Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon extract (or I used 5-6 drops lemon essential oil instead)
2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 cup oil (I used canola)
6 eggs
zest of two lemons
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Sugar Sprinkles (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract, lemon juice, oil, eggs and lemon zest. Add in and mix flour, baking powder, baking soda. Put cupcake liners in muffin tin. Fill to about 2/3 full. I sprinkled sugar sprinkles on top of the muffins before baking. Bake until cupcakes are done (don't overbake). I think I baked them for 11-15 minutes but time will vary based on your oven. You can also make this in a bread pan but you'd need to cook it longer and grease the pan first. I did it both ways and like the muffins a lot more. This recipe was originally supposed to be a copycat recipe for the Starbucks Lemon Loaf but I altered it a little and didn't use the glaze they suggested. If you want to try the glaze, it is 2 cups powdered sugar, 4 tbsp skim milk, and 1 tsp lemon extract (or a few drops of lemon essential oil). Combine those ingredients and pour over the cooled muffins or loaf.
