Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd and Lemon White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Cupcakes:
2 1/3 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
zest of 3 lemons
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cups milk
Lemon Curd:
1 cup lemon juice
zest from 2 lemons
2 1/2 cups sugar
8 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
Lemon White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. white chocolate, melted and cooled
1/4 cup butter
1 (8oz. ) package cream cheese, room temperature
zest of 2 lemons
2-3 tsp. lemon juice
10-12 cups powdered sugar
Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place liners in 24 cup muffin pans.
Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl, whisk until combined well. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the butter, sugar and zest and cream until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Blend well between each addition. In a liquid measuring cup combine the milk and vanilla. Add the flour alternately with the milk mixture until just combine. Fill the muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans 5 minutes and then remove from tins and transfer to rack to cool completely.
Lemon Curd:
Combine first 5 ingredients in a heat proof bowl and whisk to combine. Place bowl over saucepan with simmering water. Do not allow water to touch bottom of bowl . Stir until mixture is thick , remove from heat and stir in butter which has been cut into pieces. Allow to cool and store refrigerated in airtight container.
Lemon White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
Combine the butter, cooled chocolate and cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Add the lemon juice and enough powdered sugar to achieve the correct consistency.
Using an apple corer, core out the center of each cooled cupcake. Filled the centers with lemon curd using a pastry bag. Fill another pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with frosting and pipe on top of cupcakes. Using a small spoon make a divot in the center of each frosted cupcake and spoon a small amount of lemon curd in it.
