Walnut Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

I made those cupcakes couple of weeks ago. We had company coming over and I had nothing sweet at home, so I opened up my "want to make it" folder and found this pretty easy and fast recipe. I whipped those in about an hour including cooling time. Ok, maybe and hour and fifteen minutes! :) The cupcakes were pretty tasty the same night, but I would suggest to make them at least one day ahead, they get more moist as they get older.

To make about 20 cupcakes you need:

3/4 cup grounded walnuts/pecans
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 TBS. lemon juice
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs

3 TBS. chopped walnuts for decorating

Beat eggs with sugar, oil/butter, lemon juice and lemon peel until combined. Add walnuts, and mix together. In a separate bowl mix flour with baking powder and baking soda. Add to the egg mixture and fold together to combine the dry ingredients with the wet ones. If the batter is too stiff add couple of TBS of buttermilk or milk.

Fill cupcakes liners with the batter to about 3/4 of a height of liners. Bake in 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool cupcakes and frost with vanilla cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

For this simple vanilla cream cheese frosting you need:

1 - 8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 TBS vanilla

Beat all ingredients until well combined and fluffy. About 5-7 minutes. Frost cupcakes, sprinkle with chopped walnuts.