I crave fruit cakes in the Summer.  No, not the dense kind that’s passed between families on “Friendship Plates” during the holidays, but those light, fruit flavored, filled, and topped cakes that are just right for a picnic or cook-out. 

Now I absolutely LOVE strawberry and strawberry shortcake cupcakes; but my other favorite is lemon.  There is just something about the combination of tart and sweet that can’t be beat.  And when you want lemon, nothing else will substitute.  Especially when a good lemon cupcake is just a few minutes away. 

This recipe is a variation of a Classic Vanilla Cupcake; There are two differences between this cake and the vanilla.  First, you add a little lemon juice and lemon zest to the batter.  Second, and most importantly, when the cakes come out of the oven, they are painted with a sweetly sour lemon glaze to ensure lemon flavor in every bite.

If you aren’t as into lemons, try making the classic vanilla cake and filling it with the blueberry compote for a delicious blueberry cream cheese cupcake.  You can even add some blueberries to the batter to make a cake that is packed with blueberry favor in both the cake and filling.