Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes

• Set up 24 cupcake liners in cupcake tins, or grease and flour 2, 9″ cake rounds.
  
• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• In a large bowl (not the mixing bowl), whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites and buttermilk.  
• In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest and whisk together until combined.
• Add the butter and beat until light – about 4 or even 5 minutes (this takes a while)
• Add the extracts and combine
• Starting with the flour mixture, add about 1/3 and mix until blended. Add about 1/2 the buttermilk/egg mixture and blend smooth. Add dry and wet ingredients in this way, alternating and ending with flour mixture.
• For Cupcakes: When the batter is well-blended, fill your cupcake liners about 2/3 with batter. (I use an ice-cream scoop).
• For Cake: When the batter is well-blended, fill your pans with cake batter.  I use a scale to get the batter evenly divided.
• For Cupcakes: Bake in your preheated oven on the center rack for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a center cupcake comes out clean. The cupcakes will not brown much, so don’t overbake!
• For Cake: Bake in your preheated oven on the center rack for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  The cake will not brown much, so don’t overbake!  
• Remove from oven and cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream together the butter and cream cheese.
• Add the vanilla and beat until blended.
• Add about 1/2 the sugar and drape a light tea towel or cheesecloth over your mixer. Blend in the sugar on the lowest setting for a few seconds, remove the towel and blend until incorporated. Repeat.
• The frosting will be pretty stiff at this point. Add 1 tsp of lemon juice at a time and blend until you get the spreading consistency you prefer. I used 3 tsp of lemon juice.
  

Lemon Buttermilk Cupcakes

• Measure out ingredients, remembering to ADD the additional cake flour and SUBTRACT the sugar.  This and adjusting the baking powder are critical in making this recipe work at high-altitude.
• For Cupcakes: Set up 24 cupcakes liners in cupcake tins.

  For Cake: Grease and flour 2 9″ cake rounds.
• Preheat oven to 370F (190C).
• In a large bowl (or the mixing bowl), whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites and buttermilk until frothy.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest and whisk together until combined.
• Add the butter and beat into the sugar until light and fluffy – and 4 or 5 minutes (this takes a while, take the time you need.)
• Add the extracts and lemon juice and combine.
• Starting with the flour mixture, add about 1/3 and mix until blended.  Add about 1/2 the buttermilk/egg mixture and blend again.  Add dry and wet ingredients in this way, alternating and ending with the flour.
• For Cupcakes: When the batter is well-blended, fill your cupcake liners about 2/3 with batter.  (I use an ice-cream scoop).
• For Cake: When the batter is well-blended, divide the batter and fill the pans.  I use a scale to get the amounts evenly divided.
• For Cupcakes: Bake in your preheated oven on the center rack for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a center-oven cupcake comes out clean.  The cupcakes will not brown much, so don’t overbake!
• For Cake: Bake in your preheated oven on the center rack for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  The cake will not brown much, so don’t overbake!
• Remove from oven and cool in the pan for about five minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• Cream together the butter and cream cheese.
• Add the vanilla and beat until blended.
• Add about 1/2 the sugar and drape a light tea towel or cheesecloth over your mixer.  Blend in the sugar on the lowest setting for a few seconds, remove the towel and blend until incorporated.  Repeat.
• The frosting will be pretty stiff at this point.  Add 1 tsp of lemon juice at a time and blend until you get the spreading consistency you prefer.  1 used 3 tsp of lemon juice.