When life gives me lemons, I make cupcakes!

My co-worker Bethany had a lemon drop themed wedding. In honor of her departure from my unit, I made her lemon cupcakes filled with lemon curd topped with lemon cream cheese frosting.

Recipe modified from Homemade by Holman

Cupcake Recipe:
1 cup whole grain flour
1/2 cup oat flour (You can use 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour but I like the health aspect of whole grain. Plus it tastes great!)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 ounces neufatel, softened (You can use regular cream cheese if you like)
1/2 cup light agave
3/4 cup egg beaters (Or 3 large eggs)
1/4 cup plus 2 T lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12 cup muffin tin. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat butter and neufatel with a mixer until light and creamy. Beat in agave. Add egg beaters 1/4 cup at a time, beating until incorporated. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture beating until incorporated alternating with 1/4 cup buttermilk until all ingredients have been incorporated. Add lemon juice and zest and mix until incorporated.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way with batter. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Completely cool cupcake before adding in lemon curd and frosting the cupcake.
















Lemon Curd Recipe:
4 egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup plus 1 T lemon juice
1/2 cup light agave
5 T unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

Directions:
Combine egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and agave in a sauce pan. Place over medium heat. Stir constantly for about 8 minutes until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of your silicone spatula. Take mixture off of heat and add butter in one piece at a time, whisking until incorporated. Continue to do so until all the butter is incorporated. Strain the mixture through the a mesh strainer. It's important to do so you can have a nice smooth, shiny mixture. Place in a bowl, cover with saran wrap so saran wrap is touching the top of mixture. Refrigerate until ready to use.















Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe:
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
6 ounces neufatel, softened
1 T lemon juice
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Cream butter and neufatel together until light and creamy. Beat in lemon juice. Add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until incorporated. Lastly, beat in lemon zest and vanilla.

How to assemble:
When cupcakes have cooled, use the small side of a melon baller and scoop out the middle. Place scooped out piece on the side.















Fill the center with the lemon curd filling (about a teaspoon).


Place the removed center back on top of the lemon curd. Get a large ziplock bag. Cut a small part of the corner and place a pastry tip into the bag. Fill bag with cream cheese frosting and frost away!












Enjoy! :)