Labneh cupcakes
January 8, 2015 • Category: Dessert
I usually have a jar of labneh in the fridge at all times here in Lebanon. In the US, I make it from scratch usually or buy it on my trips to the Middle-Eastern store. I decided out of the blue to make some cupcakes, thinking of a famous Texan cake, the Seven-up Cake, that ladies used to make for potlucks and bake sales. Except I wanted to use a bottle of bitter lemon tonic water I had, to add that extra lemony taste.
The last few minutes of baking, the aroma coming out of the oven was faintly lemony and delicate. Very enticing.
INGREDIENTS: 12 cupcakes
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
rind of 2 lemons or limes or both
6 ounces oil
2 ounces bitter lemon tonic water or seven-up
3/4 cup labneh
Preheat the oven to 350F
1. Sift all the dry ingredients and whisk to combine and set aside. Place the eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat till thick and doubled in volume and pale yellow. Gradually while beating add the oil, lemon or lime rind, tonic water or seven-up, and labneh. Add the flour mixture till combined. Pour the batter into cupcake molds (3/4 full) and bake about 15 minutes till puffed-up and thoroughly cooked (a cake tester will come out clean). Cool and serve.
Comments
11 Comments • Comments Feed
Rosa says:
Delightful! Your cupcakes look very tempting and so fluffy.
Cheers,
Rosa
On January 8, 2015 at 8:08 pm
Velva says:
Very nice! Bitter lemon tonic? Love that too. Cupcakes are fun and wonderful to share.
Happy New Year!
Velva
On January 9, 2015 at 1:17 am
Elizabeth says:
Wow these would be deliciously tart and lemony and look like they have a wonderful texture.
On January 9, 2015 at 4:34 am
Krista says:
These sound so good, especially on the hot summer days we’re having. 🙂
On January 10, 2015 at 5:41 am
Alicia (foodycat) says:
They sound great! The combination of bitter lemon and labneh must make them so fluffy and moist!
On January 10, 2015 at 12:32 pm
Sylva T. says:
These sound lovely with the twist of adding yogurt! Love it!!
On January 11, 2015 at 7:18 pm
Sylva T. says:
I meant Labneh Joumana Thanks
On January 11, 2015 at 7:20 pm
Susan says:
They look so soft and moist, Joumana! I had never heard of baking with Seven Up and your bitter tonic water sounds like a very delicious alternative.
On January 11, 2015 at 7:49 pm
Joumana says:
@Alicia: I like to drink Lemon Bitter tonic water and I thought “why not using in the cakes instead of seven-up, it might make them taste lemony”. Anyway, I am glad I did!
@Susan: yes, that is a classic in Texas, the seven-up and the cola cakes too! What can I say, Texans are mavericks even in baking 🙂
@sylva: I added the labneh, which is drained yogurt, thick, labneh from a jar and it worked fine.
@Elizabeth: their texture was soft and a bit spongy, and the taste was rich and mellow, with a lemony undertaste.
@Krista: I enjoyed them here with tea, and we are having cold days! 🙂
@Oui, Chef: Actually, people say that it allows you to forego baking powder (the carbonation). I did not want to chance it so I included it anyhow. I just prefer lemon bitter flavor to seven-up which I find bland and too sweet. To each his own 🙂
On January 12, 2015 at 12:45 pm
Oui, Chef says:
Leave it to Texans to come up with a Seven-Up cake. I’m quite sure that I’d much prefer your version!
On January 14, 2015 at 1:39 pm
la nonna says:
miammm, excellents
On January 28, 2015 at 4:04 pm