Fresh Lemon Cupcakes With Lemon Syrup Recipes

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.

TRIPLE LEMON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Combine the flour and almonds in a food processor and pulse until the almonds are finely ground, about 1 minute. Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt and pulse to combine.
• Whisk the eggs, sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil and lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes; remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Combine 2/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan; cook over medium-high heat until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees F, about 12 minutes. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy; increase the speed to medium high and beat until soft peaks form, 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the sugar syrup and beat until cool and glossy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the butter a little at a time, beating until incorporated. (It's OK if the mixture looks curdled at first; continue beating.) Beat in the food coloring, then add the lemon zest and juice and beat until smooth, 2 more minutes.
• Make the candied zest: Remove the lemon zest with a vegetable peeler and slice into thin strands. Place in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Drain the zest and return it to the saucepan; cover with water and repeat 2 more times. Bring the sugar and 3/4 cup water to a bare simmer in a separate saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest strands and cook over low heat, 20 minutes. Drain the zest and arrange in clusters on a parchment-lined baking sheet; let dry.
• Frost the cupcakes and top with the candied lemon zest.

LEMON MERINGUE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl until combined. Whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, milk, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla in a large bowl until combined. Whisk the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them to just below the rim. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase the mixer speed to high and gradually beat in 2 tablespoons granulated sugar; beat until stiff shiny peaks form, about 3 minutes.
• Combine the remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, the corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture registers 245 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 6 minutes; remove from the heat. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites; increase the speed to high and beat until the meringue is fluffy and cool, about 6 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe onto the cupcakes; set aside at room temperature to firm up, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, limoncello and food coloring in a microwave-safe bowl until smooth. Microwave 1 minute, then whisk again until the sugar dissolves; let cool about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dip the meringue-covered tops of the cupcakes into the glaze, letting the excess drip off. If the glaze gets too thick, microwave 20 seconds.

FRESH LEMON CUPCAKES WITH LEMON SYRUP

Steps:

• To prepare oven, pan:.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cups of 12 cup standard sized cupcake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• To make batter:.
• Using a mixer, combine butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes or until mixture is very light, pale and fluffy, stopping 2 or 3 times to scrape bowl. Into another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. One at a time, beat eggs into butter mixture until fully incorporated, stopping after each addition to scrape bowl. Beating continuously, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Beat until fully incorporated. On low speed, alternately beat in buttermilk and sifted flour mixture in 3 batches until fully incorporated.
• To bake cupcakes:.
• Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until deep golden brown and slightly firm to light touch. Insert toothpick into center of cupcake and comes out clean. Note: rotate pan 180 degress halfway through cooking.
• To make lemon syrup:.
• Put sugar and lemon juice in nonreactive saucepan. Stirring frequently, cook over med-high heat until sugar dissloves completely and mixture comes to a boil. Immediately reduce heat. Simmer briskly, stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened to syrupy but still pourable consistency.
• To brush on lemon syrup:.
• Remove cupcakes from oven. Place on wire rack. Using thin skewer, poke holes all over hot cupcakes. Generously and repeatedly brush lemon syrup over cupcakes until they have soaked up as much syrup as possible. (Note: Any leftover syrup can be refrigerated and used to sweeten other desserts or iced tea.).
• To serve:.
• Serve cupcakes warm or at room temperature.

LEMON BASIL CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition., Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a small round pastry tip. Fill with lemon curd. Push the tip through the top of each cupcake to fill., For syrup, in a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, lemon juice, basil and lemon zest strip. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Strain; discard basil and lemon zest strip. Cool completely., In a large bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar, butter, 3 tablespoons lemon syrup, vanilla, lemon zest and extract until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Frost cupcakes. (Cover and refrigerate remaining syrup for another use.), Place corn syrup and sugar in small bowls. Dip paintbrush in corn syrup; brush over a basil leaf. Coat leaf with sugar. Repeat. Garnish cupcakes with basil leaves. Store cupcakes in the refrigerator.