Citrus Hibiscus Cupcakes

Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of a mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, starting and finishing with flour and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat on high speed for 15 seconds.

Dvide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes before transferring the cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely.

Hibiscus Frosting: Beat the butter and hibiscus powder in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar on low speed. When sugar is well blended, increase speed to medium and beat until smooth, occasionally scraping down the bowl. Beat in the vanilla. Add the milk, one tablespoon at a time until frosting has a piping consistency.

Transfer the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a fluted or straight tip and, starting at the outer edge, pipe the frosting in a spiral on each cupcake.