- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 3/4 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners into 18 cupcake pans. Set aside.
- Place cake flour, SPLENDA(R) Granulated Sweetener, sugar and softened unsalted butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed 1-2 minutes with an electric mixer until the butter is mixed into the flour mixture, with only very small pieces of butter visible.
- Add nonfat dry milk, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed until blended.
- Mix buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs and extracts in a small bowl. Stir well. Add 2/3 of the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Mix on medium speed mixing until the liquids are just blended into the flour mixture. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix on medium-high speed about 45-60 seconds until the batter starts to get lighter in appearance. Reduce mixer speed to low and add remaining liquids. Mix on medium speed until blended. Stop mixer and scrape sides and bottom of bowl again. Add poppy seeds. Mix on medium high speed an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour muffin batter into prepared pans. Bake muffins in preheated 350 degrees F oven 12-15 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.