Ingredients

For the vanilla dough:

- 110g of butter (room temperature)

- 100g of sugar

- 3 eggs

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- 1/2 lemon peel gratered

- 190g of flour

- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

- 60ml milk

Chocolate frosting:

- 230g of confectioners or powdered sugar

- 110g of butter

- 2 tablespoons of dark cocoa

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

- 2 tablespoons of milk

Decoration

- sprinkles sugar / dark chocolate

- shortbread pastry dough (following the recipe here)

First make the dough for the cupcakes. This dough makes 12 regular cupcakes. Mix the flour with the baking powder and the lemon peel in a bowl.

Cut the butter and let it bacomes soft at room temperature. Mix it with a mixer until it gets soft and creamy. Add the sugar and mix.

Add one egg and mix, then add the second egg and mix again.

Add the third egg and mix until the mixture is smooth. Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Add half of the flour mixture and mix. Add half of the milk and mix.

Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix. Add the other half of milk and mix.

In a cup cake oven tray place 12 cupcake papers. Add the mixture in them.

The mixture should take 3/4 of the cupcake paper. Let them cook for 15 min at 180°C (360F) or until a wood stick comes out dry (generally they don't need more than 20 min). Let them cool at room temperature.

Make the frosting. Mix the butter with the mixer until it gets soft and creamy. Add the powdered sugar one cup per time and mix well.

Add the cocoa powder and mix. Add the milk and mix until smooth.

With the cream make a layer on top of your cupcake spreading it with a knife or a spatula. (If the frosting is too liquid you can either add some sugar or let the mixture stay in the refrigerator for sometime. If the frosting is too dense you can add some milk).

A step more for the decoration (optional). Make the shortbread pastry following the recipe for the Ricotta pie you find here and let it in the refrigerator for 30min. Then make it flat with a roller pin. Cut out the shapes you like.

Cook it for 15min at 180°C (360F) until they are golden. Melt some dark chocolate.

Spread the chocolate on top of the biscuits. Be creative!! You can do tons of different decoration :-)

Sprinkle the colored sugar on the side of the cupcake (by rolling the cupcake in a plate with the sprinkles sugar). Keep refrigerated before eating. Serve cold.