My love of lemon is no secret—so bright, cheerful and zingy—so it was probably no surprise to anyone in the family when I turned up to the Williams’ Mother’s Day gathering with a platter of lemon cupcakes.
Despite being very late to the cupcake party, I find myself completely captivated (or should that be infatuated?) with them at the moment. You can do so much with them from the simplest swirl of vanilla buttercream to elaborate and whimsical gardens atop a cupcake. There are some absolutely amazing cupcakes out there and it doesn’t surprise me that some bakers are now being described as cupcake artists.
These cupcakes are double-lemon, that is… a tender lemon sponge topped with a swirl of lemon buttercream. I usually top cupcakes with a simple buttercream of butter and icing sugar, but this time I decided to go with the luscious and voluptuous Swiss meringue buttercream that the Daring Bakers Opera Cake challenge introduced me to. I particularly like SMBB because it is just sweet enough (rather than being tooth-achingly sweet like the usual buttercream) but opinion was a bit divided on it. I say that buttercream should be buttery, but I guess that if you were expecting regular (excessively sweet) buttercream it might be a bit of a surprise. Hopefully a welcome one!
I had some left-over sugarpaste (fondant) so I had a go at making little rosebuds. I think you can just about make out what they’re supposed to be! I have invested in some cutters this week, so hopefully my next foray into sugarpaste flowers will be a little bit more successful! I’m really enjoying playing around with sugarpaste; it’s just like Play-Do, with the bonus that you can eat it! I also made some little hearts and finished off the whole thing with a little bit of glitz in the form of gold dragees (which I am still finding on the kitchen floor despite sweeping daily. They get everywhere!)
As an extra-special treat for myself, and because I’ve had a bottle of rosewater sitting unloved in the larder for ages, I made a little rose buttercream which was gorgeous. I really love the combination of lemon and rose; more people should use rosewater in cooking and baking!!
I am entering these cupcakes in Zorra’s Lemon Day event. I wish I had her problem of a glut of lemons!! I can’t think of anything better (except perhaps money growing on trees). Lemon sorbet, lemon ice cream, lemon curd, lemon cheesecake, lemon jam, lemon tart, lemonade, lemon risotto, lemon & basil chicken, lemon drop cocktails, limoncello…
Lemon cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes
- 110g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 200g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 190g self-raising flour
- finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- pinch salt (table salt, not sea salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 125ml full-fat milk, room temperature
Preheat oven to 180C (fan 160C). Line a 12-hole standard muffin tin with papers.
Cream butter for two minutes until light and fluffy. Drizzle in sugar, increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture has increased in volume, paled and very fluffy.
One at a time, beat egg and trickle into creamed mixture while mixer is running. Scrape down sides well after each egg is absorbed. Beat in lemon zest and lemon juice.
Sift flour and salt together. Add 1/3 of flour to mixer and beat on slowest speed until absorbed. Scrape down sides. While mixer is running, trickle in half of the milk. Scrape down sides. Add half the remaining flour. Scrape. Trickle in remaining milk. Scrape. Add remainder of flour, mix and scrape.
Divide between the prepared cases. Bake for about 20 minutes until the top is springy. Cool in the tin for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 2 large egg whites (room temperature)
- 100g caster sugar
- pinch of salt
- 175g unsalted butter (room temperature)
- juice of 1-2 lemons (to taste)
- yellow food colouring paste (optional)
Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.
The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. To check that the mixture is ready, rub a little between your fingers. If it is smooth, then the you’re good to go; if still gritty then keep going. Remove the bowl from the heat.
Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter two tablespoons at a time, beating until smooth.
Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes. During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.
On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice (to taste), waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more. If using the paste, add a little with a cocktail stick and beat in. Use immediately.
Follow me on Twitter
Become a Facebook fan
Those look so good! Very elegant! I’m currently working on some part-lemon cupcakes. I’m really loving lemon right now, too. I definitely prefer SMBC to American buttercream, but I don’t like powdered sugar. I’ve made rose SMBC before and I agree it’s an awesome combination – but then I’m also a huge fan of rose, or any other flowery flavor, for that matter.
Lemon is the perfect flavour for this time of year, isn’t it?
I love powdered sugar, far too much for my own good, really, but I much prefer SMBC for big swirls of frosting. It’s much less of a sugar rush, but people like what people like, I guess…
They look gorgeous! I love lemoney things, so fresh and zesty. The swiss buttercream sounds fab
Thanks, Katie!
Wow, Angela these cupcakes look sophisticated! And you are completly right I’m very lucky to have these two small trees full of lemons.
Thanks for your participation in Lemon Day.
Thanks for hosting such a fun event, Zorra! I was delighted to take part.
Absolutely beautiful! I wish I could try one.
Alas, they’re all gone, but I shall think of you next time I bake some, Claire!
these look amazing! i am so useless when it comes to decorating… i think you must teach me!
Honestly, Johanna, you could totally do this. You do much more intricate and dainty savoury foods, so I’m sure your fingers won’t be half as clumsy as mine!
But thank-you *blush*
I’m going to have to try the Swiss meringue buttercream – my complaint with buttercream has always been that it’s much too sweet!
I think that you’d really like it, H. It’s so silky and voluptuous and much less sweet than traditional American buttercream.
Stunning cupcakes Angela! The first thing I thought of was that gorgeous cupcake on the cover of HTBADG. And I adore lemon cakes and the resounding double lemoning of them!
Thank-you, Lorraine! I was really pleased with how they turned out and they’ll look even better with my New & Improved Roses gracing them
I remember the HTBADG cupcake–very sexy, indeed! I’m proud to be compared to it!
Oh my gosh! I want … I want … I want!
Will you be very sad if I tell you, very gently, that they’re all gone? Next time!!
Wow, they look so pretty! I’m totally addicted to cupcakes at the moment. I’ve also discovered that I really enjoy piping too – very therapeutic isn’t it! Those Flickr pics are amazing aren’t they?!
Nice piping!
I agree, nice piping! I am so terrible at piping it isn’t even funny. Okay, maybe a little funny, to Phil at least.
Happy (late) Mother’s day!
Cute cupcakes!
Thanks, Erika!
Wow, they’re beautiful Angela. It’s so much fun working with piping bags and seeing what you can create isn’t it! I’ve yet to try fondant or making my own flowers, but it’s on my list of things to do!
Lemon is just such a perfect flavour for this time of year too – bright and clean, just like spring!
Beware… making your own sugarpaste flowers is a little addictive. I spent a happy couple of hours a few nights ago making a huge tray of blossoms
These are simply adorable!!
Maria
x
Thanks, Maria!!
These look fab !
Thank-you!
wow, these look fab! my lemon cupcakes turned out flat and horrible! Perhaps it was the cookbook i was using (naming no names! lol). Next time i’ll use your recipe.
x
Just to let you know you’ve inspired me to create my own blog! nowhere near as good as yours tho
Hey! I actually JUST made these..waiting for the cupcakes to cool down, so I can cream ‘em up!
They taste GREAT individually, so I’m pretty sure they’ll be even better together!
omnomnom.
x
Mmm they look scrumptious, I’m going to try to SMBC this weekend, I usually make a batch of cakes that lasts a few days at room temperature, will this SMBC be ok for this length of time unrefrigerated?