Lemon Gem Cupcakes Recipes

LEMON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a pan with cupcake liners.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
• Add the butter, oil, sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
• Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
• Combine the milk and lemon juice, then slowly add the mixture to the batter along with the lemon zest and mix until well combined.
• Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix just until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
• Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
• When the cupcakes have cooled, make the buttercream. Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
• Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
• Add the vanilla extract, 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice and the lemon zest to the frosting and mix until well combined.
• Add the remaining powdered sugar and salt and mix until well combined and smooth. Add additional lemon juice as needed to get the right consistency and flavor.
• Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844.
• Cupcakes are best when stored well covered and eaten within 2-3 days. They can be left at room temperature for about 24 hours, then refrigerated. Serve at room temperature.

LEMON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 30 cupcake pan cups with paper liners.
• Sift the self-rising flour and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the unsalted butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating each egg until incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.
• Gently beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, one third at a time, alternating with half the milk and half the lemon juice after each of the first 2 additions of flour. Beat until just combined; do not over mix.
• Fill the prepared cupcake liners with batter 3/4 full, and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before removing them to finish cooling on a rack.
• To make the icing, beat the cream in a chilled bowl with an electric mixer set on Low until the cream begins to thicken. Add the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice, a little at a time, beating after each addition, until fully incorporated. Increase the mixer speed to High, and beat until the icing forms soft peaks, about 5 minutes. Spread on the cooled cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers.

SLICE 'N' BAKE LEMON GEMS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest. In another bowl, whisk flour and cornstarch; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or until easy to handle., Shape into a 7-in.-long roll (about 1-3/4-in. diameter); roll in colored sugar. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 2-3 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes or until set and edges are light brown. Cool on pans 1 minute. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, mix icing ingredients; spread over cookies. Let stand until set.

LEMON MERINGUE SURPRISE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and whole eggs. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely. With end of wooden spoon handle, make deep, 3/4-inchwide indentation in center of top of each cupcake, not quite to bottom. Spoon lemon curd into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut 3/8-inch tip off one bottom corner of bag. Insert tip of bag into opening in each cupcake; squeeze bag to fill opening.
• Increase oven temperature to 450°F. In 1-quart saucepan, mix sugar, 1/4 cup water and the salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring just until sugar dissolves. Heat to boiling. Boil about 8 minutes, without stirring, to 238°F on candy thermometer; remove from heat. In medium bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Pour hot sugar syrup in thin stream over egg whites, beating until stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla. Spoon meringue into decorating bag fitted with open #6 tip. Pipe meringue onto cupcakes. Place cupcakes on cookie sheet. Bake 2 to 4 minutes or until lightly browned.

LEMON GEM CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Line a 12 muffing tin with paper liners.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a separate bowl, combine oil, sugar, rice milk, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until smooth.
• Fill each muffin tin about 2/3 full.
• Bake cupcakes for 17-20 minutes.
• Remove cupcakes from muffin tin, and place on wire cooling rack.
• Frost when fully cooled.
• For the frosting: Beat the margarine with a hand mixer until fluffy.
• Stir in soy milk and lemon juice.
• Add confectioners sugar and mix until smooth.
• Frost cupcakes.

LEMON MERINGUE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Prepare the lemon cake mix according to the package instructions to make 24 cupcakes. Let cool completely.
• Using a melon baller or small spoon, scoop out a well from the top center of each cupcake. Trim the bottoms of the scooped pieces of cake to use as plugs.
• Place about 2 teaspoons lemon curd into the well of each cupcake and plug the hole with the reserved trimmed cake pieces.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar. Mix the egg whites on medium-high speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the sugar and continue to beat until the egg whites are glossy and form stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
• Fit a pastry bag with a medium to large round pastry tip. Fill the pastry bag with the meringue. Pipe the meringue in a circular motion on top of each cupcake. Transfer the cupcakes to a sheet tray. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue tops until nicely browned, like a toasted marshmallow.

LEMON CREAM CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
• Prepare the filling by beating 1/4 cup sugar, cream cheese, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest with an electric mixer until smooth. Scoop the filling into a pastry bag, and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl; set aside.
• Beat butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 teaspoons lemon zest with the last egg. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
• Pour the batter into prepared pans, filling the muffin cups half full. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the center of each cupcake, then top with the remaining batter to fill the muffin cup 3/4 full.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cook completely on a wire rack.