The best lemon cupcakes...EVER!

Submitted by Lacie

Ok I am the biggest lemon fan! Are any of you?! I love anything with a little lemon in it, especially in the warm spring and summer months! My Mom shared this Lemon cupcake recipe with me and I decided to try it! 

These are made from scratch, I was nervous and thought anything that wasn't a box cake mix would be hard, but they were very easy! 

Ingredients: Lemon Cupcakes

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick) softened to room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

zest plus juice of two medium lemons

Now for the fluffy vanilla buttercream:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3-4 cups of powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste

additional lemon zest for decoration if desired.

Instructions:

1.Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with 12 liners. (This batch makes 12 cupcakes) set aside.

2. Using a handheld mixer or a kitchen aide, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until creamed. Add eggs and vanilla.

3. In another bowl(you do not have to do in a separate bowl like I did) toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Batter will be thick. Add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix until combined, but do not over mix.

4. Pour batter evenly into 12 cupcake liners. Fill pretty full.  Bake for about 20 minutes. Check them at 18 minutes with a toothpick. Once cooked remove from oven and let cool completely. 

5. To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with a hand or stand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, cream, vanilla extract, and salt.  Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if frosting is too thick. Now frost those cupcakes!!! I added a little lemon zest on top of the cupcakes for decoration, but you could use sprinkles or crushed lemon candies!

A few notes...I think I ended up leaving my cupcakes a minute or two longer in the oven than what this recipe says...every oven is different! I also didnt add a lot of lemon zest(which is the outer peal of the lemon) to my cupcakes, you can add as much as you like of that, I just don't like a ton of pieces in my cupcake when I bite into them! Oh the batter tastes SO good! Ha and your house will smell delicious! ENJOY!!!