Lemon Butterfly Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a cupcake tin with 10 cases. To make the sponge, tip the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder and milk into a large mixing bowl and beat with either a hand whisk or electric mixer until smooth, pale and combined. Divide the batter between the cases and bake for 15 mins until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle of a cake comes out clean. Leave on a wire rack to cool.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the buttercream by beating together the icing sugar, butter and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Mix in the extra milk if the icing feels too stiff.
• Once the cakes are cool, use a sharp knife to slice off the tops, then cut the tops in half. Pipe or spread the buttercream on top of the cakes, then gently push two semi-circular halves into the buttercream on each cake, doing this at an angle to look like butterfly wings. You can serve the cupcakes at this stage, or decorate them with a little blob of jam in the centre and a scattering of sprinkles, if you like.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon zest and extracts. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with cream. Beat just until combined. , Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 325° for 15-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., For frosting, in a small bowl, beat shortening until fluffy. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, extracts and enough milk to reach spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes.

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5/375F/190°C.
• You will need a 12-cup muffin tin lined with cupcake baking cases.
• To make the cakes, sift the flour and salt in a bowl.
• Then add in the rest of the ingredients in bowl and beat until absolutely smooth - 1-2 minutes.
• Then fill prepared muffin tin with the mixture and tap the tin two or three times to settle the cake mix.
• Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cakes are well risen and golden.
• Remove the cakes from the tin and transfer onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
• To make the lemon curd, place the grated lemon rind and sugar in a bowl.
• In another bowl, whisk the lemon juice together with the eggs, then pour the mixture over the sugar.
• Add the butter cut into small pieces, and place the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
• Stir frequently till thickened - for about 20 minutes.
• Cool the curd before using it for the filling (these can be stored in a clean dry jar with a screw-top lid, refrigerated and used within a week).
• To assemble the cake, take a small sharp knife and cut the top off each at an angle in a circle about ½ inch (1 cm) from the edge of the cake so that you remove a cone-shaped round, leaving a cavity in the centre.
• Cut the round in half, top to bottom, and set aside.
• Now fill the cavity of each cake with the lemon curd then sit the two cone-shaped pieces of cake on top like butterfly wings.
• Dust with icing sugar to serve.