strawberry lemon cupcakes

I'm not sure when I became such a fan of lemon baked good, but I'm so glad I did! It's just such a refreshing flavor, and perfect for warmer months. I made these lemon cupcakes with strawberry buttercream for our last clinical day at the hospital for my clinical group and the nurses on our floor, and everyone loved them! (Isn't that the best feeling, when someone loves what you bake?) I ate about three in one sitting myself, and I will absolutely be making theses again!

Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream (recipe slightly adapted from I Am Baker)

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp lemonjuice, divided
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• few drops of lemon extract (optional)
Strawberry Buttercream
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup strawberry jam or preserves
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 1-2 tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffins tins. (This recipe yielded 16 muffins for me.)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In stand mixer with paddle attachment (starting on low), cream together room temperature butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add in eggs, one at a time and mix until just blended.
4. Add in vanilla, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and milk and mix for about 30 seconds on low. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Remove from mixer then fold in lemon zest with spatula. I added a few drops of lemon extract at this point, to really bring out the lemon flavor.
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes.
7. Use pastry brush to brush remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over the top of the cupcake.
8. Let cupcakes cool completely and dry before topping with strawberry frosting.
Strawberry Buttercream
9. Place butter, vanilla and jam in stand mixer with whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high for 1-2 minutes, or until fully incorporated.
10. With mixer on low, add in sugar, one cup at a time. When mixer starts to struggle, drizzle in milk one tablespoon at a time.
11. After all milk as been added whisk buttercream on high for 1-2 minutes. Frost cupcakes when they have cooled.

Do I have you drooling? ;)

-Kylie