Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 box lemon pudding mix
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 box lemon cake mix

For the frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons grated lemon zest
5 cups powdered sugar
Splashes of heavy cream
Yellow food coloring, if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together the eggs, sour cream, pudding mix, oil and milk until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in lemon juice, lemon zest and cake mix until moistened. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat an additional 1 minute.

3. Divide batter into muffin cups. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until well risen, and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out with moist crumbs attached (mine definitely took the full 20 minutes). Cool 5 minutes in pans before transferring to wire racks to cool.

4. To make the frosting, in a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in vanilla, lemon zest, and powdered sugar 1 cup at a time. Use heavy cream to thin out the frosting, if needed. Tint the frosting yellow with food coloring, if desired. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes, and decorate with sprinkles if desired. Makes 2 dozen cupcakes.