Spring in here! It’s one of my favorite times of year. Here in Vegas it’s gets unbearably hot starting in June though August so I like to enjoy the nice weather before the heat creeps in. It’s slightly ironic that while I write this post it’s cold windy and cloudy outside but thats ok, the cupcakes will still taste yummy I promise.
Limoncello Cupcakes
This makes about 1 dozen (I found I was able to squeeze out a few more than 1 dozen)
Cupcakes
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 ounces room temperature unsalted butter
2 ounces room temperature cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons limoncello
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
For the lemon curd:
Zest of 2 lemons
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
For the hybrid buttercream / cream cheese limoncello frosting:
2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoon limoncello
2¼ cups powdered sugar, sifted
1. To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place your oven rack in the middle of your oven. In a medium town sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In your electric mixer bowl beat together butter, cream cheese and sugar until well mixed and creamy. Add in the eggs one at a time beating mixture between each egg. Add the limoncello and beat entire mixture for 1 additional min on medium speed. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour and buttermilk alternatively. Start and end with the flour mixture. Finally add lemon juice and zest and mix on low until mixture is incorporated, at this point don’t over mix. Spoon into lined cupcake tin and fill liners about 3/4 way full. Bake for 20 min or until your toothpick comes out clean. Remember over baking causes dry cupcakes so keep an eye on them towards the end.
2. To made the lemon curd filling, take a medium saucepan and stir together lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Careful not to bring the mixture to a full boil, or you might scramble the eggs. In a separate bowl whisk together eggs and yoke. Slowly poor your lemon juice mixture into egg mixture whisking as you poor. The goal is to temper the eggs but not scramble them. So go slowly and whisk a lot. Poor he mixture back into sauce pan and place over medium heat again for about 5 min whisking constantly. Mixture will start to thicken. Let the mixture cool completely (it will thicken more as it cools) I like to put the mixture in a glass bowl and ice bath to cool quickly.
3. Last we have the hybrid buttercream / cream cheese frosting. In your electric mixture beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and creamy. Add limoncello and beat for another min. Turn your mixture to low and slowly add powdered sugar until mixture is well mixed.
4. To put your cupcakes together use a small knife to cut a whole into cupcake. (I like to cut a little “top” to put back onto cupcake once filled but this is optional) Fill the cupcake with the cooled lemon curd. Then use a piping bag (I just cut the tip off bag) and pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Garinsh with a lemon wedge if you please and ENJOY!
(these will hold up beautifully on display as long as they are not in the hot sun (buttercream will melt) just remember with any cream cheese or butter frosting to refrigerate leftovers)
-Bex
This recipe was adapted from here