Black and White Cupcake Deliciousness

If you are a fan of NYC's famous Black and White Cookies, then these cupcakes are for you. The cake is moist and delicious. While they do not have that airy super sweet taste found in many bakery vanilla cupcakes (like Billy's, Buttercup's etc.), they are not pound cake either. They ice up easily with a professional finish.

Prepare the icings first:
Chocolate Icing
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
4 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add chocolate stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

White Icing
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons whipping cream
2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
drop of lemon extract if you have it

Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Let both icings stand 1 hour at room temperature to thicken.

Black and White Cupcakes
Makes 12

3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 1/2 cups of cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter at room temperature
1/3 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line or grease muffin tin.
Whisk eggs, vanilla in medium bowl to blend.
Mix flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl with whisk.
In mixing bowl add sugar and zest and rub zest into sugar with hands. Add butter and cream with sugar. Scrape sides and add the egg mixture mixing until blended.
Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk in two additions each.

Bake for 25 minutes or until done with a cake tester no longer has crumbs when inserted into a cupcake.