Corona Cupcakes and some needed down time

So I have been super busy lately. I normally work three days a week, but things have been so busy lately that I've worked every day (except Sundays when we're closed) for a bit now. But I am off today!

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo and I had a blast doing some new things at work. My favorite was the Corona Cupcakes, which I had never done before. It was an idea I had, but I couldn't really find a recipe to work from, so I made up my own. I wanted something that was mainly lemon-lime with just a hint of Corona flavor. So here's what I came up with!

The cupcake itself:

Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Big pinch of salt

1 c granulated sugar

1/2 c vegetable oil

4 egg whites

zest of half a lime and lemon

1/3 c lemon-lime syrup (recipe below)

1/3 c milk

1/2 c Corona

I like to whip the whites up first and, once they've gotten some volume, add the sugar gradually. Once they're fully whipped, add the oil, then add everything but the Corona and flour. Then add 1 c flour, then the Corona, then the last cup of flour. Mix just until it's fully combined, then put it in the cupcake pans. Bake at 350 for about 15 min and it should make 2 doz.

Lemon-Lime Syrup

11/2 cup of juice (mix the lemon and lime however you like - I did about 3/4 lime and 1/4 lemon)

zest of half a lime and lemon

11/4 c sugar

1 c water

Put all the stuff in a saucepan and bring to a boil and let it continue till the sugar is melted.

I also like to use the leftover syrup, mix it with Corona, and brush it onto the cupcakes after they're baked. This adds a bit more Corona flavor to them, plus keeping them moist.

Corona Italian Meringue Buttercream:

First off, I suggest reading up on this style of frosting if you've never made it before. It can be tricky, but it is an incredible technique to have in your arsenal. Here's the basic recipe I started with and my recipe for this particular flavor is below.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c sugar

2/3 c Corona

squeeze of lemon and/or lime juice and zest (if you want)

5 egg whites

Pinch of cream of tartar

1 lb butter (completely cold - like straight out of the fridge)

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, Corona, and zest to boil and let it go till it reaches soft-ball stage. While your waiting on the syrup, put the egg whites in the mixer (and a squeeze of juice if you want) and start to whip them. Once they get a little frothy, add the cream of tartar and turn it to high until they reach soft peaks. Then switch the whisk for the regular beater and turn the mixer to low.

By this point, the sugar mixture should be ready. Pour it into the mixer and let it mix till it cools a bit and stops steaming. (Please be careful with the hot sugar - it is extremely hot and will BURN) Once it has cooled some, add the butter gradually. As you're adding it, be careful cause, if you add a huge chunk, it can splash some and you don't want to lose any of your frosting. You'll want to mix it at as high of a speed as you can without making a mess. At work, I drape a towel over the top of the mixer if it starts to get messy. It's best not to look at it too much cause, at points, it will look really funky, but just keep mixing and it will come back together.

Ok... So there's the recipe! Hope you like it!