Lemon Cream Cupcakes

Cupcakes with a decadent surprise…cream cheese filling.

Original recipe makes 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

Cream Filling:
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Cupcake Batter:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
6 eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest

PREP

20 mins
COOK

15 mins
READY IN

1 hr 35 mins

Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
Prepare the filling by beating 1/4 cup sugar, cream cheese, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest with an electric mixer until smooth. Scoop the filling into a pastry bag, and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl; set aside.
Beat butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 teaspoons lemon zest with the last egg. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
Pour the batter into prepared pans, filling the muffin cups half full. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the center of each cupcake, then top with the remaining batter to fill the muffin cup 3/4 full.
Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cook completely on a wire rack.