There are days when you know you should NOT make a whole batch (2+ dozen) of cupcakes.  The reasons may vary and you might be the only one who knows why, bless your heart.  And then a little special someone wants a sweet treat.  What’s a gal – or guy – to do?  The answer is simple – make a small batch of lemon cupcakes.

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

These sweet little treats aren’t made with lemonade, but they are light and delicious.  The batter easily makes six cupcakes with enough leftover for you to lick the spatula.  If you have lemons, you could add some fresh grated lemon zest to make them even better.

I love to top cakes and cupcakes with a simple buttercream icing.  (You can get my recipe by clicking here.)  My topping is not snow white because I prefer to use organic powdered sugar and real vanilla (which is BROWN).  If you are really ambitious, you can make these babies with ALL organic ingredients.

Small Batch Lemon Cupcakes

Yield: 6 cupcakes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes

Delicious lemony cupcakes topped with buttercream icing, they're sure to brighten someone's day.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 stick, 4 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp milk
• 1/4 tsp lemon extract
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whip butter at medium-high speed in mixer bowl. Add sugar and mix until creamy. Add egg, milk, and lemon extract.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
4. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients at slow speed until the batter is moist.
5. Turn speed onto medium-high and beat until smooth.
6. Spoon into prepared muffin pan and bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool before decorating.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 166 Total Fat: 9g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 52mg Sodium: 157mg Carbohydrates: 20g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 8g Protein: 3g

Nutrition information is an approximation.

These little treats are great anytime of year, but especially so in Spring.  You can top them with some shredded coconut that has been tossed with green food coloring and it will look like fresh new grass.  For Easter, you could add a couple of jelly beans on top and serve them in small terra cotta pots.

What’s your favorite cupcake flavor?

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