Lemon and Pineapple Cupcake with Lemon Buttercream

Happy New Year everyone! Hope all of you had a wonderful holidayJ

These cupcakes were made for Christmas dessert. Usually my mum makes the dinner and I make the dessert but this Christmas It was me who had to make bothJ. The L&P cupcakes were made with the basic vanilla cupcake recipe. I added 4tsp lemon juice, 2tsp grated lemon zest, ½ cup buttermilk, 1cup of chopped and stewed pineapple to make it L&P cupcakes. The vanilla cupcake recipe was adapted from Joy of baking and I made few changes.

 The cupcakes were moist and the flavour was superb J

Makes about 12 cupcakes

Lemon & Pineapple Cupcakes

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp  pure vanilla extract

2 tsp grated lemon zest

4 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

½ cup ( 120ml) buttermilk

1 cup stewed pineapple chopped

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon juice.

In a separate bowl whisk together the lemon zest, flour, baking powder, and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Lastly fold in the chopped stewed pineapple to the batter.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 17 - 20 minutes or just until set and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Always check a few minutes before the stated baking time. Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. If you want flat topped cupcakes then slice off the dome of each cupcake, with a sharp knife, before frosting.  Cupcakes are best eaten the same day they are made, but these can be kept out for a day and it can be left in the fridge for few days. Take them out from the fridge few hours before you serve them.

Lemon Buttercream

2 cups (230 grams) icing or powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp lemon juice

Method

 In an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the icing  sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk or sugar, if needed.