Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 165 g (1 cup + 4 tbsp) flour plain / all purpose
• 165 g (1 ⅓ cups) sugar
• 2 lemons zest only (using juice in syrup below)
• ½ tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 100 g (scant ½ cup) softened butter or margarine (Stork)
• 2 eggs
• 80 ml ( ⅓ cup) milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Lemon Syrup

• 100 g (½ cup) sugar
• 2 lemons juiced

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 250 g | 1 cup + 2 tbsp full fat cream cheese cold
• 200 g (2cups) icing sugar
• 120 ml (½ cup) double cream cold

To decorate

• lemon wedges patted dry, optional
• lemon zest or lemon twist to garnish

Direction

1. Preheat the oven to 180C | 350F. Line a 12 muffin tin with cupcake cases.
2. Combine the milk and lemon juice and set aside for a few minutes. The milk will thicken and look curdled – that’s what we want!
3. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and lemon zest in a mixing bowl. Stir together to combine.
4. Add the softened butter, soured milk and eggs.
5. Start mixing on low speed to combine and gradually increase the speed to maximum until the batter is light and fluffy and completely smooth. You might need to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl halfway through to make sure everything is evenly mixed.
6. Divide the batter between 12 cupcake cases. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the cupcakes are risen, fluffy and springy to the touch.
7. Prepare the lemon syrup.Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
8. Dip the still warm cupcakes into the lemon syrup twice. You can also brush the drizzle over the warm cupcakes with a pastry brush if you prefer. Cool completely before frosting.
9. Put the cream cheese, icing sugar and half the cream in a bowl and whisk together on low speed until combined. Increase the speed, adding remaining cream until you have firm peaks. Be careful not to overwhip the frosting as it can split.
10. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe a generous swirl of frosting over the cupcakes
11. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel or lemon zest or add small lemon slices just before serving.