Lemon Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

When I was younger and cool, I lived in Chicago where the people know how to celebrate SPD. It quickly became my favorite day of the year. The river is dyed green, bars open at 8am, people are happy and we carried around a 6ft tall blow up leprechaun named Seamus. 

So in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I give to you lemon cupcakes with lime cream cheese frosting. Usually I just do the the lemon cupcake with plain cream cheese frosting, but I had to turn it up a notch for St. Paddy's Day. I've celebrated SPD in flip flops and in winter coats, but each year it means spring is so close. And what says spring and the luck 'o the Irish better than a lemon lime combo. 

Cupcake Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs (room temp)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour(see tip below on measuring)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk (whole milk preferred but any will do)

2 medium lemons- the zest and the juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.

Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed for about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl then add the eggs and vanilla. Mix again for about 2 minutes. Scrape sides down.

In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to your butter mixture a little bit at a time. Mix after each addition until just combined.

Now add the milk, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix until just combined. Careful not to overmix the batter, this will make the cupcakes dense.

Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners, roughly 2/3 full. Bake for 18 minutes and check with a toothpick for doneness. (is doneness a word?)

After baking, set aside to cool and start making the frosting.

Frosting Ingredients

2 blocks cream cheese (8 oz. bars)

1/2 cup butter

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 medium size lime (zest and juice)

Food coloring (if you desire)

Frosting Directions

Using a mixer, mix the cream cheese bars and butter together for about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl.

Add 1 cup of the powdered sugar at a time, mixing on low. Careful not to turn the mixture too high or your kitchen and yourself will be wearing white.

After 3 cups, taste the mixture. If it's still soft and doesn't taste sweet, then add the 1/2 cup more of powdered sugar.

Add the vanilla, salt and lime zest and juice. Mix again for about a minute. (If you just want the plain cream cheese frosting, leave out the lime zest and juice)

If you are making the frosting green, add the food coloring a little at a time and mix after. Start with very little, you can always add more but can't take it away.

Frost and then add a little lemon and lime zest for decoration on top.

Baking tip: Measuring Flour

Measuring flour correctly in baking is super important. A little too much or too little flour can completely change a recipe and ruin your hard work. 

Instead of dipping your measuring cup into the container of flour, take a large spoon and spoon the flour into the measuring cup until overfilled. Then take a straight edge like the back of a knife and scrape the excess flour off the top of the measuring cup. Your cupcakes will thank you.