Sweet & Puckery Cupcakes

If you love sour candies, then these cupcakes will be right up your alley. The sour dust sprinkled on top of the frosting gives you an instant pucker, but the sweetness soon follows.

Elizabeth Bramkamp,

Gig Harbor, WA

Prep: 30 min.

Bake: 20 min. + cooling Makes: 2 dozen

1 pkg. lemon cake mix

(regular size) 1/2 cup lemon-lime soda 1/2 cup lemon juice 3 large eggs, room temperature 1/4 cup canola oil 1 pkg. (3 oz.) orange or lemon gelatin 2 drops lemon oil, optional

FROSTING

2 cups butter, softened 6 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 pkg. (3 oz.) orange or lemon gelatin 5 to 6 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 cup orange colored sugar, optional

1 Tbsp. citric acid, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, soda, lemon juice, eggs, canola oil, gelatin and, if desired, lemon oil; beat on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 18-21 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

2. For frosting, in a large bowl, combine butter, confectioners’ sugar, gelatin and lemon juice; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. If desired, in a small bowl, stir together sugar and citric acid; dip cupcakes into sugar mix.

Store in the refrigerator.

1 CUPCAKE 384 cal., 19g fat (11g sat. fat), 64mg chol., 293mg sod., 54g carb. (45g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g pro.