Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

In case you didn't the announcement in my Lemon Raspberry Muffins post, I've caught a slight case of pregnancy.  I was able to find out recently if I was having a boy or a girl, and since I discovered the result literally the day before Easter, I decided to share the surprise with my family by making Gender Reveal Cupcakes.  When I was pregnant with my daughter a few years ago, I had almost the exact same timing, and that's how I let them know I was having a girl.  I had made white cupcakes with buttercream frosting for Easter, and stuffed the inside with bright pink frosting (buttercream dyed with red food coloring).  This time I found myself drawn to lemon cupcakes.  After a bit of recipe searching, I decided on the always amazing Sally's Baking Addiction, and I'm so glad I did, because these cupcakes turned out delightful!  For the frosting, I knew that it just had to be a cream cheese frosting, and I used the Our Best Bites recipe because it's the perfect amount of sweetness (as in, not too sweet!).  As for the stuffing, I decided I would try to be keep it healthier and instead of using food dye, I would mix the frosting with blueberry or strawberry jam.  Unfortunately, while the flavor was amazing this way, the color did not show up as an absolute blue or pink, so I ended up having to resort to food coloring after all.  Oh well! 

I'm sure you are all curious now to what I stuffed these delicious cupcakes with--blue or pink frosting?  

Yup, I'm having a baby boy!  I'm of course incredibly excited to see what it's like having a boy, since I already know how absolutely wonderful it is to have a girl.  Anyways, let's get to the recipe for these cupcakes, shall we?

Lemon Cupcakes

with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction and Our Best Bites

Yields 24 Frosted Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

Lemon Cupcakes:

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened

2 Cups White Sugar

4 Large Eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

4 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

1 Cup Milk, room temperature

Zest & Juice of 3 to 4 Lemons (depending on how strong of a lemon flavor you want--I used 4)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

16 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Cups of Sifted Powdered Sugar

DIRECTIONS

Lemon Cupcakes:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two 12-count muffin tins with paper liners.

2.  Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar together until creamed.  Add eggs and vanilla, and continue beating until combined, about 2 more additional minutes.

3.  In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Slowly pour the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients, a third at a time, stirring by hand after each pour. 

4.  Finally, add in the milk and lemon zest, and lemon juice, and stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix.  

5.  Scoop the mixture evenly into the 24 cupcake liners (about 3/4's of the way up).  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.  Set aside and allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1.  Using a mixer, whip the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy.  

2.  Next add in the powdered sugar, and whip until combined.  Do a taste test and adjust sugar and/or cream cheese if necessary.

3.  Frost cooled cupcakes.  Cupcakes should be stored covered in the fridge if not served immediately.