Springtime Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the single most fun dessert to make. They are the perfect size for a treat or to follow a meal and, since they come in groups, allow for a tremendous diversity in the way they are decorated. For example, these cakes are meant to look like Easter eggs. To get this nifty shape, I used the Easter version of the Fun Shapes bakeware I mentioned around Valentine's Day. They are foil mini-pans that are shaped like eggs. They are actually slightly shallower than ordinary cupcake or muffin tins, so though they are larger, they take the same amount of time to bake. This means that recipes do not have to be adapted for use in these or in regular pans.

The cake has a nice lemon flavor that balances with the richness from the buttermilk. The cupcakes are moist, tender and really delicious. My recipe calls for lemon extract, since it is a common ingredient to have on hand, but if you would prefer to use fresh lemons, simply substitute 1-2 teaspoons of lemon zest for the lemon extract in the batter. A simple sugar icing, recipe given below, gives the cakes a smooth an glossy, egg-like appearance, but feel free to use any icing that you would prefer.

If you like chocolate cupcakes more than others, try making Chocolate Espresso cupcakes in the mini pans instead!

Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), soft
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon extract

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place 12 egg-shaped cups on a baking sheet (or line a muffin tin with cupcake liners).
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in egg. Add vanilla and lemon extracts into the buttermilk and pour half into the sugar mixture. Mix in half of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining buttermilk and the rest of the flour. Stir only until just combined. Divide evenly into the prepared cups.
Bake at 350F for 18-23 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean.
Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Makes 12 cupcakes.

Simple Sugar Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place powdered sugar into a large bowl and add 3 tablespoons of milk and the vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, adding an additional tablespoon of milk if the mixture is too stiff. Spread on cupcakes.
Divide remaining icing (or make an additional batch) into 2 or 3 batches and color by stirring in a few drops of food coloring. Pour into plastic, zip-lock bags and cut off the corners. Pipe desired designs onto cakes.

[Photos and recipe by Nicole Weston]