Wednesday, April 18, 2012

TWD: Lemon Loaf Cake Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing

Yes, I know, I am late to post.  You see, I made these cupcakes last Friday but life became crazy with a teething baby, guests coming into town, a teething baby, baptismal classes, and a teething baby.   So, I didn't get a chance to post.  But, I am here now.  I might be sleep-deprived and have a six-month-old creature sleeping on me, but I am here. Better late than never, right?

Well, so here is the deal.  I have been on a cupcake baking frenzy.  In order to save a couple of dollars, I have opted to not only make the lunch we will be serving for my son's baptism, but also to make cupcakes instead of ordering a fancy cake as my family always does.  I make desserts all the time, but I have yet to really flex my cake or cupcake muscle--mainly because I don't have one.  You see, I can follow directions and bake well enough, but I am horrible at decorating.  So, I usually stick to desserts that don't require a lot of skill in that department.   But I digress.  What I am trying to say is that I made this cake into cupcakes because I made the recipe at the end of a long week of cupcake baking and I was on a role; it's that simple.

So, what did I think of this recipe?  Well, it really is more of a pound cake (as the book said) and I would not suggest making cupcakes out of them.   While the cake was good and enjoyable, I think it would have been better served in slices topped with whipped cream and strawberries.  It was a little too dense to be served with vanilla icing.  To be honest though, while it was pretty good, I wasn't blown away by either the flavor or the texture.  I added the juice of one lemon since I had noticed that many people had said that the lemon flavor is weak and so it did have a strong enough flavor, but it was simple, straight-on lemon flavor.  I felt that it was missing the depth or nuance you find with really good cakes.  I also found the texture to be very dense.  It just wasn't my thing.  But, as always, I am glad to have tried it.

Here is a picture of one of my cupcakes:



 For those who might enjoy a denser cake, please visit Treats or The Beauty of Life for the recipe.






 




16 comments:

  1. It sounds like you have been busy indeed...

    Very brave to take on a cupcake version :-)

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  2. Cupcakes were a great idea! I hope the teething pains have diminished!

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  3. I love the cupcake idea with the cream cheese icing.yummy

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  4. Cupcakes? Perfect!! I thought the cake was a bit dense as well but very nice!!

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  5. I love the cupcake idea but I can see how it might be a little too dense.The frosting sounds like the perfect addition, though!

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  6. Dense or not, a cupcake version is perfect! great idea

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  7. It's definitely a dense cake. I liked the texture, but I agree that it was crying out for more flavor.

    Don't be afraid of cupcake decorating! You just need the right decorating tip and the right icing recipe. I use a Wilton 1M (2110) open star decorating tip. You hold the pastry bag vertically above the cupcake, squeeze it from the top, and go around in a circle over the cupcake.

    As for the right icing, take two sticks of room temperature unsalted butter and beat it with 4 cups of powdered sugar. (start slow or you'll have a sugar cloud in your kitchen.) Once it begins to come together (trust me, it will!), you can add a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of vanilla and 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Now, beat it like crazy for at least 5 minutes. Don't skip this. You're beating air into the icing, which will make it light, smooth and easy to pipe. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Good luck!

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  8. That is a beautiful cupcake.. I also found it dense but I was happy with the flavor.. I served it with whipped cream and berries and it worked well that way..

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  9. I am just impressed that you found the energy to bake cupcakes let alone post about them with a teething baby! Kudos to you, Julia! I think your cupcake is very pretty.

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  10. Did you find a cupcake recipe that you liked? Just curious because I'm not a huge cupcake fan but I do like them when they are good. Impressed with your baptism plans as my 6 month old sometimes keeps me from getting simple nightly dinner on the table.

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  11. I agree the cake was nothing that great.. but am more impressed with your multi-tasking skills.. very very impressive!! :)

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  12. The cupcake looks very festive with those blue sparkles - the color of your cupcake is purrrrrfect!

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  13. I'll take one of those cupcakes!

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  14. Your cupcake looks so cute with its blue sprinkles. I didn't mind this, but it wasn;t very lemony.

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  15. Such pretty cupcakes! Nice option instead of a loaf.

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