Triple Lemon Cupcakes

It's Apple Cup today! GO HUSKIES!  What better reason to make a batch of Cupcake than a football game with my alma mater's biggest rival?!?

I found the most amazing University of Washington cupcake liners at the UW Bookstore and I knew I had to use them for this big game!  I thought about doing apples for this cupcake, but then realized that red was the color of our rival and well, let's be honest, I'm over apple.  So I decided on lemon!  (Besides, the Huskies are purple and GOLD so lemon would work great!)

Earlier this summer, I made a strawberry lemon cupcake which was out of this world and knew I had to use some of the same techniques with the lemons in this cupcake.  So, off to the store I went, got a giant bag of lemons, then I got a family recipe from my mother-in-law for lemon curd to fill the cupcakes with and started baking!

Eves Family Lemon Curd (make this before you make your cupcakes so it has time to cool)
1 lb sugar (approx 2 cups)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
6 oz (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3 lemons

1. Zest & squeeze the lemons and set aside.
2. Using a double boiler, melt the butter on medium heat.
3. Add the sugar, lemon juice and zest, whisking until smooth.
4. Bring to a soft, slow simmer (but NOT a boil) and add eggs and whisk thoroughly.  Stir constantly until thickened.  Make sure not to boil or bring the heat too high, you don't want to cook the eggs.
5. Cook until the curd sticks to the back of a wooden spoon and is nice and thick (approx 10 mins).
6. Transfer to an air tight container and cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
7. Stores for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Lemon Infused Cupcakes
⅔ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
1 lemon, zested and squeezed for juice
1 ¼ cups milk
3 cups sifted cake flour
2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
lemon Food coloring

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line pans with 24 liners.
2. In a medium bowl, prepare the sugar by working the lemon zest into sugar by pressing the back of a spatula down into sugar, thus releasing the oils from the zest into the sugar.  This process should take about five minutes, and the sugar will become very fragrant.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy.
4. Add the sugar/zest to the butter and mix on high until smooth.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time and mixing thoroughly after each addition.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.
6. In another bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
7. In a measuring cup that pours, mix the milk and lemon juice.
8. Beginning and ending with the flour, add the flour and milk alternating on low speed. Scrape the sides and mix only until incorporated.
9. Using an ice cream scoop, fill liners ¾ full.  These cupcakes don't rise too much, so you can fill your liners a little fuller than usual.
10. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Rotate pan and reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook an additional 8-10 minutes.  Cupcakes will be done when a toothpick comes out clean.
11. Leave in pan to cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting.

Sweet Lemon Buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 lbs sifted powdered sugar
½ cup milk
1 lemon zested and squeezed for juice
½ teaspoon vanilla

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy.
2. Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
3. While it's mixing, zest the lemon into the butter/sugar.
4. Combine the juice of the lemon, milk and vanilla in a measuring up the pours. Set aside.
5. In three parts, add the sugar alternating with the milk. Begin and end with the powdered sugar.
6. Mix on high for 3-4 minutes until smooth and fluffy.

To Assemble the Cupcakes:

1. Core out the center of the cupcakes.  (I used an apple core tool which made it really quick and easy)
2. Fill the cupcakes with apple curd.
3. Top with buttercream and sugar sprinkles.