Lemon & Poppy Seed Cupcake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Sometimes its hard to think of something lemony and fluffy to eat during the cold january season. But here is a recipe which will not only remind you of the warm sunny weather thats due to come but also be quick and easy to bake and fill your tummy with all the yummy goodness there is! 🙂 Try out my Lemon & Poppy seed cupcakes, they wont fail with anyone! 😉

Here’s how you make them!

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes

1½ cups flour
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Lemon zest grated from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

200 grams soft cream cheese, room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 vteaspoons vanilla essence
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk

METHOD

Preheat oven to 175 C. Set your cupcake liners into your cupcake tray, if you have one. This is not necessary but it does help keep the shape of the cupcake while they bake.
Lemon & Poppy Seed Cupcakes: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl with a hand held mixer, or with a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium to high speed until fluffy, roughly 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until combined completely. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and poppy seeds.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until combined, you can also do this by hand if you wish by just folding in the flour. Be careful not to overmix. Then spoon it evenly into the lined cupcake tray.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, 15 to 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool for 2 minutes in the cupcake tray, and then carefully take them out and let them cool completely before frosting them.
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: Put the cream cheese, vanilla and butter in the bowl and with a hand held mixer or a stand mixer, mix on medium speed until everything is nicely combined, do not overmix, take it slow and once you see its mixed stop.
Gradually add the confectioners sugar, roughly 1/4 at a time, and mix on medium to high speed until incorporated. Scarpe down the sides of the bowl, increase the mixer speed to high, and beat until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Add the milk and beat until mixed.
Once your Vanilla cream cheese frosting is ready, and your cupcakes are cooled completely, you can either pipe your frosting onto the cupcakes or spoon them on. And then you can enjoy them with a lovely cup of tea or coffee 🙂

ENJOY!