Cupcake 22 - Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes with Zesty Lemon Butter Cream

I loved the way the kitchen smelled while making these cupcakes. Fresh and spring-like. Not sure why lemons = spring, but they do. Maybe its the color, maybe its the lightness that the flavor brings.

Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes

3 C AP flour
2 C sugar
1 1/2 C unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 C buttermilk
4 eggs, at room temperature
4 t lemon juice
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
zest of two lemons

Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 cupcake pans with liners. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside. In bowl of standing mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mix well after each addition. Add lemon juice, mix well. Add flour and milk in three batches. Fill each back cup 3/4 full. Bake 20 minutes or until pick inserted into cupcake comes out clean.

Zesty Lemon Butter Cream

1 C butter room temperature
3 C powdered sugar
1 lemon zested
3 T lemon juice
Cream butter and zest until fluffy, add powdered sugar in 3 installments, mix well scrapping down sides. Add lemon juice and mix on high speed for 5-7 minutes until desired consistency.