Lemon Cupcakes

Lemon Cupcakes
 
Cupcake Ingredients
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon soft butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 Lemon- zested
 
For the frosting:
2 large egg whites
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tsp Lemon juice (same as above- but you're using the juice)

Directions
Bring cold ingredients to room temperature and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put all of the ingredients for the cupcakes except for the milk into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the milk down the funnel, to make a smooth dropping consistency.


Divide the mixture between a 12-bun muffin tin lined with muffin papers, and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Let them cool a little in their tins on a rack, and then take them carefully out of the tin to cool in their papers, still on the wire rack.


Royal Icing:
Combine the egg whites and confectioners' sugar in a medium-size mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until opaque and shiny, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the lemon juice, this will thin out the icing. Beat for another couple of minutes until you reach the right spreading consistency for the cupcakes.


Yield: sufficient to generously ice 12 cupcakes


* Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson cupcake recipe, Foodnetwork.com

---