Vancouver said goodbye to winter a little early this year and welcomed spring with open arms. We’ve had some beautiful sunny days in March, and everyone has felt relieved from the constant rain. To celebrate such lovely weather, I decided to remake these delightful Sunny-Side-Up Cupcakes. Well to be honest, I re-baked them just for my daughter! She was browsing the blog last month when she noticed that I had not baked Sunny Side Up Cupcakes in 10 years. I think she just wanted some cupcakes for when her friends come over for Easter, which why she pointed it out. They are easy to make and perfect for spring and summer! I hope you enjoy watching the video, too.
These light and soft cupcakes are bursting with fresh lemon flavor from both lemon juice and lemon zest. To further enhance the flavor, they are topped with lemon curd surrounded by cream cheese frosting. The results is a decadent cupcake with just the right amount of lemon! Lemon desserts are always something special, and these cupcakes are certainly no exception. I thought the title “Lemon Cupcakes” would suit them, but my daughter insisted on sticking with the original recipe name as they resemble sunny-side-up eggs. And so, the name, “Sunny-Side Up Cupcakes” it is!(Source: Canadian Living).
These cupcakes are not only easy to whip up but also keep beautifully in the fridge, making them ideal for preparing ahead of time for any event, big or small.
The method for making the batter is as simple as it can be. Start by combining all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. I like to mix Gf all-purpose flour and almond flour because it results in a lighter, more tender cake with less starch.
If you choose to use some other flour blend, adjust the milk or eggs accordingly, since the absorption rate of almond flour and other flours is different. I sometimes make almond flour at home for cakes, and it is really easy to do. I just throw a cup of chopped blanched or whole almonds into a food processor and pulse till it becomes fine crumbs. I then put this through a flour sifter and grind the large particles again if any, making sure not to over-process. The leftover crumbs can be used in stuffing and coating where the bread crumbs or ground almonds are required.
The other advantage of using almond flour is that you can cut back on sugar since almonds tend to be naturally sweet. So, when you frost the cupcakes, you will not feel the urge to remove the frosting (my husband does that most times) before eating. The lemon curd and cream cheese frosting make these cupcakes look absolutely beautiful, and the flavors really complement each other.
Making the frosting is simple. You’ll beat together the cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar. I like frosting my cupcakes using a piping bag and tip (I used a no.12 nozzle tip) for a clean look, but a spoon or knife works just as well too.
To make lemon curd, I added 1 egg and 1 egg yolk with sugar and lemon juice to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and cooked for about 7-10 minutes. Once it’s cooked, I strained the lemon curd through a fine mesh sieve. You want the lemon curd to be nice and smooth because we’ll be using it in the center of the frosting to mimic an egg yolk.
The sunny-side-up cupcakes can be stored at room temperature for about 12 hours, then refrigerated after that. Keep them in an airtight container and enjoy them within 2-3 days. They are best served at room temperature.
Light and soft cupcakes with lemon flavor
Ingredients
- 140 g ( 1 cup) GF all-purpose flour
- 96 g (1 cup) almond flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (less 1 tbsp) sugar ( the original recipe has 1 cup)
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
- 2 - 2 1/2 cups icing sugar (sifted)
Instructions
- Mix together gluten-free all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Preheat oven to 350° F
- In a medium large bowl, rub lemon zest and sugar together until combined and feels damp.
- In a mixer bowl, add in butter and sugar, and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Add in lemon juice and continue beating.
- Stir in half the dry ingredients into wet mixture. Stir in milk. Gently fold in the remaining dry ingredients just until combined.
- Spoon into paper lined muffin cups. Bake until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 16-18 minutes.
- Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes; transfer to rack and let cool completely.
- Using a piping bag fitted with no. 12 nozzle (alternately make a small hole in Ziploc and use it as piping bag), pipe icing onto each cupcake leaving well in the center. Spoon 1 tsp of the lemon curd into each well.
- In a non-reactive saucepan whisk together egg yolk, egg, lemon juice and sugar.
- Set over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly for 6-8 minutes.
- Strain through fine sieve into bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface.
- Refrigerate until cold. Tint with yellow or orange food color to resemble yolk.
- Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment and beat until creamy.
- With the mixer o low speed, slowly add icing sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add lemon essence and beat for another minute until smooth (It won't be as fluffy since I am using less sugar).
- Refrigerate for 15 minutes before icing it onto cupcakes.
Notes
I put some rice grains in the cupcake pan before putting liners. This helps in even baking and also prevents the cupcakes becoming moist from bottom.
Amelia
Hi Balvinder, wow… really love your cute sunny side cuppies. Very very cute and pretty. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe, I love lemon curd and cream cheese.
Have a nice week ahead. Regards.
yummychunklet
How cute and deceptive!
Malti Sharma
I wish I could bite into one of these right now as lemon is my favorite flavor. The yolk has got the perfect color.
They are definitely going to be on my list of thingsto make.
Sridevi Ravi
Lovely cupcakes! Wonderful alternative for those unhealthy cakes! I could have avoided a lot of all purpose flour if I had known this earlier. Anyways, better late than never…right! Creamy cheese and lemon curd icing…sunny all the way!
Choc Chip Uru
Cute cute cuteeee cupcakes my friend, loving them 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Bam's Kitchen
Adorable they really do look like little eggs or a sun. Happy spring to you. It has been raining for 3 weeks straight in Hong Kong, just miserable weather, so glad to hear that you have sun. I would love to enjoy one of these cupcakes now at least I can feel sunny, even when the weather is not cooperating.
Malli
These look like absolutely delicious Sunny-side up-cakes!! Great idea love the look of your new space too:)
Kitchen Belleicious
the cutest idea EVER! seriously, the cutest idea ever. I can’t wait to surprise people with this
Juliana
So cute these cupcakes Balvinder…I need to try to bake cake using rice flour…
Hope you are having a great week 🙂
Coffee and Crumpets
Such happy cupcakes! Love the burst of sunshine. We are still struggling with rain and snow here in CO but I don’t mind! I really prefer cooler weather and after being in Texas the last 10 days, I was desperate to come back home.
I think I should make these and just enjoy the sun through the cupcakes, while watching the snow fall outside 🙂
Nazneen
Liz
They are really really pretty, lovely to know you are having some nice weather – most of the rest of the northern hemisphere seems to still be struggling with winter like conditions.
anne
Bal , one of your prettiest bakes yet ! I couldn’t help but smile when I saw these cupcakes 😀 Hope that nice weather will continue 😉 Here , gahhhh it’s been raining for nearly a week now *sigh*
Minnie@thelady8home
Beautiful cupcakes!! They have turned out so perfect that for one moment I thought they were real sunny side there in the cakes!! Brilliantly done, and these look delicious.
Liz
These are such adorable cupcakes! They’d be awfully cute for Easter…and my family likes lemon almost as much as chocolate 🙂
Ambreen (Simply Sweet 'n Savory)
Ah, these are so cute. Delicious cupcakes, look awesome.
Viviane Bauquet Farre- Food and Style
So cute, Balvinder!
LinsFood
This is soo clever, Balvinder! I actually thought it was an egg, until I realised it was sitting on a cup cake!
Sarvani
haha.. how cute are these!!!!
Jennifer Eloff
Lovely, Balvinder! Now you have me wanting to make lemony something too! 🙂
Soma Saharay
Balvinder you know well I am always a fan of your innovative baking ideas….
Amrita
first time at your space…lovely page…following you…visit my page too
Paula Yankauskas
I won a cupcake contest with these! However, I had to fudge a bit by visiting another recipe for lemon cupcakes, as this one does not list lemon zest in the ingredients section (the cake part of these cupcakes) but has in the instructions to rub the zest into the sugar until combined and feels damp…so I tried with 2 tablespoons of lemon zest and the cupcakes were wonderful.
Balvinder
Oh dear, that’s wonderful Paula! I am so happy you won a cupcake contest. Yes I missed writing lemon zest in the ingredients. I will update it right now. Thanks for pointing out.
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Pattie
These are so cute! What a clever girl you are. I absolutely love lemon curd, I make my own (in the microwave), but often run out of ideas for how to use it. I’m going to remember these the next time. I would like one of these cupcakes now.
Judee
They sound wonderful and look adorable. would be a fun project to make with the grandkids.
rainbow evening
look pretty and delicious…. yummy
Soma Saharay
I must try this mouthwatering cups