Selena Robins, Author

When life hands you lemons—you could add vodka—or even better, bake lemon cupcakes.

Welcome to Tasty Tuesday where we celebrate the muffin’s prettier and tastier cousin—the cupcake.

Speaking of pretty cousins, please welcome my talented and beautiful cousin, Christina, owner of LA CUPCAKERIA

Christina is sharing a mouth watering, lemon cupcake recipe with us.

This refreshing take on a classic is deliciously topped with meringue and topped with a pie crust cookie. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Lemon Cupcake filled with Lemon Curd, Topped with Meringue and a Pie Crust Cookie Recipe

Recipe makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Vanilla Sugar
1 1/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract
2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners, grease proof liners work best and retain the color of the liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl sift together dry ingredients.

3. Add egg, milk, oil, vanilla bean paste, lemon extract and lemon zest, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

4. With a small ice cream scoop fill your cupcake liners to approximately 2/3 full, about one slightly over filled scoop.

5. Place cupcakes in preheated oven and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes. Gently insert a toothpick into one of your cupcakes, if it comes out clean they’re done.

6. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before decorating.

7. I made mini pie crust cookies with Pillsbury Pie Crust Mix. To make the cookies, cut out pie crust with a one inch scalloped circle cookie cutter (you could really use any shape you wanted, a heart would be cute too), brush with an egg wash mixture of egg yolk and a little water for a shiny, golden brown finish and sprinkle with white sanding sugar. Bake pie crust cookies according to package directions.

Baking Tip: After cutting out your shapes, place cut outs back in the fridge for 30 minutes so they retain their shape while baking.

Easy Homemade Lemon Curd 

Ingredients:

Zest of 2 Lemons
1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 Cups Vanilla Sugar (regular white sugar may also be used)
2 Whole Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
4 Tablespoons (1/2 Stick) Butter, cubed

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla sugar and eggs.
2. Over medium heat stir mixture with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved.
3. Add butter and continue to stir mixture constantly until it reaches a pudding like consistency.
4. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer and let cool before filling cupcakes.
5. Store your lemon curd in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Baking Tip: Store your curd in a squeeze bottle, it makes it really easy to fill your cupcakes with no mess.

Cupcake Assembly:

1. After cupcakes have cooled, cut a well in the center of the cupcakes, I used the small end of a melon baller.
2. Fill cupcakes with lemon curd.
3. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large French Tip with Seven-Minute Frosting and pipe onto cupcakes.
4. With your oven set on Broil, put cupcakes on a cookie sheet and place in the oven to toast. Make sure to watch the cupcakes carefully, once they start to brown it goes pretty fast and you do not want to burn them.
5. Top cupcakes with a pie crust cookie and eat! Cutting a small slit in your frosting makes placing your cookie on top a little easier.

Martha Stewart’s classic Seven Minute Frosting was the perfect choice to finish off these yummy cupcakes, you can find the recipe on Martha Stewart’s website.

I made a half recipe and there was more than enough for 12 cupcakes.

LA CUPCAKERIA

LA CUPCAKERIA is devoted to creating decadent homemade cupcakes and treats with fresh and quality ingredients.

Christina believes cupcakes complete any special occasion and she is passionate about baking and loves witnessing the enjoyment her creative and delicious offerings provides.

From fun to formal, whether you crave sweet or savory; cupcakes from La Cupcakeria are perfect for any occasion and are available by special order in the Ottawa area.

For more information, please drop Christina an email at: lacupcakeria@live.com 

You can learn more about La Cupcakeria by visiting Christina’s Facebook page by clicking HERE.

Thank you, Christina, for sharing one of your recipe’s with us. I know I speak for many when I say, we look forward to you visiting the blog again and sharing one of your chocolate creations. Wishing you much success with LA CUPCAKERIA!

For more Tasty Tuesday recipes please visit:

Nancy Lauzon’s blog – Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Moira Keith’s blog – Guinness Milkshake

Renee Wildes blog – Chicken Spinach Casserole with Wild Mushrooms