Makes 12
Prep & cooking time | 20 minutes
Ingredients
• 100 g unsalted butter, softened
• 3⁄4 cup (165 g) caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 11⁄3 cups (200 g) self-raising flour
• ½ cup (125 ml) milk
• zest of 3 lemons
• 125 g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups icing sugar mixture
• approx 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• drop of yellow food colouring, if desired
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Line a 12 hole cupcake pan with paper cases.
3. Using electric beaters, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and creamy. Mix through the lemon zest.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Gently fold through the fl our and milk in two alternate batches.
5. Divide the mixture evenly among the paper cases. Bake for about 12 mins, or until golden brown and springy when touched. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
6. To make the icing, use electric beaters to beat the butter until light and creamy. Add the icing sugar a little at a time, beating constantly.
7. Add half the lemon juice and beat until well combined. Add remaining lemon juice a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
8. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes. Decorate with a small lemon shape cut from a yellow piece of liquorice allsort or a slice of fresh lemon.
Variation | Lime Sublime Cupcakes – Substitute the zest of 6 limes and lime juice for the lemons. Decorate with a green lime shape.
Variation 2 | Clockwork Orange Cupcakes – Substitute zest of 2 oranges and orange juice for the lemons. Decorate with an orange shape.
