Lemon Cookie Cupcakes
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Serves: 18 cupcakes
 
Moist lemon cupcakes topped with sweet vanilla buttercream and a lemon funfetti cookie. Be sure that you allow yourself time to make the cookies ahead of time (recipes in the links) or purchase a small lemon bakery cookie. Add sprinkles to your heart's content!
Ingredients
  • 1 recipe Lemon Funfetti Sugar Cookies (see note)
  • For the Cake:
  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 1 ( 3 ounce) package instant lemon pudding
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup water
  • ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice + the zest of 2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup sour cream OR plain Greek yogurt
  • 4 egg whites
  • For the Vanilla Buttercream:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • a pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream (as needed)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Line a standard sized muffin pan with paper liners.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together the white cake mix, lemon pudding mix, and salt.
  3. Add the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, oil, vanilla, sour cream and egg whites.
  4. Beat on low for about 30 seconds. Then beat on medium speed, making sure to scrape down the sides, for about 2 minutes.
  5. Divide the batter into the prepared muffin pan-- fill each cup about ¾ of the way full.
  6. Bake for 18-20 minutes. A pick inserted into the center will come out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
  7. To make the buttercream beat the softened butter with 2 cups of the sifted powdered sugar until smooth. Add the remaining 2 cups of sugar and beat for another minute. Add the salt, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of cream and beat until smooth. Add more cream if necessary to reach your desired consistency.
  8. Frost each cupcake generously and stick a cookie in the top of each.
Notes
I used my Frosted Funfetti Cookie Bars as the base for the cookies I placed on top of these cupcakes. I added the zest of 2 lemons and rubbed it with the granulated sugar before beating with the butter to give them a fresh lemony flavor. I also omitted the brown sugar. Instead of pressing the cookie batter into a pan I just portioned it out onto an ungreased cookie sheet (or line with parchment paper) using about 1 rounded teaspoon at a time, and then I baked them for 7-8 minutes.
Recipe by Sugar Dish Me at https://www.sugardishme.com/lemon-cookie-cupcakes/