Lemon Poppy-Seed Cupcakes

Here is the recipe for the Minnie Mouse cupcakes that I made for my daughter's first birthday party! For more details about the party itself, check out my post about the party.

Lemon Poppy-Seed Cupcakes
(makes 24 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

2 Tbsp poppy seeds

1 tsp baking powder, sifted

½ tsp baking soda, sifted

¼ tsp salt

4 oz cream cheese, softened

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

3 large eggs

½ cup milk

1 Tbsp lemon zest

Directions:

1.    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2.    Whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

3.    In another medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4.    Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately in 3 batches with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating just until blended. Stir in the lemon peel.

5.    Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the baking pan, place on a wire rack, and allow them to cool completely.

Raspberry Buttercream Frosting

Same recipe as my Blackberry Buttercream Frosting, except that I substituted the blackberry puree for raspberry puree.

For the decorations:

I piped the frosting onto the cupcakes using a large round tip. Since the raspberry puree gave the frosting a natural light pink color, I did not add any artificial coloring. Then, to follow the Minnie Mouse theme, I used miniature Oreo cookies for ears (2 cookies per cupcake), and then used the same raspberry frosting tinted with Wilton coloring gel (I used the Burgundy color) to pipe a small ribbon between the Oreo ears. Voila! Minnie Mouse cupcakes. 


Cupcake Source: Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make
Frosting Adapted from: Foodie Bride