Lemon Labor Cupcake

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter , unsalted and kept at room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• ¼ cup grated lemon zest
• 1/8 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ cup buttermilk , at room temperature
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 cup powdered/confectioners sugar
• 1 2/3 tbsps freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 unsalted butter , softened
• 1 1/2 cups powdered/confectioners sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp plus 1/2 teaspoon milk
• 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8in round cake dish with a cooking spray of your choice.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy (5 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the lemon zest. In another bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla.
3. Put the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately into the batter. Start and end with the flour mixture.
4. Pour batter into the cake pan, place it in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let it stand on a wire rack to cool.
5. While the cake is cooling, prepare the lemon syrup. Combine sugar and lemon juice in a heavy-bottom pan on low heat until sugar completelyt dissolves.
6. After the cake has cooled for 10 minutes, top the cake with the syrup over. Allow cake to cool completely before glazing and frosting.
7. Combine sugar and lemon juice in a bowl; whisk until smooth. With the back of a large spoon, glaze the top of the cake.
8. Meanwhile, to make the buttermilk, cream the butter and salt for 30sec In the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the milk, vanilla, powdered sugar and lemon juice. Beat for 5-6 minutes or just until frosting is fluffy. Put the buttermilk into a piping bag and frost as desired.