July 4th Lemon Cupcakes

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 eggs

  room temperature
• ½ cup Yogurt
• ¼ cup Milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup Lemon juice

  from 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp lemon zest

  from two lemons
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter

  melted and cooled
• 1 cup Red Wilton Candy Melts
• ½ tsp coconut oil
• ½ cup Royal Blue Wilton Candy Melts
• ½ tsp coconut oil
• 1 ½ cup unsalted butter

  room temperature
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup Lemon juice

  from 2 lemons
• 6 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

• 1 First, measure out the cupcake ingredients with the measuring cup and spoons.
  Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• 2 Then, pour the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large glass
  mixing bowl.
• 3 Combine the dry ingredients together with a blending whisk.
• 4 Next, in a separate large bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, milk,
  lemon juice, and lemon zest.
• 5 Whisk the ingredients together until completely combined.
• 6 Then, in another mixing bowl, combine the sugar and melted butter together.
• 7 Blend the ingredients together until they’re mixed well.
• 8 Next, pour the egg mixture into the butter mixture.
• 9 Mix well until all of the ingredients are incorporated together.
• 10 Then, add the flour mixture into the big batter bowl.
• 11 Combine all the ingredients again until everything is completely blended and
  mixed together.
• 12 Grab the cupcake pan and the foil liners.
• 13 Then, line all the cups of the pan with the liners.
• 14 Next, grab a dough scoop and the cupcake batter. Scoop and distribute even
  amounts of the batter into the lined pan.
• 15 Bake the lemon cupcakes for 13-14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the
  middle comes out clean.
• 16 Finally, transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
• 17 First, measure out the chocolate topper ingredients.
• 18 Then, in a candy melting pot prepared with a dual compartment liner, combine the
  blue candy melts and ½ tsp coconut oil together in one side of the liner.
  
  If you do not have a candy melting pot, keep reading for an alternative method.
• 19 Add the red candy melts to the other side and add ½ tsp coconut oil.
• 20 Melt the chocolates completely while stirring.
• 21 Then, prepare a chocolate bar silicone mold on a flat baking tray.
• 22 Fill the mold with the melted red chocolate color, then gently tap the tray on
  the surface to remove air pockets. Scrape away the excess chocolate from the
  back with a cake spatula.
• 23 Refrigerate the red chocolate bars for 10 minutes.
• 24 While chilling, prepare several star silicone molds on a flat baking tray.
• 25 Fill the molds with the melted blue chocolate, tap the tray to remove air
  bubbles. Scrape away extra chocolate from the mold with the cake spatula.
• 26 Refrigerate the blue chocolate stars for 10 minutes. Repeat this process until
  you have at least 14 stars.
• 27 After chilling, cover your hands with disposable gloves and carefully remove the
  chocolates from their molds.
  
  The gloves are to help keep the candies from melting from the body heat of your
  hands.
• 28 First, measure out the lemon buttercream frosting ingredients.
• 29 Next, prepare a stand mixer with a beater attachment.
• 30 Then, add the room temp butter to the mixer bowl.
• 31 Beat the butter by itself until it is double in size, light, and creamy- about 5
  minutes.
• 32 Next, add in the salt and lemon juice to the butter bowl and beat again.
• 33 Then, add in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing well between each
  addition.
• 34 Keep mixing until the powdered sugar is completely mixed in, then run the mixer
  on high speed for 8 minutes.
• 35 Then, transfer the lemon buttercream frosting into a piping bag prepared with a
  piping tip.
• 36 Finally, seal the frosting bag closed with a bag tie and get ready to pipe the
  frosting onto your cooled cupcakes!
• 37 To assemble the cupcakes, first pipe the lemon frosting into swirls on top of
  each lemon cupcake.
  
  Make sure to pipe the buttercream frosting in a warm room, otherwise your
  buttercream will stiffen and you won't be able to pipe smooth swirls.
• 38 Finally, garnish the lemon cupcakes with the chocolate bars and stars. Serve and
  enjoy!

Nutrition Info