I'm back! Lemon Rosemary Cupcake

Hello! After a long hiatus I am back!

I made these cupcakes multiple times and I love them more every time I make them. The sweetness of the lemon cake and the fresh rosemary work perfectly in a way I would never have imagined. When I made these for my Mom's birthday the reaction I got from certain family members was something along the lines of "lemon rosemary CUPCAKE?! Are you sure?" but in the end the combination of flavors won everybody over!

The lemon cupcakes are from Better Homes and Gardens, instead of a glaze I made a lemon cream cheese frosting from Real Simple .

Lemon Rosemary Cupcake:

1/2 c. butter (softened)

2 eggs

1 3/4 c. flour

2 tsp. finely chopped rosemary

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2/3 c. milk

2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel

3. tbsp. lemon juice

1. Let butter and eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If you are impatient like me you could place the eggs and butter on top of the oven while it is preheating, and the heat the oven gives off will warm them up quicker. While you are waiting line muffin tins with cupcakes liners.

2. In medium bowl combine flour, rosemary, baking soda and salt. In a pinch you can use dried rosemary, but fresh is much sweeter, and the texture of the dried rosemary is a little bit crunchy.

3. In a large mixing bowl beat butter on medium-high for 30seconds. Add sugar, lemon extract, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the sugar-butter mixture. Beat on low until just combined. Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice.

Spoon batter into muffin cups until 3/4 full. I have found that a 1/5 measuring cup is the perfect size for scooping batter.

5. Bake 22-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from muffin pan.

The cupcakes are a pretty light yellow color, and should be springy to the touch when they are fully cooked.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 8oz. package cream cheese (room temperature)

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

zest of 1 lemon (grated)

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1. with electric mixer beat the cream cheese until softened.

2. Slowly add sugar, zest and juice. Beat until creamy, about 5 minutes. I found adding the zest and lemon juice first worked well because you were able to adjust the amount of sugar depending on consistency.

I used the 1/3 fat cream cheese and it tasted exactly the same as using regular.

The first time I made these cupcakes I placed a candied lemon peel on top, but they did not turn out great. I do not have a candy thermometer so I could not tell when the sugar was at the proper temperature, and the peels ended up just being sticky and not getting firm. I will not post the recipe, because the one I used was unsuccessful.

These are the perfect cupcakes for spring/summer, they are light and refreshing and delicious!

Happy Baking!

The first batch I made, with the lemon peel on top. Aren't they so pretty