OMG! I have to HAVE this recipe!

Ever said that when you ate something from a restaurant? Yeah well, good luck getting the recipe from the chef. Most of us have to resort to sneaking around for a copycat somewhere on the internet.

We ooh'ed and ahh'ed over a Lemoncello Dessert from the Cheesecake Factory. I've been trying many different recipes to try and replicate it....it's not hitting the mark but it's fun trying.


Limoncello Cupcakes

Yield: 1 dozen or 6 Texas Sized

For the cupcakes:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons limoncello
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
jar of Lemon curd or

Make your own homemade:
For the lemon curd:
Zest of 2 lemons
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk

For the cream cheese limoncello frosting:

2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon limoncello
zest of one lemon
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1. Prepare the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the center. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the limoncello and beat an additional minute. On low speed, add flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter between 12 muffin tins (I used one Texas Size Muffin tin). Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely.


2. Prepare the lemon curd. In a heavy medium saucepan, stir together the lemon zest, juice and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolk. Whisk the lemon mixture into the eggs to temper them. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let cool completely.

3. Prepare the cream cheese limoncello frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the limoncello and beat for an additional minute. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.

4. Assemble the cupcakes. Cut a hole into each cupcake with the large end of a melon baller or the back end of a large pastry tip. Fill each cavity with the lemon curd. Fill a pastry bag with a star tip (I used Wilton 1M) with the cream cheese limoncello frosting and pipe onto each cupcake. Decorate with lemon and berries, if desired.




Cook's Notes:

• I feel I am getting close. This cake was too dense for me. My first recipe used a Japanese Soft Lemon Cheesecake recipe and it was still soft and spongy despite being refrigerated. This cake became too firm.
• The jarred Lemon curd was okay but I've made homemade lemon curd for pies before and it's definitely better and more tart....jarred stuff is not tart enough and overly sweet.
• This frosting was lovely, spot on.
• So the next time you see my post on this again, I will have used the Japanese Soft Lemon Cheesecake recipe in a springform pan split into two layers. Homemade lemon curd as filling, and this frosting lightened up with whipped cream. Oh, and some strawberries of course. I am definitely in the process of cracking this case...perhaps I need to go to the Cheesecake Factory and try it just onnnnnneeeeeeeee moreeeeeeeeee time! You know, for research!
  

And if you are FEELING CHEESY, scroll down to my last post and enter my giveaway. Try your hand with cheese powder and see what you come up with! I wrote a post note about how I used the fresh powder I am giving away....please go and read!

Enjoy!