Servings: 12 cupcakes
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Ingredients
For the Lemon Cupcakes
- 2 large lemons, zest only
- 130 g cake flour 4½ oz or 1 cup
- 175 g granulated sugar 6¼ oz or ¾ cup
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 200 g sour cream 7 oz or ¾ cup
- 100 g neutral oil 3½ oz or 7 TBSP
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
For the Ermine Cream Cheese Frosting
- 200 g granulated sugar 7 oz or ¾ cup + 1 TBSP
- 200 g whole milk 7 oz or 1 cup minus 2 TBSP
- 45 g all-purpose flour 1½ oz or ¼ cup
- 200 g unsalted butter 8 oz or 1 stick
- 113 g whipped cream cheese 4 oz or ½ a block
Instructions
Making the Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 375 °F
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on high speed until frothy. Once frothy continue whipping while slowly sprinkling about tablespoon of the granulated sugar into the egg whites. Whip until the egg whites reach soft peaks then transfer to another bowl and set aside. Measuring the sugar at this step is not needed - you can just eyeball it using a single coffee spoon.
- Add the rest of the granulated sugar along with the lemon zest to the mixer's mixing bowl and rub the zest into the sugar for at least 2 minutes to release the flavor. The mixture should resemble wet/kinetic sand once done.
- Add the rest of the dry ingredients (cake flour, baking powder & salt) to the sugar/zest mixture and give a quick mix to evenly distribute.
- Add the oil to your dry ingredients and beat on medium speed with a flat paddle attachment until combined.
- Add the egg yolks and sour cream to the flour mixture. Mix at medium speed for 2 full minutes.Stop the mixer about halfway through to scrape down the sides and make sure that everything is evenly incorporated.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the whipped egg whites from earlier by hand until completely incorporated.
- Pour the cupcake batter into a cupcake pan prepared with cupcake liners. Fill each cupcake three-quarters of the way.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 °F or until the cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly.
Making the Cream Cheese Ermine Frosting
- Add the sugar, all-purpose flour & milk to a saucepan and whisk to remove any clumps.
- Add the whipped cream cheese to the saucepan and whisk over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and has a glue-like consistency.
- Transfer the roux base to a heat-resistant bowl, cover with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.You can place it in the freezer to speed up the process but be sure to set a timer so you don't forget it!
- Once the roux base has cooled transfer it to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk at medium-high speed til a little fluffy.
- Add the butter 1-2 tablespoons at a time allowing the mixer to run until the last chunk has been completely incorporated.
Assembling the Cupcakes
- Transfer the ermine cream cheese frosting to a piping bag with your favorite piping tip.
- Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, pipe the frosting on to the cupcakes in the desired shapes & enjoy!
- These cupcakes can sit out for up to 2 hours at room temperature but after that they will have to be refrigerated due to the dairy.
Notes
- If you opt for imperial measurements spoon the flour into the measuring cups then level with a knife to avoid adding more flour than the recipe calls for
- If starting with block cream cheese for the frosting, whip it so that it dissolves more easily when making the roux base for the frosting. You can also blend if if you want to avoid getting your mixer dirty again.
- Whip the egg whites for the cupcakes to soft peaks only. Whipping to firm peaks can cause a "cotton-like" texture that makes them feels dry once baked.
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