Ronna's Recipes: Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

I Love Lemon.

Sharing a recipe that incorporates lemon in the recipe.

This is no ordinary cupcake because it has a lemon curd filling.

I love the tartness and the sweetness altogether.

Cupcake

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup fresh milk

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line muffin pans with paper cups.

Combine the 2 flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
With a wire whisk attachment of mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, pour in the vanilla. At low speed, alternately add the flour mixture with the milk (beginning and ending withe the flour mixture).
In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and shiny. Gently fold into the batter. Scoop into muffin pans and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until center of cupcake springs back when touched. Makes 30 cupcakes.

Lemon Curd

4 large egg yolks
finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)

1/2 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a heavy-bottom saucepan; whisk to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon (be sure to scrape the sides of the pan), until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 8 to 10 minutes, and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove saucepan from heat. Add salt and butter, one piece at a time, stirring until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.