Homemade Lemon Pudding Cupcakes

My Aunt Molly, cousin Makenna and I found a recipe on Pintrest for Homemade Lemon Pudding Cake then we baked Lemon Pudding Cupcakes for my Aunt Teresa's Birthday! 

We put all of the ingredients for the homemade cake on the counter top and being that the recipe called for two different bowls in the beginning,we went ahead and divided the mixing tasks. 

While Molly whisked together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt, I used a handheld grate to shave 2+ tbsp of fresh lemon zest from two lemons. Mmm, it filled the kitchen with such a refreshing Spring sent! 

Photo by Makenna Farrell

Makenna took pics of our mixing and once the fresh lemon zest was ready I used an electric mixer to add it to the butter, baking powder, lemon pudding, egg mixture. It was so yellow and bright! 

Molly mixed the milk, oil and vanilla in another bowl and when all of the components, wet and dry , were ready, we mixed them all together. After Makenna got all of the wrappers ready in the cupcake tins we poured the yummy looking batter in them and popped them in the oven which was preheated to 325 degrees. 

Since the recipe we used was actually for a Bundt Cake that had a baking time of 50-60 minutes we decided to check on the cupcakes' baking status after 20 minutes. The cupcakes passed the clean toothpick poke test after baking for about half an hour or so and  Molly noticed that the cake sank a little bit as they cooled! We aren't sure why they sank but we think that maybe it happened because this is a bundt cake recipe, not a cupcake recipe. 

To kept the cupcakes fresh until we celebrated Teresa's Birthday two days later, we put them in  in air tight Tupperware. Also for freshness sake we went with store bought frosting which Molly and Makenna used to finish the cupcakes the day we celebrated. We went a little fancier than the usual Betty Crocker or Pilsbury tub of frosting and got "Not Your Bagel's Cream Cheese" from Ace of Cakes', Duff Goldman's brand. 

Of course we had to do a taste test before we brought our Lemon Pudding Cupcakes to Teresa's Birthday dinner, we had to make sure they were good! 

The lemon pudding cake was moistly dense, not heavy but refreshingly decadent. It had a vibrant yellow lemon color but the cake didn't taste a lot like lemon. Next time  I'll substitute the water that the recipe calls for with lemon juice so these cupcakes burst with lemon flavor! Duff's Cream Cheese frosting was super creamy, not overly sweet and it's subtle cream cheese flavor paired nicely with the subtle lemon flavor of the cake without outweighing it. 

Two days later, after a delicious dinner with my cousins and Aunts we were very excited to enjoy a Lemon Pudding Cupcake! They tasted just as fresh as when we taste tested them the night we baked them and  I actually preferred our Lemon Pudding Cupcakes two days later, too!

The Birthday Girl and my cousin Megan liked them and complimented us on the tasty Bday gift!  Success! 

Photo by Molly Farrell

Happy Birthday TT!

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups of white granulated sugar 
1 package of JELLO lemon pie filling (small packet) 
2 tbsp fresh lemon zest
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup of whole milk 
1/3 cup canola oil 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
3 tbsp cornstarch
4 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 

- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F)

- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt, then set aside. 

- Using an electric mixer on medium speed with a paddle attachment cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add in the pie filling mix and combine thoroughly. 

- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is thoroughly incorporated.

- Mix in the lemon zest. 

- Combine the milk, oil and vanilla extract in a large measuring cup or bowl.

- Startin with the dry ingredients alternate pouring 1/3 of the wet and dry ingredients into the bowl, incorporating thoroughly after each addition. 

-Mix on medium speed after the last addition. 

- Pour the batter into the wrappers/cupcake tin(s). 

- Bake for about 30 minutes or until a poke test comes out clean.