Lemon Lingonberry Cupcakes

photo courtesy Lisa Webber

So the semester has begun and with it, the precious dwindling of my free time. I will try desperately to bring you quality recipes, but the postings maybe far and between for the next few months. As I learn to balance work, school and life, bare with me! This might be a phase of using pre-made foods and sprucing them up to become more healthy and quality meals.

For now, here is a wonderful Lemony Cupcake recipe I created for the return of our prodigal Swede, Malin. We feted her in fine fashion a few weeks ago with a spread of modern takes on traditional Swedish food. An excellent herring and egg salad a top fresh toast points, Nordic cheeses, fine wines and the required, Swedish meatballs from Ikea rounded out the food table.

Lemon Lingonberry Cupcakes

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 eggs, separated, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
juice and half the zest of one fresh lemon

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sift dry ingredients, except sugar, together.
Cream the sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon juice and zest together. Add in the egg yolks, beating thoroughly in between each.
Add the flour and buttermilk in three additions, alternating dry and wet, mixing completely between each.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff.
Fold the egg whites into the batter.
Put in baking cups and bake for 20-25 minutes, until they pass the Toothpick Test!

Frosting
2 packages cream cheese, softened
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3-5 cups confectioner sugar

Beat the cream cheese, vanilla and lemon zest together. Sift in the sugar until desired sweetness and consistency is reached. Feel free to add more lemon for zing!
Chill until spreadable.
Frost each completely cooled cupcake and top with a dollop of tart lingonberry preserves. You can sub this with any other tart fruit spread, but it won't be Swedish!