Triple Citrus Cupcakes Recipes

TRIPLE-CITRUS CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour and salt.
• With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl every few minutes. Add citrus zests. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla. Add eggs, three at a time, beating until until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in four batches, beating until completely incorporated after each.
• Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full; tap pans on countertop once to distribute batter. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 2 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.
• To finish, dip tops of cupcakes in glaze, then turn over quickly and garnish with zest. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

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.

TRIPLE LEMON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cupcakes: Heat oven to 350°F Line muffin pans with paper baking cups for cupcakes.
• Beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs in large bowl on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide evenly among cupcakes (2/3 full).
• Bake for 21-26 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan.
• Icing: Cream butter and then add lemon or vanilla extract and lemon zest.
• Add sugar a cup at a time beating on medium speed. Add milk 1 Tbls. at a time and beat on high until completely blended and desired consistency.
• Assembly: Using a small paring knife. cut a small "cone" out of the top center of each cupcake. Partially fill the hole with lemon curd. Cut off the bottom portion of the cone and place the top back in the hole covering the lemon curd. (The "plug" should be level with the top of the cupcake.).
• Spread or pipe prepared icing onto each cupcake.

TRIPLE LEMON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix sugar, lemon juice, butter, eggs, and lemon zest for lemon curd filling thoroughly in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring between, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, usually about 7 minutes total. Let cool, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a zip-top bag and refrigerate until needed.
• Cream sugar and butter together for cupcakes in the bowl of a stand mixer until fluffy, about 10 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, mixing vanilla and lemon extracts into the mixture with the last egg. Beat in flour, baking powder, and nutmeg until thoroughly combined; beat in buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest to make a smooth batter.
• Fill each of the prepared cupcake cups with about 1/4 cup of batter, or use a large cookie scoop.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Cream the cream cheese and butter for cream cheese frosting together in a medium bowl or stand mixer until creamy. Mix in lemon juice and lemon and vanilla extracts, then gradually stir in confectioners' sugar. Stir in lemon zest. Store in the refrigerator after use.
• Remove a section from the center of each cooled cupcake using an apple or cupcake corer. Cut off a corner of the zip-top bag holding the filling, and fill each cupcake with lemon curd. Pipe with a swirl of lemon cream cheese frosting, covering the curd filling. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

CITRUS GLAZE FOR TRIPLE-CITRUS CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Whisk all ingredients until smooth and combined. Use immediately.

TRIPLE CITRUS CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix cream cheese, butter, sugar, orange peel and vanilla using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in oil and milk. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to orange mixture beating just until mixed. Portion into paper lined muffin tins; fill cups 2/3 full.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in centers of cupcake comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove warm cakes from pan and finish cooling on wire rack (a minimum of 30 minutes). Frost cupcakes when cool.
• Frosting: Mix all ingredients with an electric mixer, until frosting is of desired spreading consistency.