Lemon Diva Cupcakes

Two down and many more to go!  Today I decided to try my hand at Julie Goodwin's Lemon Diva Cupcakes from her first cookbook "Our Family Table".  This recipe from memory won Julie the cupcake challenge on the first series of Masterchef Australi.  I also chose this recipe as there are a few lemons sitting in the fruit bowl. A good excuse as any to use up the lemons! But also anytime is a good time to bake I day!

Probably the best thing to remember is to make sure you take the butter out to allow it enough time  to soften.  This makes it easier to cream the butter and sugar together.  But you do not want to leave it out to long as it will be rather soft and difficult to cream.

 

 

The good thing about this cupcake recipe is that it is not one that has any complicated techniques to it.  Just a simple cupcake recipe.  Ingredients are butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, lemon zest, Self Raising Flour and milk.  The cupcakes are baked in a moderate oven for 20 minutes or until golden.

Adding the eggs to the butter and sugar together.

Adding the flour to the mixture.

 The uncooked mixture about to go into the oven.

The cooked cupcakes out of the oven.

 

The next procees is simple as well.  You just need to make the icing.  But you need to make sure that the cupcakes have completely cooled before putting the icing on.  As it will melt the icing, if put on a hot cake. 

 

 

The icing ingredients include icing sugar, butter, lemon juice and yellow food colouring.  Once again you need to make sure the butter has softened to allow it to be easier to beat until light and creamy.  Once it is like this slowly add the icing sugar untilit is all combined.  Then finally add the lemon juice and yellow food colouring.  I found  I had to add quite a few drops of colouring until it was the colour that I liked.  Then pipe the icing on top of the cake and enjoy them.

 

 

 Personally I added extra lemon juice to the icing to get the citrus taste that I like.  Next time when I make them I will probably use more lemon zest and lemon juice.  But these cakes are nice and soft and moist.  Looking forward to doing some more baking soon.