this is the final installment of my brother's wedding showers/parties desserts. so far i have posted...

buttermilk chocolate cupcakes with vanilla bean buttercream
and
honey roasted peanut butter and jelly bars

the final dessert was for the rehearsal dinner. i called Jeff and asked him what he wanted and he said vanilla cake with lemon. uh ok - that left the field pretty wide open but ask and you shall receive.

Jeff has always been a fan of anything related to dessert and lemon. i had made lemon curd tarts before and he really liked them so i went on a hunt for a really good vanilla cupcake recipe and i would fill with my lemon curd .

i came across a recipe for vanilla cupcakes and vanilla buttercream on martha stewart's site. it looked easy and i was glad to see cake flour called for in the recipe.

these vanilla cupcakes with lemon curd filling were super easy to make, exactly what Jeff wanted and delicious. the cake itself was moist and the lemon curd filling worked more perfectly than i could have hoped! it was tart and had the right consistency for a cupcake filling. the buttercream was very good as well - not too sweet and a good vanilla flavor. i upped the amount of vanilla in the frosting and the cupcake and added vanilla bean seeds to the cupcake. i don't know about you but i want to see vanilla bean specks in vanilla desserts.

i decorated the cupcakes using their wedding colors (well as close as i could get them). i used a #12 tip and drew simple flowers with the buttercream. i found the sugar dots at jo-ann fabric to use for the center of the flowers.

to wrap up the "wedding desserts" series - here are a couple photos i took at their wedding.


vanilla cupcakes with lemon curd filling and vanilla buttercream

Vanilla Cupcakes
adapted from martha stewart
Makes about 30 cupcakes



1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
seeds from 1 vanilla bean (split the bean and scrape out the beans with the back of a knife)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined.

Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla.

With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.





Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter.



Lemon Curd Filling

it is a good idea to make the lemon curd before starting the cupcakes. it allows for enough time to cool the curd down.



Once cupcakes are cooled, use an apple corer to make a hole in the middle of the cupcakes. Fill a piping bag fitted with a round tip (or ziploc bag and cut the corner off) with the cooled lemon curd and fill the centers of the cupcakes.





Vanilla Bean Buttercream
adapted from martha stewart
Makes enough for 30 cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.

With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy.



If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.

Decorate the cupcakes as you like.

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