These lemon cupcakes are perfect for summer parties. With a sweet lemon crumb and tangy lemon buttercream, these cupcakes are to die for.
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttercream
Lemon Buttercream
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup butter (2 1/2 sticks) at room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
Lemon Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350F. 2. Combine butter and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer. 3. Add in one egg at a time, mixing well after each addition. 4. Beat in sugar and yogurt. 5. Zest and juice a lemon. Mix in the lemon extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. 6. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. 7. Add about 1/3 of the dry mixture into the wet. Then pour in 1/2 the buttermilk. Continue to alternate between the dry mix and buttermilk making sure to end with the dry. 8. Mix batter until just combined. 9. Line cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
10. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cut, scoop batter into each cupcake liner, so each is 2/3 full.
11. Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 11. After the cupcakes are done, remove them from the oven and set on the counter for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes tip the cupcakes out onto a cooling rack and let them cool to room temperature.
Buttercream Instructions
1. Wipe down the bowl of a stand mixer and all tools with lemon juice. 2. Whisk egg whites until soft peaks are formed. 3. Add salt and cream of tartar. 4. Over medium high heat melt 1 cup sugar and water while stirring continuously. Continue whisking the sugar and water until it reaches 235F on a candy thermometer. 5. Drizzle sugar mixture into the meringue. Add in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and run mixer on high speed until the bottom of the bowl is no longer hot (7-10 minutes). 6. Add butter one tablespoon at a time.
*Don't be alarmed if when you add the butter the frosting liquifies and looks soupy.
This is normal. Just continue to beat the frosting on high speed and it will whip back
up.
7. Mix in lemon extract until fully incorporated.
8. Run the mixer on high speed until fluffy.
Cupcake Assembly
1. Place frosting in a piping bag with a star tip.
2. Swirl buttercream onto each cupcake using a circular motion starting from the center and moving towards the edge of the cupcake.
3. Garnish the top of each cupcake with a sprinkle of lemon zest.
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