Birthday Celebrations with Lemon Bar Cupcakes

February seems to be the birthday month for those around me. I have at least 4 friends and my brother's birthday to celebrate this month. This past week, my friends and I celebrated the birth of one of the best - Brittany - with wine, appetizers, comedy, and cupcakes. Britt loves lemon bars, and I was determined to find a recipe for lemon bar cupcakes. I came across a number of recipes, but ended up mixing and matching to make my unique cupcakes. The result - delicious lemon cupcakes, with a shortbread crust, filled with lemon curd, and topped with lemon cream cheese frosting. Yum!! And a perfect treat for someone who gave up chocolate for Lent (me!).

There are a lot of ingredients in this recipes, and a lot of parts to it. If you are looking for fast cupcakes, these are not it. This recipe makes about 24 cupcakes, so you have plenty to share :)

Cake, crust, and lemon curd ingredients (explained further below)

Shortbread Crust:

33 Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies (crushed)  

*You can use any short bread cookies here

6 Tbsp sugar

6 Tbsp melted butter 

Place shortbread cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Stir until combined. Set aside. 

Lemon Curd:

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1cup fresh lemon juice

3 lemons, zested

1/2 cup butter, melted

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs.

2. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and melted butter. Cook in the microwave for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. This means its ready to go! Set aside.

Lemon Cake Ingredients: 

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp lemon zest

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, plus 3 egg yolks

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pan with papers. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.

3. In a large bowl, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in 2 tbsp lemon juice. 

4. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until combined.

5. Take bowl of shortbread crumb crust mixture. Place a tablespoon of the mixture at the bottom of each muffin cup. Use the back of a spoon, or your fingers, to pack crumbs into the bottom of the cup. If any remaining crumbs, you can use on top of cupcakes.

6. Drop 1/3 cup of lemon batter into each cup.

7. Take lemon curd and drop 1/2-1 tsp into each cup filled with batter. The lemon curd with disappear into the batter. 

8. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. 

9. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:

Use your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe

Mix in: Lemon juice, yellow food coloring

Ice cupcakes as desired. Sift powdered sugar over the top.

New cupcake display! 

These cupcakes were light, lemony, and delicious! A nice change from the typical rich chocolate or red velvet. These would be great for a spring or summer dessert. A group of beautiful ladies celebrating with  appetizers, wine, cupcakes, and comedy night was a success!

Happy Birthday, Britt!