Catie: Lemon Cream Cupcakes

I know nobody likes my cooking anymore, but it is still delicious.  So there.

[caption id="attachment_511" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="yum?"][/caption]

While I did sub maple syrup (in the cake) and honey (in the frosting) for the sugar and whole wheat flour for white, these were seriously amazing.  It was a real recipe to start, so you could just make the real thing: Lemon Cream Cupcakes.  Like normal people. Unfortunately, we're just not that boring. :p

In the interest of AWESOME, I tried The Pioneer Woman's (speaking of awesome... check her out: thepioneerwoman.com) The Best Frosting I've Ever Had instead of the frosting in the recipe and The Best Frosting sounds weird because it has flour in it, but it is NOT weird.  You should believe me, 1.) because it is the pioneer woman and she does not lie about food, not ever, and 2.) because I LIKE good frosting (not store bought) maybe better than anything in the world and apparently better than my teeth since I keep eating it...

I picked this frosting at first because I thought I could substitute honey for the sugar, which I did, and it turned out so much better than I expected.  I kept hearing that it had the texture of whipped cream, but I disagree.  I think it has the texture of really, really good buttercream like the light, airy kind I make out of my cupcake cookbook that's, like, 1/2 butter and 1/2 whipping cream.  For the lemony-ness, I added about a tablespoon or so of lemon juice (would've added more but I was pushing it with the liquid additions..) and about 2 teaspoons of lemon zest and it is SO killer.

I like cupcakes.  I make cupcakes.  I EAT cupcakes.  I do not lie about cupcakes.

[caption id="attachment_512" align="alignright" width="225" caption="I like lemon..."][/caption]

I asked Ben if he'd eat them before I made them (not so lemony, that one..) and he said he would, but I did not expect him to be quite so enthusiastic once they were done.  Between last night and breakfast this morning, he's had 5.

It should mean something that I used whole wheat flour and they're STILL all light and airy and yummy.  And the frosting is all light and airy and yummy and I expected it to taste like whole wheat, but it doesn't.  Although, being my crazy self, I soaked both recipes about 12 hours before making them.  It helps to soften the edge of that "whole wheat" taste and also makes things bake up much lighter (extra baking powder helps as well..), in my opinion.

[caption id="attachment_513" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="cupcakes for breakfast! and somebody's tired of having a camera in his face... oopsy!"][/caption]

These are going in the repertoire.

Forever.

- catie