Brillante Lemon Cupcakes with Citrus Icing

This recipe is a spinoff of one that I found in the Flat Belly Diet Cookbook. The idea of eating dessert and still having a flat belly... simply brillante! These cupcakes have a very sunny disposition. With their light yellow color and lemony flavor, they are sure to perk you up on a rainy spring day.

Ingredients

cupcakes

1 2/3 cups flour

1 cup organic cane sugar

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp lemon extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

icing

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

4-6 tbsps freshly squeezed orange juice (depending on your preference of thickness for the icing)

1 tsp freshly grated orange or clementine zest (I like to use clementine because it has a little less bite to it)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners and grease lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a smaller bowl, combine the oil, eggs, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and stir until smooth.

Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake for 17-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool completely before icing them

To make the icing, combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth. Spread the icing over the cupcakes and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Music Suggestions:

• Le Tombeau de Couperin: Minuet- Maurice Ravel
• L'Histoire Du Tango: Bordel 1900: Jacques and Michael Israelievitch- Astor Piazzolla (I know this isn't an Argentinean recipe but this piece always makes me happy when I listen to it!)