It was my birthday earlier this week and have had the whole week off work. I mistakenly thought I would manage more blogging this week with all the extra time. How wrong can you be, it has taken me forever to get in the kitchen and put this post together. To be fair I have been busy catching up with friends and family, my little brother also came to stay for a few days. With all the trips out and general relaxation, baking has not been at the forefront of my mind… shame on me! My healthy eating has also taken a turn for the worst and the pink wine has been flowing. Back to reality, work and normal life tomorrow…
I have been thinking about and eating lots of food and after much deliberation I decided I would make one of MY favourites… lemon cupcakes! I love any kind of lemon cake, these cupcakes are delicious and I think they look sooo cute. They would be great cakes to make for a Jubilee party. This recipe is a combined adaptation of Nigella’s cupcakes with Hummingbird buttercream, I am not sure where the lemon curd idea came from I have been doing it for so long, Mx
Ingredients
Cupcakes
zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
125g self-raising flour, sifted
125g butter or margarine
125g caster sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
lemon curd or lemon cheese
Buttercream
250g icing sugar, sifted
80g softened butter
zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
few drops of yellow food colouring
25mls of milk
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200 C, 440 , gas mark 6.
2. Line a muffin tray with 12 muffin cases.
3. Cream the butter or margarine with the caster sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Then add the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour between each.
5. Then fold in the remaining flour, baking powder and lemon zest.
6. Gently stir in the milk and then spoon mixture into muffin cases.
7. Bake for 12-20 minutes.
When cakes are cooled make the butter cream by mixing together butter, lemon zest and yellow food colouring.
Then slowly add the milk until you get the required consistency more or less milk may be necessary.
Before Icing the cakes I remove a spoonful of cake from each cupcake and spoon in some lemon cheese or lemon curd. This adds a lovely lemony sharpness to the cakes and is very addictive. Then decorate as desired, I like to simply decorate with slithers of lemon zest.
keepcalmandcook 