It's Just the Tip

I've been on a cupake kick the last few days. We enjoyed a low key weekend in, and I baked a couple batches of cupcakes - chocolate chocolate chip with chocolate cream cheese frosting and a plain chocolate cupcake with the same frosting.

The inspiration for my other batch of cupcakes, lemon ones with a lemon cream cheese frosting, came from a co-worker. Every Tuesday, I bring baked goodies into work. Last week, one of my co-workers was quite upset that he didn't get a piece of cake, as our other gluttonous colleagues had eaten it all. To make it up to him, I promised a special treat this week. This particular co-worker loves lemon desserts, so I searched for a lemon cupcake. Not only did the recipe turn out deliciously, but I learned about cupcake decorating tips from the blog where I got the recipe. I never knew how bakers piped such beautiful frosting on cupcakes; my standard tips didn't do the trick. But these huge cupcake tips are fantastic! I ordered them from Bake It Pretty on Friday afternoon, and they came in Monday's mail.

The cupcake itself was one of the best I've ever made. The cake is a white cake infused with lemon, achieved by massaging lemon zest into the sugar before adding the butter, and some lemon extract. The cake was light and fluffy with a nice crumb. The frosting was also delicious - a basic cream cheese frosting with lemon juice added. I was sure to add enough confectioners sugar to make the frosting stiff enough to pipe with my new tips. I had some yellow decorating sugar on hand, so I did a sprinkling of that for a classic, understated look. I think it's my best work yet, aesthetically speaking! Can't wait to use the tips for my daughter's birthday cupcakes!



Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
makes 24 cupcakes

For the Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
lemon zest from two lemons
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cupcake tins by using liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray

To Make The Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.
Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extracts, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Place the batter into the cupcake tins.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.
Cool on wire rack.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
2 (8) ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
2 lbs. confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
juice of one lemon

Using a mixer, blend the butter and cream cheese together until well combined. Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated. Finally mix in vanilla and lemon juice.