If there’s one thing I love about warm weather, it’s lemons.  Everything about them says “it’s summer, be happy!”

I have so many fond memories centered around vibrant colors and cheerful flavors.

My mom always loved making lemon poppy seed muffins for Sunday breakfasts…and dinners…and just because.  I may have stuffed my face with at least two or three at each meal.  No shame.

My brother and I tried to run a lemonade stand with our neighbor when we were kids.  We made about $10 each off some powdered drink something-or-other; I promptly began plans for my portable lemonade fortress.  Because of course it’s totally reasonable for a 10-year-old to build an empire off Country Time and a “stand” the size of my garage.

My wedding theme was “yellow, purple and sparkles” (for mine and my husband’s favorite colors, respectively, and sparkles because why the hell not).  I was once convinced that my whole house would be decorated in yellow – I bought bright yellow velvet pillows before I’d even moved out of my parents’ house because I just knew that’s what I’d want.  Spoiler alert: there’s no trace of yellow in my décor.

So, yeah.  I kind of have a thing for lemons.  And yellow.  And just being happy, dangit.

The Cupcakes

When we have family get-togethers or work potlucks, my go-to is cupcakes.  They’re easy, super portable, and who doesn’t love a little (errrrrrr, a lot of) sugar now and then?

Plus, I’ve been baking for so long, I feel like I’d be letting the world down if I didn’t bring some kind of pastry goodness.  I’m not one to disappoint.

Lemon and basil are just such a lovely pairing, and not one that you find too often in dessert.  You can never go wrong with vanilla and chocolate; don’t get me wrong.  But basil and lemon play off each other so well that it would be criminal not to try them together at least once.

The bright acidity of lemon is a no-brainer for summer sweets, from cupcakes and muffins to sorbet and drinks.  Basil is a light, floral herb with a scent that will have you smelling your hands all day.  Put them together and you have a flavor combination that is undeniably summery, and will have you wishing you were sipping wine on a patio some warm evening.

The key to a great cupcake is the base – if it tastes like cardboard when plain, then no amount of flavoring will save it.  I found a fantastic recipe years ago that tastes like a brown sugar crumble on its own (and let’s be honest, that’s the best part of any coffee cake), and adapts to other flavors really well.  If you’re using liquids change up the recipe, simply swap out a bit of milk and voila!  Soft, moist, delicious cupcakes with that outer crunch that’s responsible for giving muffin tops a good name.

I grew up with quite a sweet tooth – my mom used to get cans of frosting from friends as birthday presents, and we always seemed to have a half gallon of Blue Bell ice cream in our freezer.  The Blue Bell recall of 2015 nearly destroyed my dad…

…But I digress.  This frosting, you guys.  I no longer have that insane sugar craving, thanks in part to my pregnancy with my daughter; but damn if I don’t find myself tasting the frosting every chance I get.  Beaters, spoons, the mess on my hands…all fair game.  This stuff is GOOD.  Sweet without going overboard, fluffy, and sturdy, this frosting is my Holy Grail and I will never (*some exclusions apply) use another recipe for decorating cakes.  It’s so adaptable and easy to make; great on its own, but also works well with any extract, zest, or liqueurs (champagne, tequila and kahlua have all been delicious and incorporated nicely).

The result of the crumble-esque cake + semi-sweet frosting is a dessert that is virtually no-fail and even the most discerning family members will at least try.  And without further ado…

---

 

Recipe:  Lemon Basil Cupcakes

Makes approx. 24 regular cupcakes
Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
3.5 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or subsitute lemon extract for an extra kick)
.75 cups milk
2 lemons, juice and zest

Frosting:

7 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter
.5 cup heavy cream
1 lemon, juice and zest
.5 cup granulated sugar
.5 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line 24 cupcake tins with liners.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy and pale yellow.  Decrease speed to low; beat in eggs one at a time, letting each incorporate fully.  Add vanilla (or lemon) extract.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.  Slowly whisk into liquids, a little at a time, until just mixed together.
4. Add milk until incorporated, then add lemon juice and zest.
5. Separate batter into cupcake liners, filling about halfway.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.  Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

   While cupcakes are cooling, begin frosting:

6. In a medium saucepan, combine water, granulated sugar, lemon juice and basil.  Heat to a boil, then simmer on low for 10 minutes, reducing slightly to make a syrup.  Allow to cool, then strain to remove basil leaves.
7. In a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until fluffy.
8. On low speed, mix in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until incorporated.  After 4 cups, add cream, then continue to mix in the last 3 cups of sugar.  Add lemon zest, then slowly pour syrup into frosting until just combined.
9. Pipe or spread frosting onto cool cupcakes; garnish with a fresh basil leaf if desired.
10. Enjoy!

I’d love to hear your feedback, and see pictures of your finished cupcakes in the comments below!  Bon apetit!