Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Cupcakes are one of the most versatile desserts. Everybody loves them, whether children or adults. We like to gaze at them and we like to eat them. For sure!

You can bake cupcakes for any occasion, be it weddings, birthdays or just to enjoy catching up with friends and family.

Cupcakes look so pretty when combined with swirls of delicious looking and tasting frostings. I am always very keen to bake cupcakes. As soon as I've baked them, in fact even before that, I start anticipating the lovely swirls that can adorn the cupcakes. All the thoughts of deciding the color, flavor of the frosting just makes me so glad...I can bake cupcakes day in and day out.

Cupcakes can be made in numerous of flavors, your imagination is the only limit. When I had made a new batch of Strawberry Cupcakes a few weeks back, I had some left over Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream. So while pondering over how I could use the buttercream again, I decided to bake Lemon Cupcakes. Those citrusy and tangy cupcakes topped with swirls of sweet and fruity frosting should taste good, so I thought. And it did!

The incredibly soft texture and the lemony, citrusy and tangy taste of the cupcakes combined with the smooth, velvety and strawberry flavored buttercream....don't you wanna eat them?

Recipe Source: Bakingyummies
Makes 12 Cupcakes

Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
170 grams / 6 ounces all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
100 grams / 3.5 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
130 grams / 4.5 ounces caster sugar or superfine sugar
2 medium eggs at room temperature
zest of 1 lemon (or of 4 regular sized Indian lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
60 ml / 2 ounces buttermilk at room temperature (or combine 30 ml each of milk and yogurt)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Please click here for the ingredients and method of Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Method
Sieve together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C / 350 degrees F. Line a standard sized muffin pan with paper liners.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light, pale and fluffy about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the eggs one a time beating until each is incorporated well in the mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as and when needed.

Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla extract until combined. In a separate bowl or measuring jug, combine the buttermilk and lemon juice.

Reduce the mixer speed to minimum. Add the flour mixture in three batches alternating with the buttermilk and lemon mixture (you need to start and end with the flour mixture).

Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups and bake in the preheated oven until a cake tester or a wooden skewer comes out with a few dry crumbs attached to it, about 15 minutes.

Place the muffin pan on a wire rack to cool and after about 5 mins or as soon as you can handle them, remove the cupcakes from the pan and place them on the wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Decorate them with the Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream in whichever fashion you like.

Storage Suggestions: Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored overnight in airtight containers, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to a month. Frosted cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Happy Baking!!!