It’s no secret that I love to bake. I love cooking too, but there’s something about baking that feels so fulfilling. Maybe it’s because we need to eat, but we don’t really need desserts. It’s a bit indulgent, and even better when a dessert can be shared.
Pre-kids, there were a few instances when I spent literally an entire day on a dessert. One time, I had the brilliant (or foolish), idea to make a black and white cake, alternating homemade dark chocolate layers with vanilla ones, and then alternating the icing. I wish I had a picture. It took so much time, but the result, with chocolate and vanilla icing piped in stripes down the side, was totally worth it. I also used to make a peanut butter chocolate cake that had (almost) more steps than the front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
But with two little “helpers” around (although Reagan really can be an amazing sous chef), and a job, the days of being able to languish in the kitchen for hours and hours are a memory, at least for now.
These cupcakes are super easy, and by far the most requested dessert I make, which is ironic, since most of my friends are diehard chocolate lovers. Yes, they start with a cake mix, but I promise you they will not taste like they came out of a box at all. Promise.
Ingredients for cupcakes:
One box lemon cake mix, plus ingredients listed on box
One box instant lemon pudding
1 t. vanilla
2 lemons
Ingredients for simple syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 lemon
(To make simple syrup, mix water and sugar in a saucepan, and bring water to a boil. Simmer for ten minutes, remove from heat, and add lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir well.)
Icing:
1 stick butter
5 cups powdered sugar
3 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
Directions:
Pour cake mix in bowl.
Zest two lemons into bowl.
Stop and smell the lemon zest like Reagan. 🙂
For liquid, instead of all water, use the juice from the two lemons, and then add enough water to equal desired amount. As in, if the box calls for a cup of water, and you get 1/4 cup of juice, add 3/4 cup of water to get to a full cup.
Add other ingredients to cake mix (if eggs are small, I add an extra one)
Add vanilla.
Mix well, and bake according to directions on box.
After cupcakes have baked and are cooled, before icing them, brush simple syrup onto the cupcakes.
Mix all ingredients for icing and spread on cupcakes. Done!
Variation:
You can make these in various flavors, using boxed cake mix and pudding. Another favorite in our house is strawberry cupcakes. Use a strawberry cake mix, and instead of the lemon juice, use strawberry juice (or berry juice if you can’t find strawberry), for the entire amount of liquid. For the simple syrup, add a little strawberry juice to the water. Although I’ve never tried it, I bet orange would be amazing too!
Note: I will post recipes from time to time, but for a real, and AMAZING, food blog, with lots of yummy recipes — not to mention great food pictures by the talented photographer, Elise Tedeschi — head over to my friend Denise Palma’s blog, MamaPalma.com. You won’t be disappointed. Trust me.
