Best 5 Lemony Sunshine Cupcakes Recipes

HOMEMADE LEMON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla extract, then beat on medium-high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, start the mixer on low speed, then slowly add the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Once combined, stop the mixer. Do not overmix this batter.
• Spoon batter evenly into 12 cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for about 18-22 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean when they're done. For around 30 mini cupcakes, bake for about 11-13 minutes, same oven temperature. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting. I usually let them cool completely in the muffin pan.
• Frost cooled cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. If topping with lemon zest, do so right before serving. There may be leftover frosting depending how much you use on each cupcake.
• Leftover cupcakes keep well covered tightly in the refrigerator for 3 days.

LEMONY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line one 12-cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt.
• Beat together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg, yolk, zest and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake until a tester inserted in the middle of the cakes come out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in the tin, and then remove and cool completely on a rack.
• Put the lemon curd in a piping bag fitted with a 1/8-inch-round pastry tip. Insert the tip into the center of each cupcake and pipe in equal amounts of curd.
• Combine the egg whites, corn syrup, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and the remaining pinch of salt in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Beat with an electric mixer until thick and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat until the frosting is slightly cooled, about 2 minutes longer.
• Mound the frosting on top of the cupcakes. If desired, use a kitchen torch to brown the frosting and garnish with a lemon candy.

SUNSHINE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter mix according to package directions for cupcakes; cool completely., In a small bowl, tint frosting yellow. Frost cupcakes. Press two chocolate chips into each cupcake for eyes. For mouths, cut licorice into 1-in. pieces; bend slightly to curve. Press one licorice piece into each cupcake. Add candy corn around edges of cupcakes.

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.

LEMONY SUNSHINE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line 2 standard muffin tins with 16 foil cupcake liners; set aside.
• Place shortbread cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl; stir until well combined; set aside. *Combine in a food processor to make crumbs and combine ingredients.
• In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time and mix just until combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl. Add vegetable oil, water, and the box of lemon pudding. Mix until combined. Add cake mix and beat on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Batter will be on the thick side.
• Place a slightly heaping tablespoon of shortbread cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use your fingers or the bottom of a small glass to firmly pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining shortbread cookie crumb mixture for topping.
• Use a 1/4 cup spring loaded ice cream scoop and place a level scoop full of batter into each muffin cup.
• Load the lemon curd into a small sandwich size resealable bag, removing the air from the bag before sealing. Squeeze the curd to 1 corner of the bag and use scissors to snip a 1/4- inch piece from corner of bag; set aside.
• With a damp finger or the end of a wooden spoon dipped in water, make a shallow indentation into the center of each cupcake. Pipe 3/4 to 1 teaspoon lemon curd into each indentation. Sprinkle tops of cupcakes evenly with remaining shortbread cookie crumbs.
• Bake for 21 to 23 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, until edges of cupcakes are lightly golden brown.
• Serve cupcakes warm from the oven or at room temperature.