Up until yesterday I wasn’t too sure what lemon curd actually was. I just knew my mum liked it and so I set about making Lemon Curd Cupcakes for her for Mothers’ Day. Turns out lemon curd is delicious! I love the tangy sweetness of it, the sharpness of the lemon means it’s not too sweet to simply enjoy from the spoon, for instance! I thought it made a lovely, perky and refreshing cupcake.
The key cuteness with these cupcakes it, of course the decorations. I went on a bit of a drunken internet shopping expedition last month and as a result I now have a bunch of really cute decorations I would normally have deemed far too expensive. Thank god for Prosecco! The chicks and eggs were actually not expensive at all. I got a box of 50 chicks from the pound shop in town and the bag of miniature chocolate eggs came from Tesco. The chicks are everywhere right now and even if you can’t find these utterly adorable mini-mini eggs then larger ones will look great too.
Makes 13
(It’s a terrible number but it either makes 13 or I have to try and change the recipe to 196g or something stupid! Think of the extras as a taster!)
200g unsalted butter, softened
200g golden caster sugar
4 eggs, beaten
zest of 1 lemon
200g self raising flour
2 tbsp milk
1 jar lemon curd
90g unsalted butter
190g icing sugar
2 tbsp milk
– Heat the oven to gas mark 4 and line a 12 hole muffin tin (and 1 ramekin dish for the extra) with paper cases.
– Cream together the butter and the sugar until soft and fluffy.
– Gradually beat in the egg a bit at a time until thoroughly combined.
– Add most of the lemon zest (about 3/4) andf mix until well distributed.
– Sift in the flour and fold until just combined.
– Divide the mixture equally between the cases.
– Bake for 25 mins.
– Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
– Meanwhile cream together the butter and icing sugar.
– Add the milk, remaining lemon zest and 2 tbsp of the lemon curd.
– Mix until smooth and creamy.
– When the cupcakes are cool use a paring knife to cut a small circle in the centre of the cake and then remove the core.
– Slice the top off the core and keep, dispose of the middle bit of cake.
– Place a spoon of lemon curd in the hole and then put the cap of the core back on to fill the hole.
– Carefully spread the buttercream on the cupcakes so as not to disturb the cap.
– Decorate as you wish. I drizzled lemon curd over as well as usuing the chicks and flowers for a hint of a different texture.
Anna in the kitchen 