Poppy Seed Cupcakes

Continuing my post about lemon curd on my old food blog, I have one more to share with you here.  This idea of making cupcakes filled with lemon curd occupied my mind while I was working.  I was trying to figure out what kind of cake I wanted to make and how could I incorporate the curd in the cake.  Something small would be better since I didn't want to make something elaborate.  My thought went to Chockylit who made a variety of cupcakes with different kinds of fillings on the inside of the cupcakes.  So bingo!

I also browsed my baking books and found a recipe of poppy seed layer cake with lemon curd-whipped cream as the filling in Martha Stewart's Christmas Cookbook.  Since I love flavored whipped cream, I thought that's it, I was off to make these cupcakes right away.

For these cupcakes, I filled them half with lemon curd-whipped cream and the other half with just lemon curd.  Preferably, the lemon curd needs to be thicker to stay in the cupcake, and usually cornstarch is  added when making it but since I only had that curd, I just had to use it.  It only became visible that when it's cut into two, the curd started to flow and wouldn't stay put for the photograph!  I had fun doing this project and the combination of poppy seed and lemon curd were sweet!

Poppy Seed Cupcakes

Makes about 22 cupcakes



1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 lemon

1 cup milk

1/3 cup poppy seeds, plus more for sprinkling

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups lemon curd, homemade or store-bought

1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy cream



Preheat oven to 350 degree F.  Line cupcake pan with liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt two times into a bowl; set aside.  Grate zest of lemon into a small saucepan and add milk and poppy seeds.  Heat over high heat until steaming; let cool to room temperature.  Add vanilla extract.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until soft.  Gradually add sugar; beat on medium speed until very fluffy, about 5 minute, scarping down sides of bowl several times.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; continue beating on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.

Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk mixture and beginning and ending with flour.  Beat on low speed until just combined. Divide batter evenly for the cupcakes, about 2/3 full each.  Bake until tops are golden brown or until a cake tester inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed.   Let cupcakes cool completely on wire racks.  Cakes can be made a day ahead before serving if desired.

Cut out a cone from each cupcake and trim the ends of the cones.  Fill the hollowed cupcakes with lemon curd-whipped cream.  Replace each top.  Frost cupcake tops with more lemon curd-whipped cream and sprinkle some poppy seeds.

Source:  adapted from Martha Stewart's Christmas Cookbook