Lemon Cream Cupcakes

I typically don't have much luck baking and so when I do I usually stick to the easy recipes.

Although this recipe is probably not hard to most,

just the idea that there would be a cream cheese filling inside

the cupcake would normally scare me away from making the recipe.

For some reason I was feeling a little more daring today than usual

so I decided to take the challenge.

Lemon Cream Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of Instant Gratification, Lauren Chattman, William Morrow/HarperCollins

These lemony cupcakes contain a decadent surprise--a cream cheese filling that elevates them to true dessert heights.

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks unsalted) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 1/4 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

3/4 cup cream cheese, softened

Confectioners' sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the muffin tin with cooking spray.
Combine the butter and 1 1/4 cups of the sugar in the large bowl and beat with the mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy.

Add the eggs and 3 tablespoons of the lemon juice and beat until well combined, scraping down the bowl once or twice as necessary.

Mix in the flour, baking powder, salt, and 2 teaspoons of the lemon zest until just combined.

In the small bowl, mix together the cream cheese,

the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice,

and the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest until combined.

Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the batter into each muffin cup.

Place about 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on top of each portion of batter

and cover the cream cheese mixture with some of the remaining batter (the batter should reach three-quarters of the way to the top of each cup).

Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes

before turning over onto the wire rack to cool completely.

Use the strainer to sift the tops with confectioners' sugar before serving if desired.

The cupcakes turned out great! They are a nice light lemon flavor

with a creamy filling inside.