If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
We are going a little cupcake crazy at our house.
After the fun cupcake capers Logan and I had together on his last visit home I decided to try out some new cupcake recipes.
I am helping a friend with her son’s wedding reception next week and they wanted to have a cupcake bar. She has put me in charge of selecting and planning the cupcake menu. I have also been helping with the decorations too and can’t wait to show you what we have planned!
Back to the cupcakes – my first step was to go to some of my favorite food blogs and gather together some recipes. Over at Real Mom Kitchen I found a recipe for Perfect Lemon Cupcakes. She had gotten the recipe from my friend Melanie over at My Kitchen Cafe!
These cupcakes were indeed perfect – lemon through and through. Lemon cake, lemon frosting – it doesn’t get any better! The cupcake starts with a boxed lemon cake mix but then is enhanced with some sour cream and pudding which makes for a very moist cupcake. The frosting, and it is all about the frosting, was super lemony too with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
Topped off with half a strawberry these lemon cupcakes were indeed perfect. They are a definite go for the wedding reception and they are so pretty!
We had a surprise Sweet Sixteen birthday party at our house this week so I decided a cupcake bar would be part of the party food and an excuse to experiment with more recipes for the wedding reception. We went with strawberry cupcakes and chocolate malted milk cupcakes for the party (we had a pink and black theme).
I’ll share pictures from the party and two more cupcake recipes on Monday!
I’m still in need of a few more cupcake recipes/flavors to add to the menu so if you have a favorite cupcake recipe please leave it in the comments or send it to me via the contact form – thanks!!
Perfect Lemon Cupcakes
Cake:
1 package lemon cake mix
1 C sour cream
3/4 C water
3/4 C oil
4 eggs
1 small package lemon instant pudding
Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Mix with electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. Use a strong mixer, this batter is thick. For cupcakes, bake them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (I was able to get 24 very full cupcakes from the recipe). For regular cake, pour into a greased 9×11 pan or two round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Don’t over bake or the cake will be too dry! The toothpick test works to check to see if they’re done.
The original recipe said that the cupcakes will fall after they come out of the oven, but this is normal and to just fill up the indentation with more frosting. I didn’t have this problem at all!
Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, very soft
6-8 C powdered sugar
1/2 C fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar, then the juice and the zest. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (I added 6 cups total). Use and store at room temperature. (Don’t refrigerate and it will last in a covered container for about three days.)
Garnish with berries, if desired right before serving.
Popularity: 27% [?]
Print This Post
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
I want to eat these right now! They look absolutely delicious!
I’ve made some wonderful cupcakes from The Cake Mix Doctor’s Cupcake cookbook.
I have a great recipe for a chocolate cinnamon cake and the frosting is marchino cherry. Mu husband swears it is the best cake he has ever eaten. I am sure it would work great for cupcakes. I will send it to you a little later when I have time to type it up.
Can’t wait to try the lemon ones!
Yum! Yum! This is definitely going in the “to try” file. Thanks for all your inspiration.
Our best Bites posted a really yummy chocolate cream filled cupcake with some good frosting. I made them last fall and thought they were good if you were a chocolate fan. I love lemon, and am super excited to try out your lemon cupcakes.
For a great frosting/filling try this one. My friend does professional cakes and loves using it:
Whipped Frosting
6 oz. Instant pudding
1 t. vanilla
1 c. cold milk
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 pt. Whipped, whipping cream
Blend pudding, vanilla, milk and powdered sugar together. Fold in whipped cream
These look gorgeous- you take such wonderful photos! What kind of camera do you have? (I am in the market to buy one but know nothing about them.)
@Michelle Wilkes:
I so want the recipe – thanks!! The sound so good!!
@Jennifer Barker:
I use a Nikkon D40X but the real trick is good lighting – try for all natural light. No flash, no artificial light. I have a great window in my kitchen with Northern lighting that works well.
Leigh Anne – I can’t get over how talented you are. You are always helping someone (or some group) out with hosting and planning parties and celebrations. You are amazing! I’m glad you liked these lemon cupcakes. The swirled frosting and strawberries look so lovely. Again, I wish I had half your talent!!
In Provo there is a cupcake shop called The Sweet Tooth Fairy and they have a Raspberry Lemonade cupcake that is to die for. I also really love their Strawberry Shortcake with half of a strawberry chocolate dipped. They are to die for! http://www.thesweettoothfairy.com/index.html
I am looking forward to your cupcake recipes. Love the pictures also. I bake cupcakes for some friends on a request basis. They don’t bake — I love to bake when I get a chance. I am working on adapting recipes to gluten free because one of the friend’s diet requires gluten free recipes. Thanks so much for sharing the pictures and the recipes. I will let you know how the recipe adaptation works. Are you using a cake decorating tips for piping the frosting?
Your cupcakes turned out beautiful! And aren’t they just luscious. They are still one of my favorites. I have seen a lot of recipes out there lately for chocolate and peanut butter cupcakes. I know recipegirl just posted a peanut butter cookie cupcake and I believe picky palate had one recently for a chocolate cup cake with peanut butter filling. They looked wonderful.
@LuAnne:
The tip I used was a Wilton 6E I think – it is pretty old and the number is almost worn off – it’s a big one!
Oooh! I LOVE cupcakes! I can’t wait to try these! Looking forward to Mondays post! It’s nothing special, but we like to make cupcakes with the cherry chip cakemix and then frost them with whipped strawberry frosting! Nothing fancy, but tasty!
Try this website; cupcakestakethecake.blogspot.com
Could you share your secrets about washing and storing fresh berries? I know you use fresh berries in many recipes. Admittedly, I am not much of a chef or baker. Your blog has inspired me to bake more. This summer I have tried many recipes with fresh strawberries or raspberries but I have nothing but trouble with rotten or mushy berries. I have purchased from both the grocery store or fresh produce stands. I’ve tried washing right away or waiting until I’m ready to use them. I’ve tried storing in or out of the fridge. It doesn’t seem to make a difference. I bought a bunch of strawberries on Monday to use in a salad tonight. I just found that they are all moldy and rotten. What methods do you use to clean and store berries? How far in advance can you or do you typically purchase the berries?
@Cara:
I’m happy to share my berry secrets – not sure they are really secrets but here is what I do. When you buy fresh berries from a store or berry stand plan on using them that day or the next. I am talking about fresh, local berries. Those strawberries you buy at Costco that come from Chile while last a lot longer but fresh local grown berries don’t last as long. We have had lots of sun here in Oregon lately so our berries are really ripe. They need to be used right away. I store mine in the refrigerator until I am ready to use them and I do not wash them until I am ready to use them. I even freeze my berries without washing them. When I put them in the refrigerator I try and store them in a shallow container so they are not piled too deep on top of one another. If you see any moldy or overly ripe pieces remove those right away because “one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch”. Hope this helps – let me know if you have any other questions!
Your cupcakes are beautiful. I am such a rookie baker….love to cook, but baking intimidates me. I was wondering how you bake the cupcakes without the cupcake liners getting all dark and yucky. Your liners look so vibrant. I would love to know your secret; if it isn’t a secret
)
These cupcakes look so yummy!!!! I want to make then now!!!! I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow!!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I just recently discovered your blog and found this fantastic recipe. I made these cupcakes this afternoon and they were absolutely amazing! Thanks again!
We’re gonna make these this weekend for a dinner get-together! Thanks for sharing!
These cupcakes look divinie. I am on a cupcake kick right now and these sound terrific. I can’t wait to try them.