Lemon and Poppy Seed Cupcakes
Makes 12
Equipment
- 12 hole muffin tin lined with paper cases
- Piping bag with a large star tip
- blossom-shaped cutters optional - if making the black sugarpaste flowers
Ingredients
For The Cupcakes:
- 125 g butter unsalted, softened
- 125 g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 125 g self-raising flour sifted
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
For The Buttercream and Decoration
- 250 g icing sugar sifted
- 80 g butter softened
- juice of half a lemon left over from cupcake batter
- 1 dab yellow gel food colouring optional
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
- 50 g sugarpaste black - optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180c/ Gas 4.
- Using an electric mixer with a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Next beat in the eggs, lemon zest and poppy seeds.
- Fold in the flour a third at a time until just combined. Fold in half of the lemon juice taking care not to over mix.
- Evenly spoon the batter into cases, two thirds full.
- Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out cleanly.
- Leave the cakes in the tins for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- To make the buttercream you can use an electric mixer with a large bowl again although I prefer using the food processor to stop clouds of icing sugar escaping. Beat the butter until very soft.
- Gradually beat in the icing sugar and poppy seeds. Add a dab of yellow gel food colouring for a brighter yellow if you wish.
- Beat in the remaining lemon juice a little at a time until you have a soft piping consistency. If the weather is warm you may need extra icing sugar to stiffen it. Decant the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
- When the cakes are completely cool, pipe swirls of buttercream on top.
- For the decoration, knead the black sugarpaste until soft. Roll out and stamp out blossoms using shaped cutters. Affix the blossom shapes to the buttercream whilst it is still soft.