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“She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
“Winter is dead.”

-A. A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

Have you turned your face to the sun yet today? Done the happy dance? These lemon cupcakes, with a surprise burst of lemon curd inside, will bring it on at first bite.

Lemon Sunshine Cupcakes

These are a great weekend baking project and fun for kids or an extra baker to participate. Start by making the lemon curd and storing it in the fridge. Then make up the cupcakes and let them cool before you add in the curd. The icing is a speedy step and you can save that to the end, right before serving.  The surprise filling inside is best kept secret-it’s worth it to see the smiles of your tasters! The ingredients are all things most have on hand in their pantry and produce an irresistible flavour.

serves 12 (and have napkins on hand for delicious lemon drizzles)

What you need:

for the cupcakes:

• 1½ cups all purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup homo milk
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ cup Lemon Curd

for the lemon curd:

• finely grated zest of 4 large lemons
• freshly squeezed juice of 4 large lemons
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into pieces

for the icing:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons homo milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
• yellow sprinkles or dust

What you do:

for cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.
3. Combine sugar and zest in small bowl by rubbing between fingers until sugar is fragrant.
4. Beat butter and sugar/zest mixture together in mixer for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each, and beating well after each addition.
6. Add vanilla.
7. Add flour and milk, alternating, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until blended.
8. Add lemon juice.
9. Divide batter into 12 cupcake liners and bake for approx. 18 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
10. Cool on wire rack.

for lemon curd:

1. Combine sugar and zest in small bowl by rubbing between fingers until fragrant.
2. Put lemon juice, sugar/zest mixture, and egg yolks in medium pot and cook over medium/low heat until thickened, about 12 minutes.
3. Remove pan and press plastic wrap directly onto lemon mixture. Let cool to room temperature and then store in fridge. Mixture will thicken as it cools.

for the frosting:

1. Beat butter in mixer until creamy then add icing sugar, with mixer on low, 1 cup at a time.
2. Add milk, vanilla and lemon zest and beat until smooth.

to assemble:

1. Using a melon ball spoon, round out a small hole in centre of each cupcake and drop in 1 teaspoon of lemon curd.
2. Pop the top of the cake piece back on. Don’t worry if curd is running over as the whole top will be covered with frosting.
3. Ice the cupcakes any way you like and add sprinkles for fun.

Like all cupcakes, they are best to eat fresh on the day of baking but you can store them in fridge for a day or two. Let them sit at room temperature for awhile before serving.

Happy Baking.

Lemon lovers inspired to make another dish with your favourite flavour? Try this fantastic tart.