Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd

​Most of the time, my obsessive compulsive tendencies do not work to my advantage.  I spend hours organizing and reorganizing the things in the house - much to the chagrin of my family.  I don't know why unorganization bothers me so much that it keeps me awake at night - but it does.  I'm particularly obsessive about the pencil drawer in my kitchen.  I keep only yellow, sharpened #2 pencils in the designed pencil container of the drawer, all facing the same direction - north.  (Yes, I know it's weird.)  If my family really want's to get under my skin all they need to do is turn just a couple of the pencils upside down.  My son has even been known to use zip ties to bundle them  together in different directions.  In the world of me - that is absolute torture.  I also had a friend who would secretly turn 1 pencil upside down every single time that she came into my house.  I think she was timing me to see how long it would take me to realize that there was a pencil out of order.  (Sick humor, don't you think?)

​Fortunately, my compulsive tendencies work to my advantage in the world of baking.  (At least they are good for something.)  Baking is one of those things where is pays to be exact in measurements.  I feel much more comfortable with my measuring cups and spoons than I do just adding a dash of this and a pinch of that.  These lemon cupcakes are proof that exactness pays off in baking.  Taking time to measure out all of the ingredients and timing the mixing and the baking precisely ensures moist, delicious cupcakes - every time.  

​Vanilla Cupcakes 
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Lemon Curd (1/2 cup)
3 eggs
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1 Tablespoon freshly shredded lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons butter

Lemon Flavored Whipped Cream
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1 Tablespoon sugar
1-3 Tablespoons cold lemon curd

​Beat flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in standing mixer.

Add butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. (or yogurt) Fill muffin cups with batter.  

​Bake 20-25 minutes. 

​These cupcakes were a part of the 12 cupcakes of Christmas.  I was so busy trying to get 12 dozen different cupcakes baked and frosted that I ran out of time to take pictures of my lemon curd filling.  You can check out a similar lemon curd recipe from my lemon snowdrop cookies however if you really need visual instructions for making lemon curd.  If you are in a hurry, you can use lemon curd from the supermarket instead.

Lemon Curd
Whisk together eggs, sugar and lemon juice in bowl of standing mixer. Place over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly until mixture becomes thick. (160 degrees or about 10 minutes) Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps. Cut butter into small pieces and whisk into mixture until butter melts. Add lemon zest and let cool. The curd will thicken as it cools. Cover immediately so a skin does not form. Refrigerate overnight or up to a week. Cup the center out of each cupcake using a cupcake corer.

Spoon a heaping teaspoon of lemon curd into each cupcake.

​Lemon Flavored Whipped Cream
Beat cream and sugar in bowl of standing mixer with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add lemon curd and beat until stiff peaks form. Pipe frosting on cooled and filled cupcakes. 

​​A vanilla cupcake with lemon curd filling and lemon whipped cream frosting.   Perfect every time - thanks to my compulsive baking techniques.   

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Ciao!  

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