Spring Lemon Cupcakes

Spring has sprung, and I feel like we are all on the hunt for the lightest fluffiest freshest desserts possible. My humble entry - is an incredible lemon cake recipe. This recipe works for cupcakes but can easily be adapted to a single layer cake. As with all my recipes, I encourage you to add other flavour elements. Rosemary, fresh mint, and thyme are all great add ons to this cake recipe. It also pairs well with a rich berry jam (blueberry and strawberry are my favourites right now.) And a tart lemony buttercream or a more floral rosewater/ lavender perfectly top it off.

The secret? A blended lemon - skin and all. Don’t get me wrong, I love a zest as much as the next person (maybe even more) but it’s hot, we can save the workout.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1.5 tsp baking powder (use less .5 tsp baking powder less for flatter cupcakes better for decorating)

• 1/4 tsp salt

  (*You can also use baking flour with salt and baking powder pre-added)

• 1/2 cup (115g) canola oil or melted butter / margarine

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup soy milk, at room temperature

• 1.5 whole lemons

Instructions:

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Prep Lemons For Blending: Wash skin of 1 lemon thoroughly, then cut it into quarters and remove seeds

4. Blend Lemons: Add the lemons to the blender with olive oil and half of the soy milk

5. Combine Ingredients: Start by adding the blended lemon mix to the dry ingredients and mix with a silicone spatula, then add canola oil/ butter and milk as needed until reaching the desired consistency. Add the lemon juice from half of a lemon (be careful of seeds).

6. Fill Cupcake Liners: Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.

7. Bake: Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

8. Cool: Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Fill with a berry jam and top with lemon or lavender buttercream for additional flavor layering.