Mini Lemon Cupcakes

Another lemon recipe? Yes another lemon recipe, it is a mini lemon cupcake with lemon curd cream cheese frosting recipe. So yes another lemon recipe. You will thank me later that I posted another lemon recipe. 

I brought these cupcakes to our small group last night, I mean how fun are mini cupcakes, and it allows you to eat 2 or maybe 5 without feeling guilty. 

So gather up your ingredients and let's bake!

For the cupcake part you need: 2 1/4 cup cake flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 1/4 cup buttermilk, 4 large egg whites, 1 1/2 cup sugar, lemon zest from two lemons, 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract.
For the lemon frosting you need: 6 oz of cream cheese, room temperature, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/4 cup lemon curd (store bough or make your own, I use this recipe), 1 teaspoon lemon rind, 2 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and put the cupcake liners in your cupcake pan. In large bowl, combine the cake flour and baking powder.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk and egg whites until fully mixed.

Finally, in your mixing bowl for your mixer, add the sugar and lemon zest. Using your fingers mix the sugar and lemon zest together until the sugar is moist. Add in the butter and then beat for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add in the two extracts, the lemon and vanilla.
Add to the lemon sugar butter mixture 1/3 of the dry ingredients and then mix. Now add in 1/2 of the milk egg white mixture. Add in another 1/3 of the dry ingredients then mix then the final 1/2 of the milk egg white mixture. Lastly, add the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients.

Allow the batter to beat for 2 minutes to make sure all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Put some batter in each of the cupcake tins and bake until the tops of the cupcake spring back to the touch.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, cream the cream cheese and butter together. Add in 1/4 cup of lemon curd and grated lemon rind and mix thoroughly. Lastly, add the powdered sugar to your mixer and beat completely.

Then frost the cupcakes, eat and enjoy!