Lemon and Honey Cupcakes
with Pineapple "Flowers"
If you
plan on having an Easter Brunch and want a dessert that tastes as good as it
looks, then this recipe has all the ingredients you need! A moist, fluffy
cupcake topped with lemony icing and a bright yellow edible “flower”.
Cupcakes
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of salt
- juice of one lemon (if you have a zester, the zest is a
great addition!)
- ¼ cup low-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup milk (low fat preferred)
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup honey
- 2 eggs
Icing
- Cream cheese icing
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- Pineapple “flowers”
- ½ fresh pineapple, skin removed, fruit left intact
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine
all dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside. In a separate bowl, combine lemon
juice (and zest), sour cream and milk.
In another bowl, cream butter and honey, then add eggs one at a time,
mixing well. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, then add in
the lemon mixture and stir. Add in the rest of the dry mix and beat thoroughly.
Fill cupcake holders 2/3 full and
bake 18-22 minutes. To make the lemony
icing, I like to get a store-bought icing and gradually add lemon extract to it
until it has a bright lemony flavor. Ice your cupcakes once they’ve cooled.
You can make this a day ahead: Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees. To make the pineapple flowers, you’ll need
either a mandoline or a very sharp knife to cut the pineapple sideways, into
paper thin circles (the core of the pineapple will become the middle of the
flower). Line a baking sheet with
parchment paper and place a single layer of pineapple slices, leaving room
between each slice. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, flip over, and bake an
additional 20 minutes or until the pineapple is completely dry – you’ll end up
with beautiful flowers to top your iced cupcakes with!
