Cape Cod Bed and Breakfast - Brewster By The Sea Inn & Spa

Remember the last time you had a cupcake? I recently smiled when my mother, who lives with us and makes many of the inn's home baked goodies, commented that she wanted to try a new recipe for buttermilk cupcakes. more

We are always trying new recipes at Brewster by the Sea for our breakfasts and afternoon tea and I found her cup cake idea intriguing. My mind immediately started to wander back to fond childhood memories of birthday and school events where the moms baked cupcakes.....it was a perfect solution to school events where each child could have one little cake without much mess!

My mother and I started looking through recipe books and we landed on a light buttermilk lemon cupcake. We added a family cream cheese frosting that we love on our carrot cake!

I mentioned to several guests that we were having cupcakes for tea and the reaction was so sweet! Every guest had the same comment.....oh I don't remember the last time I had a cupcake, how special and when will they be served? We even had one guest miss out on a movie invitation because she did not want to miss out on the cupcakes.

Well, need less to say all of the cupcakes were in no time! The left overs from tea were a perfect dessert for our evening meal and the two that were left were gobbled up by our housekeepers the next day. We have decided to make cupcakes a regular attraction at Brewster by the Sea afternoon tea.

The recipe we love is shown below. Hoping you enjoy this old fashion favorite as much as we and our guests have.

Makes 18 cupcakes. Preheat 350. Line muffin tins with muffin liners.

1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar
3 large eggs plus 1 yolk, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
3 teaspoons lemon zest

Sift dry ingredients together.
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time to sugar mixture, beating after each addition.

Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk and ending with dry. Beat well. Add vanilla, lemon extract and lemon zest.

Divide batter among muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.

Bake 20 minutes until tester inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. let cool on wire rack.

Cream cheese frosting

3/4 cups softened butter
6 oz. softened cream cheese
1 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest

Blend butter, cream cheese and sugar together with blender. Add vanilla and zest

Add frosting to each cupcake and top with a twist of lemon rind.

Enjoy!