Lemon Cupcakes

Does anyone else just LOVE that fresh lemon flavour in a cupcake?! In my opinion, lemon cupcakes are the best thing to enjoy on a summer's afternoon! These are so fluffy and rich in flavour and so easy to make! Great for an after BBQ treat or to eat on the side of an ice cold lemonade!

Lemons

In these cupcakes we use fresh lemons. None of this shop bought lemon juice. Trust me! If you want the freshest taste ever, fresh lemons are going to be your best bet! Plus, we're going to use lemon zest in there too, to really make the lemon flavour pop!

Make sure you have a proper zester, if you grate it you will end up with really big chunks of lemon zest which isn't really what we're going for. The zest will be creamed in with the butter and sugar to be really well combined in and rich with flavour!

Mixing

Its vital that this batter isn't overmixed otherwise you won't achieve the soft, fluffy cake that you're wanting. Overmixing could cause the cake to deflate or even become too dry and tough from overdeveloped gluten.

Pay close attention to the colour and texture of the batter as you mix. We're not adding air to the batter but need to make sure it's well incorporated. More guidance of mixing times will be in the instructions.

Ingredients

160g butter

140g caster sugar

Zest 1 lemon

2 eggs

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp baking powder

160g self-raising flour

1-2 tbsp whole milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C, and line a cupcake tray with cupcake liners.

2. In the bowl of your stand mixer or using an electric hand whisk, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until creamy and smooth. It will have a lovely lemon fragrance.

3. Add the eggs and lemon juice and mix until completely combined and slightly lighter in colour. about 30 seconds on high.

4. Sift in the flour and baking powder and combine on high for about 30 seconds, scrape the bowl down and mix again for around another 30 seconds on high.

5. Add one tbsp a at time of the whole milk. Mix until combined. The batter should be smooth and light in colour.

6. Divide the batter into your cupcake cases filling them about 3/4 of the way full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and the sponges bounces back after a light touch.

7. Leave to cool completely in tray.

8. Decorate with your favourite buttercream or cream cheese icing.

Additional Tips:

• Use real butter for the best, fluffy result and favour

• This cake can keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

• Sieve all of your dry ingredients, including the caster sugar. This helps the batter to be as smooth as possible.

• Don't overmix, especially after the flour is added or it will develop the gluten and become tough and dry.