Summer Shandy Cupcakes

Happy Birthday to Nick!  I usually make Nick is favorite... Cheesecake... for his birthday, but this year we are in the process of moving and turns out my springform pan is packed.  I guess we'll have to have a house warming cheesecake party instead. 

So I decided since it's summer and hot, nothing like a nice birthday cupcake made with beer!!  I think Summer Shandy is the ultimate summer beer.  It just screams lemony fresh!  We love it on a nice hot summer day.  These cupcakes were delicious... Nick ate 6 last night.  However, the texture was not what I expected.   I was expecting light fluffy, but these were move dense and flavor packed.  Very lemon bread tasting.  I think it's the extra wheat/yeast from the beer?  I'm not sure.  They were still lemony delicious, but not your typical light fluffy cupcake.  I'm still excited to make these again... perhaps with my favorite... Blue Moon! Enjoy!

Summer Shandy Cupcakes
Makes: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, brought to room temperature
zest of one lemon 
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup Summer Shandy
1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Glaze:
juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup Summer Shandy

Frosting:
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
zest and juice of one lemon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with liners.
Cupcakes:  Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy.  Stir in zest and lemon juice. Mix in egg.  Separately, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 parts alternating with the beer.  Once all mixed in, stir in the vinegar.  Immediately scoop 2/3 of the way into muffin cups.  Place in oven 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean.  Prepare glaze while baking.  Once they come out, while still warm, take a fork and stick it in the cupcake top  2-3 times 3/4 of the way to the bottom.  Gently and slowly spread 2 tsp of glaze on each punctured muffin top, allowing it to soak in between teaspoons.  Now allow to cool completely.  Frost with frosting when cool.  Store in fridge overnight.

Glaze:  While cupcakes are baking, make the glaze by whisking together all ingredients.  It should be a relatively runny, sweet mixture.

Frosting: Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Lemon juice and zest and continue mixing.  Add powdered sugar and mix until all combined.  Spread over cupcakes once they have cooled.