Lemon Cupcakes

As you know, this past
weekend was filled with celebrations. 
And I was in charge of dessert…quelle
surprise!  I had been craving a lemon
dessert for what seemed like months now and, since candles were involved, I
wanted each of us to have our own little cakes. 
So of course I went for lemon cupcakes! 

I busted out my Magnolia Bakery cookbook for some inspiration and they did not fail! 
I decided upon their Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Buttercream frosting,
but halved the recipes as I didn’t need 24 cupcakes.  Boy were they yummy!

The cake was supremely moist with a really lovely lemon
flavor and not overly sweet.  The rich buttercream
is a great contrast to the lightness of the cupcake. And after feasting on a
standing rib roast that evening for dinner, the fresh lemon juice and zest adds
a refreshing zing after a heavy meal. 

Except for my step-dad, my family really isn’t big on sweets,
but these went over really well J  Most commented on how moist the cake was.  Definitely worth giving it a go!

Sadly, the one time that I finally got to New York (which
was to celebrate our 10 year anniversary) we had to leave early as hurricane
Irene was threatening mass destruction. 
So our extra-long celebratory weekend in NYC ended up being about a
24-hour jaunt (which I was sick for most of). 
This meant I missed out on a whole bunch of activities we had planned, including
visiting the Magnolia Bakery.  Sad times, but I will be back!!

On a more positive note, this past weekend was a great
reminder to stop and have fun and enjoy time with friends and family.  After all, life is short gotta enjoy it while
we can!

xo

Shannon