Lemon Rose Cupcakes

This year for Valentine's Day I wanted to make something festive for my friends. It had to be something easy to carry and pass out which brought me to the option of a cupcake. I love cupcakes for this reason, they are perfect for sharing, they are portable, and who doesn't love a cupcake. Now there is a common misconception I must address, a cupcake by no means implies kiddie food or ordinary. Just because a cupcake doesn't have a fancy French name such as creme brulee or mille feuille doesn't mean you can't make it into a gourmet treat. Cupcakes are a way for you to get creative and they are perfect for taste testing because you can make a base batter and then add different fillings into each individual cupcake tin to see which one you like best. For example one time I decided to use a chocolate base and then I mixed in different combinations such as banana, raspberry, peanut butter chips, shredded coconut, etc. 

For these cupcakes I wanted to do something exotic and different, not the typical chocolate or vanilla cupcake. The idea came to me when I was shopping in my favorite Persian market, getting my weekly supply of spices I noticed a bottle of rosewater. Rose is a pretty common flavor in middle eastern sweets, it's light and refreshing while still able to hit the sweet spot. Suddenly I saw visions of beautiful pink rose cupcakes dancing in my head, it was my "ah ha" moment...perfect for Valentine's Day! Rosewater is very sweet so I decided that a fresh zest lemon base would complement the rose frosting wonderfully. My friends loved these cupcakes, you can make them for birthday parties, bridal showers, or maybe a tea party. Enjoy, and don't forget to share! Bon App

Recipe makes 18 cupcakes

**Rosewater extract is VERY sweet remember that a little goes a long way, and though the amount used in the frosting may not seem like enough...it is. If you want to kick up the rose flavor with out adding extra sweetness try using rose extract instead of rosewater 

Ingredients 

for the lemon base:

-2 cups of flour (I used white rice flour, but feel free to use regular white flour)

-2 cups sugar (unrefined)

-1 1/2 sticks butter

-2 eggs

-grated zest of 2 medium lemons

-1 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp baking soda

for the rosewater frosting:

-1 stick butter

-2 cups powdered sugar

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

-1/8 tsp rosewater

-few drops of red food coloring

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.Zest the two lemons, medium size zest (or however you like the lemon to show up in the cupcake). In a bowl add the flour, baking powder, sugar, and baking soda. Melt the butter and stir that into the flour mixture until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, then incorporate the zest from the lemons, make sure that it is folded well into the mixture. Line a cupcake tin with foil or paper liners and distribute the batter evenly among the cupcakes. Let bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. 

For the frosting use a stand up mixer or a handheld electric mixer. Cut the butter into 1 inch cubes and start mixing, slowly add the powdered sugar. You may want to add a portion of the powdered sugar, then add the cream, then add the rest of the sugar. Mix until smooth. Finally add the vanilla and the rosewater and the food coloring to give the frosting a pink color. 

Wait until cupcakes have cooled then with a wide knife add a generous amount of frosting to each one, in a circular motion. Garnish with a dried rose if you have any.