These Cupcakes Could Have Been Great!I decided to clean out my pantry closet and use some of the boxed cake and muffin mixes that have been accumulating. This one was Betty Crocker Lemon Cake.
For some reason it triggered a memory of Chocolate Lemonaire Doughnuts. I used to eat them every now and then at Dunkin Donuts and they were one of my favorites. It is a doughnut filled with lemon custard and frosted with chocolate glaze. I immediately knew this would be my inspiration for the Lemon Cake mix.
Since I had buttermilk in the fridge, I wanted to try using it in the cake mix for something a little different. I looked on the Betty Crocker website for a recipe using buttermilk and found one for Lemon Cake With Raspberry Mouse. It sounded great but I wanted to go with the Chocolate Lemon combo, so I adapted it to what I had on hand.
So I know your wondering why the cupcakes "COULD" HAVE BEEN GREAT. Well, I think the canola oil I used was starting to go bad. It had a strong smell when I was measuring it, but I just thought I was imagining it. The final product was perfect other than the funky after taste of oil. The cake came out very moist and rose to perfection. The frosting was awesome. Doesn't it figure?
I will make this recipe again when I get some new oil! So try it, it will be awesome if you use fresh oil.
Lemon Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting and Lemon Glaze
Adapted from Betty Crocker Lemon Cake with Rapsberry Mouse
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® lemon cake mix
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 eggs
1 . Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray.
2 . In large bowl, beat cake mix, buttermilk, oil, lemon peel and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
3 . Bake Cupcakes 16 to 21 minutes, 8-inch rounds 33 to 38 minutes, 9-inch rounds 28 to 33 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around side of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
4. Frost with "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting and drizzle with Lemon Glaze.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):
Heat oven to 375°F. Use 9-inch pans. Stir 1 tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour into dry cake mix. Decrease oil to 2 tablespoons. Bake 27 to 32 minutes.
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine (I used Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread)
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt butter (I just let the spread come to room temperature). Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.
Lemon Glaze
Zest from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lemon
Confectioners Sugar
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, adding small amounts of confectioners sugar until desired consistency.
Have you ever heard of Chocolate Lemonaire Donuts? Do you like Chocolate and Lemon together?
Anything with buttermilk in it just attracts me! I have honestly never had chocolate (real chocolate) and lemon together, BUT I have had orange and chocolate together and thought it was not very palatable. so, I don't know if I'd like this combination. white chocolate and lemon is good, though. glad to see you've returned.
ReplyDeleteClaire, I've been using "fat free" buttermilk a lot in my baking lately. It is so thick and rich and brings such a great texture and flavor to everthing.
ReplyDeleteI love orange and chocolate together, so I guess if you don't like that, you probably would'nt like the choc-lemon combo.
I am going to be really busy over the next few months with my job, so I may not be posting daily. I will try to post every other day. I guess I'll see how it goes. :)
Chocolate Lemonaire Donuts
ReplyDeleteare the greatest donuts of all time
if I was on death row
I would request them as my last meal..
those cupcakes were sooo good!!!
YES! My favorite at Dunkin’ Donuts, but I haven’t seen them in many years. Very sad. :(
DeleteNo. No.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a huge fan of fruit and chocolate mixed together (unless it's bananas).
Man...what is a "Chocolate Lemonaire Donut"?? Sounds good!
ReplyDeleteWell, they look great!
ReplyDeleteLook how silly I am, I didn't know that canola oil went bad. I better watch that as I don't use oil that often.
it's just a lemon filled donut with chocolate frosting
ReplyDelete=)
JUST a lemon filled doughnut with chocolate frosting?!?!? NO, they are the food of the gods, I tell you; the food…of…the…GODS!
DeleteThe combination of lemon and chocolated it sound funny to me,guess what the cupcakes were delicious.bambola
ReplyDeleteLemon & Chocolate RULE
ReplyDeleteever drink mountain dew with oreos?
now that's good stuff...
Jen, You are too funny. I don't know how you couldn't taste that funky oil. But, I'm glad you liked them.
ReplyDeletePaula, Understandable, but I love it. And I also agree with you on the bananas. Although I would probably like anything with chocolate.
WMM, As Jen said so correctly, it's just a lemon filled donut with chocolate frosting. And, they are fabulous.
Heather, I thought canola oil had a really long shelf life, but like you, I don't use it too often so I guess it was in my cabinet for almost 2 years. The strong smell should have tipped me off.
Bambola, Glad you liked them. :)
Jen, I think you had too many Lemon & Chocolate cup cakes. HAHAHAHAHA. Three comments???
Oreos and Mountain Dew? I guess I would have to be in the mood for junk food, and then it would probably hit the spot!