Almond Lemon Curd Cupcakes are a combination of Pipka’s Almond Cake cupcakes filled with Lemon Curd and topped with a Lemon Buttercream Frosting. They are a mouthful of yummyness. Tangy from the lemon curd, cakey from the Almond Cake and decadent from the buttercream frosting, they are sure to be a perfect summertime treat to take on picnics, serve at birthdays or just enjoy with your family after a dinner. Serve with a tall glass of ice cold lemonade and you’ll have everyone begging for seconds.

The secret for making these summertime cupcakes is ..you’ve heard me say this before…THE PAN. This time, I’m using another special pan I’ve imported from Germany. The cupcake pan has a special feature. When you take the cupcakes out of the oven and invert them to cool, you’ll see a cavity in the center just waiting to be filled with something delicious. In this case,lemony tart almond curd. But just think, the possibilities are endless .. cupcakes filled with chocolate and frosted with Orio cookie buttercream or yellow cupcakes filled with fresh strawberries and topped with whipped cream. I can hardly wait to experiment with different fillings for the cupcakes. This unique pan will inspire you.

It’s important to have a nice presentation, even for a cupcake. I love collecting square antique dessert dishes and thought the cupcakes would look nice against the green glass background, but any small dessert plate or serving tray would do. Adding a doily and a flower elevates the humble cupcake into a gourmet dessert.

When you bite into the cupcake the tartness of the lemon curd is the perfect pairing with the sweetness of the buttercream frosting and classic taste of the Almond Cake. Adding a little lemon zest on top also adds flavor.

Now this works best when using the new Cupcake Pan that I mentioned before. Here is what it looks like. You’ll fill this side with the cake batter:

Then when you turn the cupcakes out to cool, you’ll have this cavity in the center, waiting to be filled with something extraordinarily delicious!

My original Almond Cake recipe is the basis for these cupcakes but feel free to use any recipe you’d like. Or use my Almond Cake Mix which still gives you that made-from-scratch taste and is so easy to use. Ready? Let’s start baking!

Almond Lemon Curd Cupcakes

Generously butter the cupcake pan

Beat in a medium size bowl :

1 1/4 cup sugar

2/3 cups whole or 2% milk

1 large egg at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoon Pipka Almond Extract

Add:

1/12 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Beat until blended.

Slowly pour in:

1 stick melted and cooled unsalted butter

Beat until blended.

Pour the batter into the cupcake pan, filling almost to the top.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes then invert them onto a cooling rack.

Cool completely before adding the filling.

For the filling:

Fill each cavity with a generous tablespoon of Lemon Curd

Lemon Buttercream Frosting:

Beat: 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

Add: 3 or more Tablespoons of heavy cream or milk

1 teaspoon Pipka’s Lemon Extract

1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Beat until light a fluffy, approximately 6-7 minutes.

Pipe frosting on top of each filled cupcake.

Notes:

• Freeze the Almond cupcakes and fill them later.

• Let the kids add their own fillings such as pudding or jam.

• Add sprinkles, chocolate shavings or a cherry on top.

• Refrigerate any leftover frosting then bring to room temperature before using again.

• Add more powdered sugar or milk as needed to make a creamy frosting.

• Add other extracts to the cake or frosting such as Pipka’s Cherry or Lavender extract.

• Store frosted cupcakes in the fridge until ready to eat. Bring them to room temperature before serving.