I'm sure by now we all know Pinterest is both a blessing and a curse. I really have done more crafts and tried more new recipes due to having a visual bookmarking system. But I also get those images stuck in my brain and I just can't seem to get them out. A cleaning solution can fly out of my head quicker than a wasp; but a picture of a dazzling cupcake has me hooked.
Ever since I saw these babies on someone's Pinterest board, my mind's been swimming with lemon. Well, I finally clicked through the link and found out ... there was no recipe. I had to do some searching, even, to find out these were mini-cupcakes from Tori and Dean's wedding vow renewals. (They haven't been married THAT long ... right?)
So I had to settle for an easy recipe I found on another site. I made two dozen of these for the high-school boys we "dorm parent," and they disappeared extremely quickly. (Of course, they are high-school boys. So you might take that with a grain of salt.) The simple recipe takes almost no time to prepare, so I think these will be a go-to recipe of mine for feeding the boys or taking to a party. And they can be made very low-cal as well!
Lemon Cupcakes with Light Lemony Frosting
Adapted from Dashing Dish
Cake:
1 box lemon cake mix
12 ounces lemon-lime soda
Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tins with cupcake papers. Mix cake mix and soda together until all is incorporated and there are no lumps. Fill papers about halfway full. Bake 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely.
Frosting:
8 oz. Cool Whip
one 8-oz. package instant lemon pudding mix
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup milk
Fold pudding mix and lemon juice into Cool Whip and beat until creamy. Add milk and stir until uniform. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Add sprinkles and fresh lemon zest if desired.
