Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

 

My mom is a lover of all things lemon. Each year on Mother’s Day a different lemony dessert is attempted by a family member in hopes of impressing her. This year I tried out this recipe from shugarysweets It was such a success! Both the cupcake and frosting were deliciously lemon! Not only was my mom impressed, they were devoured by all. A big thank you to shugarysweets for this yummy creation!

Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
5 egg whites, room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 lemons, zested
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 cup cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cup powdered sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 Tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

In small bowl, mix egg whites, 1/4 cup buttermilk and lemon zest. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Slowly add in egg white mixture. Beat in remaining buttermilk.

Prepare cupcake tins with paper cupcake liners. Fill liners half full and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove and cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting, beat butter for 3-5 minutes until pale in color. Add powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice (about 2 Tbsp from fresh lemon) and cream.

Beat for 3-5 minutes until fluffy. Frost cupcakes by filling a pastry bag with tip and pipe on the frosting. ENJOY.

Groaning Cake: as featured in The Birth House

I recently finished reading The Birth House by Ami McKay. This recipe is mentioned several times. At first it appealed to me because it sounds delicious. As I continued reading it, the biggest part of the appeal became the sense of tradition, womanhood and community that were represented through this cake. The book states, “the tradition of groaning cake, or kimbly at (or following) a birth is an ancient one. Wives’ tales say the scent of a groaning cake baked in the birth house helps to ease the mother’s pain”.”

This afternoon I am off to celebrate the upcoming arrival of a good friend’s new baby. It seemed almost serendipitous that I should come across such a perfect recipe for the occasion.

2 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves

3 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups apple (grated, no skin)
1 tsp. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 loaf pans and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients except sugar. Add apple and stir well.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, orange juice, molasses and sugar and combine thoroughly.

Add wet ingredients to dry. Mix well. Stir in almond extract. Divide batter evenly between 2 loaf pans.

Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes until loaves are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Additions: raisins, dates, dried fruits, or nuts.

Cut each loaf into 12.
3 Weight watchers points plus per slice