Ingredients
250g unsalted butter (very soft)
250g white caster sugar
4 free-range large eggs (organic if possible)
Zest from two large unwaxed lemons
250g self raising flour
5 tablespoons of full fat milk
Method
Soften the butter – it needs to be really soft
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar (in a mixer with whisk attachment fitted or by hand with a large balloon whisk)
Whisk until creamy and fluffy
Put the eggs in a jug and gently beat together with a fork
Add the eggs, roughly one egg at a time, to the creamed butter and sugar
Whisk well until creamy and combined before adding more egg
Weigh the flour
Sift the flour into the cake mix, add a little at a time, and gently fold in with a metal spoon; carefully add more flour once incorporated
Fold in the lemon zest with the last bit of flour
Then, gently fold in the milk, a little at a time, until incorporated
Prepare cake tins with cupcake cases
Spoon the cake mix into the cupcake cases – only half fill the cupcake cases
Smooth the tops of each cupcake with a palette knife
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees (fan) or 200 degrees (normal) for approx 15 mins, or until springy and a pale golden colour
While the cupcakes are in the oven, prepare the lemon soak
Fresh Lemon Soak
Squeeze two lemons
Sieve the lemon juice into a jug
Whisk in four tablespoons of icing sugar
Remove the cupcakes from the oven and, while still in their tins, prick the top of each cake with a cocktail stick
Spoon a few teaspoons of the lemon soak over each of the cupcakes
Leave to cool in their tins
Lemony Royal Icing
1 box of royal icing sugar (or 500g icing sugar and pasteurised egg white powder)
Juice of two lemons sieved (you may need more)
Follow the instructions on the box for making up the royal icing, but replace all of the water with lemon juice
Beat until stiff peaks
Put one quarter of the icing in a small bowl, cover and put to one side (you can then colour this and pipe on decorations)
The rest of the icing needs to be quite smooth, but not runny (add more lemon juice if too stiff)
Spoon the icing onto each cupcake and gently smooth with a palette knife; the icing should be about 1/2 cms deep
Leave icing to set, and then decorate with simple piping in a contrasting colour
Decorate with pretty sugar-paste flowers.
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