I know its been months since I have posted recipes in here so this is my welcome back recipe to myself in celebration of the Easter Holidays. This is one of my favourites, Lemon Cupcake,. I normally keep it simple and just put a slice of lemon candy on top but because its Easter, I am experimenting on a few decorations. This one is with lemon frosting decorated with 3 Cadbury mini eggs on top, and white chocolate slivers. My daughter and I will experiment on a few variations today and will post them soon after. Here is the recipe:
Lemon Cupcake
120g plain flour
150g caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 T grated lemon zest
40g unsalted butter, room temperature
120ml milk
1 egg
Lemon Frosting
250g icing sugar, sifted
80g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 T grated lemon zest
a couple of drops of yellow food colouring (optional)
25ml milk
* You will need a 12-hole cupcake tray lined with paper cases
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 170C (325F). Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and butter in a mixer and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in the milk and beat until incorporated.
Add the egg to the flour mixture and continue beating until "just" incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl). Continue mixing for a couple of minutes until smooth. Do NOT overmix.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake for 20-25mins.
Leave the cakes to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire colling rack to cool completely.
For the frosting:
Beat together the icing sugar, butter, lemon zest and food colouring (optional) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together. Turn the mixer down to slow speed. Slowly pour in milk, then when all is incorporated, turn the mixer to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5mins. The longer the frosting is beaten, the lighter and fluffier it becomes,
Getting it together:
When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the lemon frosting on top and decorate with slivers of white chocolate (peel the chocolate using short strokes of your vegetable peeler) and then squeeze in three coloured cadbury mini eggs in the middle. If you want for it to look like a birds nest, omit the white chocolate, slice a chocolate flake in 3 sections then cut each in half lengthwise and position to look like a birds nest before adding the cadbury eggs in the middle. Secure with frosting if needed.
