Lemon & Elderflower Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients

For The Cupcakes:
140ml full cream milk
1 lemon
125g unsalted butter, softened
200g sugar
4 medium eggs
300g self raising flour
For The Icing:
200g unsalted butter, softened
400g icing sugar
3 tbsp elderflower cordial
Raspberries, to decorate

Prep: 25 mins | Cook: 20-25 mins

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Method

1. Set your oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas 3. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with 12 deep cupcake or muffin cases. Pour the milk into a jug. Finely grate the zest from the lemon and set aside. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the milk and stir to curdle it. It will look lumpy – and will get lumpier – but that is what you are after, so don’t worry. Set aside.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl till pale and fluffy (using electric beaters will make this faster).

3. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk with a pinch of sea salt and the lemon zest. Add half the eggs to the butter and sugar and beat to combine, then tip in half the flour and beat to combine. Add the rest of the eggs and beat to mix well.

4. Pour in the curdled milk and beat together, then add the remaining flour and beat till the batter is smooth. Divide the batter between the cake cakes. Slide into the oven and bake for 20-25 mins till golden, risen and springy to the touch. Take out of the oven, transfer the cakes to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

5. While the cakes cool, make the buttercream. Place the soft butter in a large mixing bowl and beat till smooth and creamy.

6. Add half the icing sugar to the butter and gently beat till combined. Add the elderflower cordial. Beat till smooth, then add the remaining icing sugar and gently beat till you have a thick, smooth icing.

7. Use a palette knife to spread the elderflower buttercream over the cold cupcakes, or pipe on using a piping bag. They will keep in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Decorate with raspberries to serve.