• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line your cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners.
• Zest and Squeeze the juice from one lemon. (We used ¼ cup juice- if you have less, make up the difference with a bit of water). Double check that the juice is free of lemon seeds. Set aside.
• Sift the cake mix into your mixing bowl. Add the flour, lemon pudding mix, and sugar and combine.
• Add all of the other ingredients to the bowl: zest and juice of one lemon, vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs, Limoncello, lemon extract, and milk.
• Mix at low speed for about ten seconds to incorporate before increasing to medium speed for two minutes.
• Scoop the batter into the paper lined cupcake pans. There will be approx. ¼ cup batter per cupcake. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. **Baking times can vary- peek in as the end time approaches.
• Optional: for more Limoncello flavor, lightly brush the tops of the freshly baked cupcakes with Limoncello, using a pastry brush.

For the Limoncello Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

• We prefer to make the frosting once the cupcakes are ready for frosting (completely cooled).
• Freeze your mixing bowl and beaters 15 minutes before whipping the cream. Use the whisk attachment if using a stand mixer, or beaters on your hand mixer.
• Beat the cream on medium high to high speed until stiff peaks form. You are at the stiff peak stage when you lift the beater and the cream stands straight up forming a peak.
• Keep in the refrigerator while completing the next step. In another bowl combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, Limoncello, lemon extract, and lemon zest. Mix until very smooth. (If using coloring gel, you can add at any time.)
• Gently fold/mix the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture (or vice versa)- you can do this step with a spatula as we did today, or you can use a mixer on the lowest speed. Mix just until combined. Pipe onto your cooled cupcakes (or refrigerate the frosting until ready to decorate).
• We frosted our cooled cupcakes using a disposable piping bag fitted with a 1M piping tip. Decorate however you like (although we find piping to be the easiest way to frost cupcakes!) Refrigerate the cupcakes in an airtight container, under a cake dome, or in a sealed bakery box until within an hour of serving. Makes about 24 cupcakes.