Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan.
• In a bowl, use your fingers to rub the lemon zest and granulated sugar together until the sugar turns a light yellow. Transfer the sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer, and add the brown sugar and butter as well.
• Beat the sugars and butter together on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs and vanilla and continue beating for another 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. If there are any remaining chunks of sugar that haven't blended in, continue beating for another minute.
• Combine the buttermilk and lemon juice together in a small cup. If your buttermilk is cold, warm it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to bring it to room temperature. In a different bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppyseeds.
• Turn your mixer onto the lowest speed and alternate adding half the flour mixture, the buttermilk, and then the remaining flour. When adding the buttermilk, stream it in rather than dump all at once. Once you've added the remaining flour, turn off the mixer and finish folding the batter by hand with a rubber spatula.
• Divide the batter between the cupcake tins, filling to around ⅔ full but no more than ¾ full. Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until the cakes are set. Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• Start by beating the butter and cream cheese together in an electric mixer on medium speed for about a minute to combine them.
• Add the remaining ingredients. Start the mixer on low speed to bring everything together (and to keep powdered sugar from flying out everywhere), and then gradually increase the speed to medium-high. Beat for 3-4 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl in the middle.
• To frost the cooled cupcakes, use a knife or a piping tip. I used Wilton's 1M tip to create big, tall swirls. Enjoy!