Directions:
Start candied lemons - they take the longest. While you're bringing 2 cups of water to a boil, wash and thinly slice a lemon. Remove the seeds. Add 1 cup sugar to the boiling water, stir, and reduce the temperature. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the lemon slices. Give them a quick stir, and then forget about them for an hour or so.
Simmer until translucent, then remove with tongs. Lay flat to dry on a non-stick surface. For sparkly appearance, sprinkle with sugar, if desired. While candied lemons are setting...
Cupcake Batter:
Mix the softened butter on med-high until fluffy, then mix in the yogurt and sugar until light and creamy. Mix in the two eggs. Now, add the vanilla, lemon juice, limoncello, and lemon zest. Mix on medium speed and watch your beautiful creamy mixture turn into a curdled mess. Don't worry. It gets better.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients. It's a good idea to stop and scrape the sides of the bowl every now and then so you don't end up with pockets of baking soda. Nothing like a baking soda flavored bite to ruin a perfectly lovely cupcake. You'll end up with a very thick, but fluffy, batter. Prepare your muffin tin with cupcake liners, and spoon in the batter to desired level. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes, depending on your oven.
Frosting:
Beat both the room temperature cream cheese and butter together until you have a fluffy and homogeneous mixture. Add the vanilla bean paste, limoncello, and lemon zest. Beat 'em up again until fully incorporated. Then, with the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then mix on med-high for about 30 seconds.
Once the cupcakes are COMPLETELY cooled, frost, and add candied lemons. Making a little slit in the frosting to place the lemon in is helpful.
Read the full recipe and blog here: