
4 tbsp Unsalted butter, room temperature

(You can also use a store-bought Lemon Filling if you are running short on time).

Lemon Frosting Ingredients

¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 box powdered confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp Heavy cream
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice or lemon extract
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp finely grated/chopped lemon zest

Lemon Cupcakes Directions

Preheat over to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Beat together butter & sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Be sure to scrape the bowl sides often.  Beat in lemon zest, lemon extract and lemon juice.

In a separate bowl – sift together flour, baking power and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture; alternately add the flour mixture and milk.  Mix between each addition.  Also scrape the bowl sides often.

Fill the cupcake cups with the batter 2/3 full, I use an ice cream scoop – it works perfect.  Bake for 18 – 20 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack before filling and frosting.

Lemon Curd Filling Directions

Combine all ingredients in a small stainless steel bowl over a simmering pan of water.  Stir non-stop until mixture thickens a little and coats the back of a wooden spoon.  Remove from heat and cover immediately to prevent a “skin” forming on the curd – place the bowl in the refrigerator.  It takes about 10 minutes of non-stop stirring to make this curd which will continue to thicken as it cools.  

*You may want to pour the mixture through a fine strainer to remove any lumps before covering and putting it in the refrigerator.

Lemon Frosting Directions

Beat the butter until creamy; gradually beat in the powdered confectioner’s sugar on low speed.  Add the cream, lemon juice, vanilla extract and lemon zest.  Beat on medium-high for about 3 minutes until the frosting is light & fluffy.

Cupcake Assembly

Using a straight, round apple corer, take the center out of the cupcakes leaving about ¼ inch in at the bottom – fill with the lemon curd using a pastry bag.  Next frost with Lemon Frosting.

Enjoy the flavor of the month – Lemon Zester – look next month for my take on the classic Black & White cupcake!