Lemonade Cupcakes with Lemonade Frosting
My daughter Gillian and her husband Jesse and the kids are in Brazil for the World Cup.
Okay, they’re there to see family, so it’s a two-fer.
But they are going to some of the games and Jesse is a huge futbol/soccer fan. Some of his enthusiasm has rubbed off on us over the years. So of course we’ll watch the United States play tonight.
Is the team an underdog? Yes, but who cares? They might just win. I picked the winning horse at the Belmont Stakes a few weeks ago and that animal was running with 11-1 odds (too bad I didn’t make an actual bet). So I am betting on the U.S.
While we watch we’ll have real American food.
Takeout.
Actually, I haven’t figured out dinner yet. But I know dessert will include some lemonade cup cakes because what could a more American drink than lemonade?
Okay, maybe coca cola, but that’s not homemade. I made homemade lemonade syrup for lemonade over the weekend and with the extra liquid, mixed it into cup cakes. Tangy, sweet but not too sweet. Nice for nibbling while watching the game.
Lemonade Syrup
1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups lemon juice (6-7 lemons)
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel
Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Boil the liquid 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and peel. Refrigerate for at least one hour or until very cold. Strain the mixture into a storage container. Makes just under 3 cups (to make lemonade mix some cold water or seltzer with some syrup, add ice cubes).
Lemonade Cupcakes with Lemonade Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup lemonade syrup
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons lemonade syrup
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the butter and sugar and beat at medium speed until fluffy and well combined. Add the eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Beat in the yogurt and 1/3 cup lemonade syrup. The mixture will look curdled. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and mix together. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Beat to blend ingredients thoroughly to a smooth batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and brush the remaining 3 tablespoons lemonade syrup over the tops of the cupcakes. Let cool. Frost and serve. Makes 10
Lemonade Frosting
1/2 cup butter
3-4 tablespoons lemonade syrup
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Cream the butter in an electric mixer at medium speed. Add 3 tablespoons lemonade syrup and the lemon peel and beat them in. Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar and beat until the frosting is smooth and well blended. Add more lemonade syrup if needed for spreading consistency. Enough for 10 cupcakes