Walking By Faith: Sunshine In My Soul

A couple of weeks ago when we had visitors from the states we planned an after church get together for everyone to stay and enjoy one another's fellowship. Saturday was a day of prepping in the kitchen, making lots of sandwiches, washing and cutting veggies, and of coarse baking something sweet and finger licking good.

Thought we would throw a little extra sunshine on a beautiful Lord's day with something a bit sweet. I pretty much love anything lemon and did a little experimenting and came up with this recipe for Lemon Cupcakes and a frosting that was just right. They were a hit. Even David liked them, and he normally is a solo chocolate dessert lover. But I am slowly expanding his horizons with food.

Lemon Cupcakes

1 yellow cake mix {do not follow box instructions}

1 C peach nectar juice or apricot nectar

2 sticks butter, melted {do not substitute for margarine}

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners. Mix all the ingredients above with a mixer. Fill 24 lined muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

1/2 C shortening

1 stick butter, softened to room temperature

6 1/4 C powdered sugar

5 1/2 T lemon juice

1 1/2 T vanilla {I use Mexican vanilla for everything}

2 pinches of salt

2 T milk

2 drops yellow food coloring, optional {I did not use but the butter here in Costa Rica is literally the color of canary yellow, very bright.}

Cream shortening, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Then slowly add powdered sugar 1/2 C at a time while whipping in stand mixer, alternating with the milk. You can add more milk or powdered sugar if you prefer a different consistency. But this was exactly the measurements I used {I actually wrote this one down as I did it, so I would not have to guess next time}. Then pipe the frosting on cupcakes. Since we are living in a very humid climate, with no A/C, it is best for me to pipe day of eating them. I bake them day before and pipe them day of consumption.

Let me know if you try these out. The cakes were perfect consistency, a mixture of moist and dense, but not a brick {I shall share with you about queso bricks in Costa Rica sometime}.