Happily, amongst the work and the surprisingly long job of potting out my eleventy-hundred tomato seedlings, I have still been baking. Following last weekend’s Serious Conversation about Excessive Baking And Not Being Supportive, it’s all had to fit the Loophole Criteria.
First up –
Beloved’s Hated Lemon Cupcakes
120 grams of plain flour
150 grams of caster sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
Zest of three lemons, finely grated
40 grams of unsalted butter, at warm room temperature
120 mls of milk (I used goats milk, as we had a lot of it, with a very tasty, non-goaty, result)
1 egg
Icing:
250 grams of icing sugar, sifted
80 grams of unsalted butter, at warm room temperature
Zest of two lemons, finely grated
25 mls of milk (again, goat is fine, as is any other full fat milk)
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (160 fan forced)
Line a 12 hole muffin-tin with paper cases, or if you’re using the straight sided paper cases that hold their shape, just put them on a baking tray.
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, zest and butter in a medium size bowl.
Mix on low speed with handheld electric beaters until everything is well combined and a slightly sandy consistency.
Continue mixing on low speed and gradually pour in the milk, mixing until just combined.
Add the egg and mix until smooth.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases, filling them 1/2 – 2/3 full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and springy.
Leave to cool completely.
For the icing:
Using your handheld beaters, beat the butter, icing sugar and zest on medium-slow speed until well combined.
Continue beating on slow speed, gradually adding the milk.
When the milk is completely incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until pale and fluffy, for about 5 minutes.
Swirl over the cooled cupcakes.
Don’t be fooled by their name. You will love them. They are moist and tangy, and very generously iced without being cavity-inducingly sweet. Am still sulking about having to give them away.
Waiting for Agnes 