Luscious Lemon Cupcakes

AWARD WINNING LEMON FROSTING

CUPCAKES

• • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)

• • 3/4 cup sugar

• • 2 large eggs (room temp)

• • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

• • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• • 1/4 cup whole milk

• • 1-1/2 cups flour

• • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• • 1/4 teaspoon salt

• (some of the butter cream frosting below to stuff the cupcakes with)

FROSTING

• • 1 cup unsalted butter (room temp)

• • 1/8 teaspoon salt

• • 3-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

• • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

• 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
  

TIP: Lemons produce more juice when they are a room temperature and are rolled on the countertop first before juicing.

Make the cupcakes

• • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake liners; set aside.

• • In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla.

• • In a small measuring cup with a pour spout, stir together the lemon juice and milk. Set aside.

• • Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a whisk and add it to the butter mixture alternately with the milk mixture, beating well after each addition.

• • Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few dry crumbs.

• • Cool for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

• Cut the centers out of the of each cupcake and fill the cavity with 1 tablespoon of lemon buttercream frosting.
• Frost with lemon butter cream frosting.

FROSTING:

• • In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with an electric hand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth.

• • Add the salt and continue to beat until incorporated. Add 1 cup of the confectioner’s sugar, beat on medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened.

• • Beat in the lemon zest. Gradually add in the remaining sugar, one cup at a time. You may need more or less depending on how soft the butter is. Beat on medium-low speed until the sugar is moistened.

• Add the 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice depending on how creamy you want the frosting to be. Turn the speed up to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Emily’s Lemon Trifle

LEMON CAKE:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 stick unsalted butter — at room temperature (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
  
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 8×2-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, then butter the parchment.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and egg whites.

3. Put the granulated sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of standing mixer or a large mixing bowl and beat momentarily on low. Add the butter and beat on medium speed for 3 full minutes, until very light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon extract.

4. Beating on medium speed, alternate the dry and wet ingredients starting and ending with the dry. Beat until smooth after each addition. Beat for 2 additional minutes on medium speed, ensuring the batter is very well combined and that plenty of air has been beaten into it.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the cake pans on a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes, then run a dull knife around the sides of the cake to loosen. Gently invert the cake onto a rack, let cool to room temp.

LEMON CUSTARD:

• 3 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Zest 3 lemons into food processor, avoid white flesh of lemon, and add the sugar. Pulse until zest is minced with the sugar and fragrant.

2. Move sugar and zest mixture into a stand mixer or medium bowl and cream butter into the sugar zest. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Add lemon juice and salt, mix until combined.

3. Pour mixture into a saucepan and cook mixture over low-medium heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Whisk constantly. When thickened, remove from heat and refrigerate to cool.

WHIPPED CREAM:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 5-7 tbsp sugar
• 1-2 tsp Lemon extract (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Chill large bowl and mixer attachments in freezer.

2. Add heavy cream and sugar into chilled bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.

3. You can add a teaspoon or two of lemon extract to ramp up the lemon flavor, but it isn’t required. Refrigerate.

ASSEMBLY:

• 1 box of Nabisco vanilla lemon wafers
• Lemon Cake (recipe above)
• Lemon curd (recipe above)
• Whipped cream (recipe above)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Take the room temperature cakes and cut into 1-inch squares. Set aside.

2. Layer bottom of trifle bowl with a thin layer of lemon curd. Place cake squares into a single layer over the curd.

3. Layer more lemon curd with rubber spatula, and then whipped cream with clean rubber spatula. Gently press down after each layer. Continue layer cake, curd, then whipped cream. End with a lemon curd layer before piping on whipped cream designs or layer with whipped cream. Crumble and decorate with Nabisco lemon vanilla wafers. Chill until serving.