Lemon Creme {Cheese} Cupcakes

 

These yummies have lemon filling inside and a delicious lemon cream cheese frosting on top.

Goodbye summer!!

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This lemon filling can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to assemble cupcakes.  You will have lots of extra or you can cut recipe in half.

Lemon Filling

Recipe from Martha Stewart

-1 1/2 cups sugar
-6 Tbsp cornstarch
-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/2 cup cold water
-1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
-3 large egg yolks, well beaten
-2 Tbsp butter

-1 1/2 cups boiling water
-2 tsp grated lemon peel

 

In a medium saucepan* whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly add 1/2 cup cold water and lemon juice. Place saucepan over medium-low heat, and whisk until smooth. 

 

Add well-beaten egg yolks and 2 tablespoons butter, and combine well. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened.  Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Continue stirring until mixture reaches desired thickness, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove mixture from heat, and stir in lemon peel.  Move to a plastic container, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.

 

*Aluminum is best, but any metal pan will probably leave a bit of a metallic taste.

 

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These cupcakes can also be made a day or so in advance, just be sure to cover them well so they don't dry out.

Lemon Cupcakes

-1 box Betty Crocker golden vanilla cake mix, and ingredients to make it
-1 tsp lemon extract
-zest of 2 lemons (make sure to grate off only the outer yellow skin, not the bitter white pith underneath!)

Mix together cake mix according to box directions (adding oil, water, and eggs).  Stir in lemon extract and lemon zest and mix well.  Pour batter into 24 cupcake papers and bake according the instructions on the back of the box.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely on cooling racks.

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Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

-8 oz cream cheese, softened

-4 Tbsp butter (1/2 stick)

-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

-2 tsp pure lemon extract

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and lemon extract and beat until combined.  (If you'd like to pipe it, add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.)

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To Assemble Cupcakes:

Cut a conical hole in the center of each cupcake and discard excess cupcake pieces.  Fill holes with chilled lemon curd.  Swirl tops of cupcakes with Lemon cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Garnish with a jelly lemon wedge candy or lemon drop.