cupcakes for breakfast

when i was in high school i worked at a cafe that had the most amazing lemon poppy seed cake.  i somehow convinced myself that lemon poppy seed cake for breakfast was healthy because lemon is a fruit and frosting is cream cheese so that's 2 food groups in one meal! now that might have been a stretch but it was defiantly delicious.  since the new craze now is cupcakes, i've turned my favorite breakfast into a yummy bite on the go.

lemon poppy seed cupcakes
- one box of boxed lemon poppy seed mix
- eggs
- oil
- lemon juice
- cream cheese
- vanilla
- powdered sugar

let's be real i'm a busy girl, after working and being on my feet all day i just want to make something simple that tastes good.  there is no shame in using boxed cake mix as long as you put your own spin on it.  i like to add a few good squirts of fresh lemon juice, if your feeling wild and crazy add the zest from half a lemon.  when i am feeling Paula Deen inspired, i also like to switch out the oil for melted butter (i think it makes for a more moist cake)

for the frosting, i whip 8 oz of cream cheese about half of a bag of powdered sugar (2ish cups) add one splash of milk at a time to loosen up the frosting, you can always add but its hard to take away.  adding one teaspoon of vanilla gives the frosting a nice sheen and then add the juice of half a lemon for some flavor.  keep in mind the longer you whip the frosting and the more milk you add the thinner the mixture becomes.. its all relative on what type of frosting you like (thick or more like a glaze)
hmm, this just popped into my head, but i think homemade whip cream (8oz of heavy whipping cream and splash of vanilla and enough sugar to sweeten it would be an amazing frosting for this refreshing cupcake, try adding a fresh strawberry, blueberry or raspberry on top as an accent flavor and garnish)

when your cupcakes cool down and it's time to frost there are a few ways..for the more professional look grab yourself a piping bag (a gallon zip-lock with a hole cut in the corner works just as well) there is the good old fashioned butter knife, or my new favorite a little move i like to call the "dip, twist, and pull." NO, its not a dance move, although it'd probably work on the dance floor, but its when you DIP the cupcake top down into frosting and then as you TWIST the little goober pull up.  this creates a nice semi-thick coating of frosting with that cute little swoosh on top. you know the swoosh i speak of, its like when you get soft serve ice cream and the top has that little swoosh.  jazz up this semi homemade treat with a twist of lemon rind, or yellow sugar crystals. a picture of this cupcake is up at the top of my blog. until next time folks..eat, laugh, love & enjoy