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Lemon Drop Martini Cupcakes

Makes 15 - 16 cupcakes

Ingredients
Cupcakes:
  • 1-1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1-1/4 cups (9 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup limoncello
  • 2 tablespoons triple sec
  • 1/2 cup prepared lemon curd, your favorite recipe or store-bought
Frosting:
  • 4 cups (18 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon limoncello
  • 1 tablespoon triple sec
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon oil, optional
Optional Garnish:
  • Fresh lemon slices, lemon zest, or lemon fruit gel candies
Instructions
Cupcakes:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line cupcake tins with paper liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, limoncello, and triple sec. Set aside.
  4. Using an electric mixer, beat together the melted butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated.
  5. Alternating, add 1/3 of the flour mixture with 1/3 of the limoncello mixture, beating after each addition just until mixed.
  6. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full.
  7. Bake 15-18 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. A few moist crumbs clinging to the skewer is fine.
  8. Remove the cupcake tins from the oven and cool for 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a wire rack.
  9. When completely cool, using a 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop out the middle of the cupcakes, about the size of an olive. Fill the hole with the prepared lemon curd.
Frosting:
  1. Whisk together in a small bowl the lemon juice, limoncello, triple sec, and lemon oil, if using. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter until light and smooth. On low speed, mix in half the confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, until incorporated into the butter. Beat in half the limoncello mixture and alternate with the remaining confectioners’ sugar and limoncello mixture.
  3. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

  4. Using a large star tip, generously pipe the frosting in swooping swirls over the tops of the cupcakes to cover the lemon curd. If not serving immediately, refrigerate. Allow to come to room temperature for an hour before serving.

  5. If using a garnish, top the cupcakes just before serving.