These punchy little lemon cakes remain one of my favourite memories from Season One of MasterChef. They won me a mystery box challenge and became one of my most-requested recipes.
Makes: 12
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 100 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (165 g) caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- finely grated zest of 3 lemons
- 2 eggs
- 1⅓ cups (200 g) self-raising flour
- ½ cup (125 ml) milk
icing:
- 125 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (300 g) icing sugar mixture
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- yellow food colouring (optional)
- yellow liquorice allsorts, to decorate
METHOD
-
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 12-hole muffin pan (80 ml capacity) with paper cases. Using electric beaters, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until light and creamy. Mix through the lemon zest.
-
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Gently fold through the flour and milk in alternating batches. Divide the mixture evenlyamong the paper cases.
-
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and springy when touched. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
-
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. Add half the lemon juice and beat until well combined. Add the remaining lemon juice a little at a time, and tint with food colouring if you like. Using a 1 cm fluted nozzle, pipe the icing onto the cooled cupcakes. Decorate with a small lemon shape cut from a yellow piece of liquorice allsort.
Note: To make Lime Sublime cupcakes, substitute the zest of 6 limes in the cake batter and 2 tablespoons of lime juice in the icing. For Clockwork Orange cupcakes, try using the zest of 2 oranges in the batter and 2 tablespoons of orange juice in the icing.
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