Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients

• Zest of 1 1/2 lemons
• 165 g self-raising flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 medium eggs
• 165 g soft margarine or butter
• 165 g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp milk
• 1 batch lemon buttercream
• 4 tbsp lemon curd
• 12 cupcake cases

Instructions

1. 1

   Pre-heat your oven to 160ºC/140ºC fan. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcakes cases.

2. 2

   Finely grate the zest of one and a half lemons.

3. 3

   Put all of the cake ingredients into a large bowl (grated lemon zest, 165g self-raising flour, 1½ tsp baking powder, 3 medium eggs, 165g soft margarine, 165g caster sugar, 1½ tsp milk). Beat on a low speed (either using an electric mixer or by hand) until all of the ingredients are fully combined.

4. 4

   Divide the mixture equally between the 12 cupcake cases.

5. 5

   Bake your cakes for 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Once baked, leave the cakes to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. 6

   If you're adding the hidden lemon curd centre - Scoop out the centre of the cupcakes (take a look at my tips above the recipe for the best way to do this). Add 1 tsp of lemon curd to the centre of each cupcake.

7. 7

   Make your lemon buttercream.

8. 8

   Pipe your buttercream onto the cupcakes and serve.