Limoncello Cupcake

Here's a recipe using limoncello

Limoncello drinking tips: Store your limoncello in the freezer and serve in frozen shot glasses for maximum enjoyment. Limoncello and soda is easy and refreshing; a shot of the liqueur added to your cheap summer red wine makes instant sangria. You can even pour a little over ice cream or sorbet.
The liqueur also acts as a boozy sweet-and-sour mix, adding a complex citrus flavor and light sweetness to any cocktail without the acidity of lemon juice. Mix one part limoncello with two parts whiskey to replace the "sour" in your whiskey sour with high-octane aromatherapy. The same thing with tequila or dark rum makes a warm-weather cocktail that's far from fruit salad.


Not only is limoncello a welcome addition to drinks, it also adds a perky zest to edible recipes. My husband's favorite asparagus preparation includes a limoncello beurre blanc sauce which is a buoyant accompaniment to countless other vegetable, seafood and poultry preparations. Limoncello imparts a sweet hint of lemon to a marinade and is a bright finish to fresh fruit, pound cake or drizzled in a sunny ribbon over ice cream. Here I've added limoncello to a simple cupcake recipe. The result is a moist, lemony cake topped with a fluffy hat of cream cheese frosting that I also infused with a bit of limoncello. The batter puffs up to a moist golden cake from only a small portion of batter in each cup.


1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel, no pith
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons limoncello
1 tablespoon milk
1 batch cream cheese frosting, recipe follows
a variety of organic edible flowers, see resource guide

equipment: 16 bun muffin pan lined with cupcake papers
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients except for 2 tablespoons limoncello and milk. Pulse until the batter is smooth. As the food processor runs, slowly add in remaining limoncello and milk through the funnel and mix until completely incorporated into the batter.
2. Divide the mixture up into the 16 bun muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cupcakes have risen and are golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and cool the cupcakes for a few minutes in the tin before removing from the tin and cooling completely. Once cool, frost and top each with a flower. Serve with chilled limoncello. Makes 16 cupcakes.
Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
2 teaspoons limoncello
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, butter, limoncello and lemon zest at medium speed until smooth. Slowly add the confectioners sugar and beat at high until full incorporated and the frosting is light and fluffy, about three minutes.

Notes:

This amount of frosting will exceed the amount needed for the cupcakes but the remainder can be refrigerated for up to two weeks and used for additional recipes.