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This is my first blog post, YAY! I finally got it going.
So why am I blogging?
Well, I have a background in the food world, my first job ever was a prep cook in a sports camp kitchen, and my first job out of college was working in a test kitchen of a super popular website.
But, recently, I took the jump and am trying to make a living freelancing as a (assistant for a while) Food Stylist.
Basically, I have more free time on my hands since I am not working a 9-5, and I figured that blogging would help me practice food styling, and allow me to share my adventures with you
Now here I am with a zillion (two dozen actually) mini lemon cupcakes to celebrate my new adventure...without an office full of friends to share them with. My family lucked out. 🙂
And look how super ADORABLE they are!
My favorite thing about these cupcakes is the cream cheese frosting! It is super cheesy and goes perfectly with the zip from the lemon zest! Also, if you have some extra lemon peel laying around try making some candied lemon zest for a topping. I don't have a recipe for it here, but there are plenty around the web. Chop it up finely, top the frosting with it, and it adds some more fun to the recipe.
So give this recipe a try, let me know what you think, and hopefully you will join me on my adventure!
Mini Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 ¾ cups cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Frosting/Topping
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Optional Topping
- finely chopped candied lemon peel
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease two mini muffin tins (this mini muffin tin is my favorite).
- Sift the cake flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.
- Place the butter, sugar, and lemon zest into a large bowl. Using a hand mixer on medium-high speed, cream the ingredients together, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 7 minutes.
- Add one egg, and with the hand mixer on medium-high, mix until uniform. Repeat with the second egg. This is your batter.
- Add half of the cake flour mixture to the batter and, on low speed, mix until the flour mixture is just incorporated. Add the milk and mix until uniform. Add the lemon juice and the remaining flour mixture and mix until the batter is uniform.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin cups, they should each be about ¾ full.
- Bake until the cupcakes spring back lightly when you press on the top of them, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, carefully transfer them from the pan to a cooling rack, and allow to cool completely, about 10 more minutes.
- Once cool, evenly top the cupcakes with the frosting.
Frosting
- While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting.
- Place the cream cheese and butter into a medium-large bow.
- Using a hand mixer on medium-high speed, cream the cream cheese, butter and lemon juice together until the mixture is light and uniform, about 2 minutes.
- Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl and on low speed mix until the mixture is smooth and light in texture.
Notes
If you want to be fancy you can pipe the frosting on!
Barb says
Michelle, I was at a party last night and one of the women made these amazing lemon muffins! I'm trying to find a recipe that would be close to being the same. The texture was very dense....something between cake and pound cake texture. I thought you might have a picture of one of yours cut open so I could see it. Can you help me out??
Michelle Ferrand says
Hi Barb!
These cupcakes are pretty light and fluffy and unfortunately, I don't have a picture of them cut open. I'll definitely keep an eye out for a good lemon muffin that sounds like the one you described!
Lynnell says
These look great for an upcoming bake sale that I'll be contributing to....
Sharon Gilligan says
I made these tonight. The cake was very tender and the edges were nicely crisp. If I make them again I might scale back the butter a bit (and maybe bump up the lemon). The butter flavor seemed to overpower the cream cheese.
Michelle Ferrand says
Great Sharon! I am super happy you had success with them 🙂 Thanks for sharing your tips for the frosting as well. They are much appreciated!
Kathy MacDonald says
Those look delicious and I have the lemons to try this recipe.
Sheri Fierro says
Sounds great. I can't wait to make the lemon frosting!