Lemon Delight Filled Cupcakes By Freda Food

LEMON-FILLED CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.
• Beat lemon cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl for 2 minutes.
• Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full.
• Bake cupcakes in the preheated oven until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool cupcakes thoroughly.
• Cut vegetable shortening and 1/4 cup butter together in a bowl with a pastry cutter until well mixed. Beat lemon juice into shortening mixture until creamy.
• Stir 2 cups confectioners' sugar into shortening mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, until the filling is smooth. Set filling aside.
• Place white chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl; heat in microwave on High for 15 seconds and stir chocolate. Continue heating in 15-second intervals, stirring between heating until white chocolate is melted and smooth.
• For frosting, beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter together in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Stir in melted white chocolate and vanilla extract.
• Gradually beat in 4 cups confectioners' sugar, alternating with drizzles of orange juice, to make a smooth and creamy frosting.
• Cut holes through the top of each cupcake. Holes should be deep enough to put filling inside.
• Spoon lemon filling into the holes.
• Pipe the cream cheese frosting on top of cupcakes; sprinkle with lemon zest.

LEMON CUPCAKES WITH LEMON CURD FILLING

Steps:

• Pre heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line a muffin tin with 12 yellow cupcake cases (if you can't find yellow ones any colour will do)
• Mix together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, ideally using an electric whick
• Add the eggs one at a time and whisk them in throughly, then gently whisk in the self raising flour
• Separate the batter between the cupcake cases
• Bake them for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean, leave them on a cooling rack to fully cool
• Use a cupcake corer or a knife to make a hole in the middle of each cupcake
• Fill the holes with lemon curd. You can do this using a spoon or put the lemon curd into a small piping bag, snip the end off and pipe it in
• To make the buttercream mix together the icing sugar and butter using an electric hand whisk or food mixer until they start to come together, then add the lemon extract and mix until smooth. If it is too stiff, add a splash of milk
• Put the buttercream into a large piping bag fitted with a Wilton 2D nozzle, or other nozzle of your choice and pipe it onto the cupcakes
• Decorate with jelly lemon slices and yellow hundred and thousands, or any sprinkles of your choice
• Store in an airtight container in a cool place, eat leftovers within 3 days

LEMON CREAM CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the muffin tin with cooking spray.
• Combine the butter and 1 1/4 cups of the sugar in the large bowl and beat with the mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. ADd the eggs and 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice and beat until well combined, scraping down the bowl once or twice as necessary. Mix in the flour, baking powder, slat, and 2 teaspoons of the lemon zest until just combined.
• In the small bowl, mash together the cream cheese, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest until combined.
• Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the batter into each muffin cup. Place about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on top of each portion of batter and cover the cheese with some of the remaining batter (the batter should reach three-quarters of the way to the top of each cup). Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning over onto the wire rack to cool completely. Use the strainer to sift the tops with confectioners' sugar before serving if desired.

TRIPLE LEMON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. Combine the flour and almonds in a food processor and pulse until the almonds are finely ground, about 1 minute. Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt and pulse to combine.
• Whisk the eggs, sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil and lemon zest and juice in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes; remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Combine 2/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan; cook over medium-high heat until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees F, about 12 minutes. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy; increase the speed to medium high and beat until soft peaks form, 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, 3 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the sugar syrup and beat until cool and glossy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the butter a little at a time, beating until incorporated. (It's OK if the mixture looks curdled at first; continue beating.) Beat in the food coloring, then add the lemon zest and juice and beat until smooth, 2 more minutes.
• Make the candied zest: Remove the lemon zest with a vegetable peeler and slice into thin strands. Place in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Drain the zest and return it to the saucepan; cover with water and repeat 2 more times. Bring the sugar and 3/4 cup water to a bare simmer in a separate saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest strands and cook over low heat, 20 minutes. Drain the zest and arrange in clusters on a parchment-lined baking sheet; let dry.
• Frost the cupcakes and top with the candied lemon zest.