Lemon Sunshine Cupcakes & Almond Frosting Recipes

Lemons and almonds?! Who knew they would work so well together?!

My “SECRET” – Basic lemon cupcake recipes usually call for regular milk. I like to use buttermilk. I also use lemon zest as well as fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Lemon Sunshine Cupcakes

Ingredients:

3 cups cake flour (I use Swans Down)

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract (I use Organic Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 medium lemon (for juice)

lemon Zest of 1/2 medium lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven @ 350 degrees
2. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Add sugar, beaten eggs, vanilla and oil in a mixing bowl. Beat until throughly incorporated.
4. Add flour to mixture alternating with buttermilk. Mix well.
5. Add lemon zest and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Continue beating one minute.
6. Pour batter into prepared cupcake pans
7. Bake 20-25 minutes or until inserted cake tester comes out clean. (I like my cupcakes moist so, i’ll check them around 15 minutes)
8. Cool 10 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack; Remove cupcakes from pan and let them cool completely before decorating.

*** Vegetable oil can be substituted with butter ***

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Many people love my Lemon frosting. Too bad it isn’t really lemon, lol! I guess the lemony flavor from the cupcakes tricks your brain into believing its lemon flavored frosting. Maybe it’s the Wilton Icing Gel? Either way, I accept all compliments : )

Almond Frosting

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract (I use Wilton No Color Artificial Almond Extract though I’m 100% sure that pure extract will be much better)

1 or 2 teaspoons milk (use sparingly)

Wilton Icing Gel - Lemon Yellow (use sparingly)

Preparation:

1. Cream room temperature butter in a mixing bowl
2. Add confectioners sugar 1/2 cup at a time (Honestly,I’m not sure how much sugar I really use. I kind of eyeball it.)
3. Add almond extract and a teaspoon of milk. Continue mixing.
4. Using a toothpick, add icing gel. Depending on the color you are trying to achieve, add a little bit at a time (Wilton’s icing gels are concentrated so you do not need much). Continue mixing.
5. If icing is too stiff, add another teaspoon of milk

***If you want lemon flavored icing, try adding fresh squeezed juice from 1/2 of a small lemon at the very end of the mixing process***

GOOD LUCK & ENJOY!