Monday 13 June 2011

Lemon and Geranium Cupcakes

Lemon_and_geranium_cupcake
Perfect for a Sunday afternoon tea on the lawn these cupcakes are simple to make but layer with summer flavour. The best place nearby to where I live in Northampton to buy scented pelargonium’s is at Cramden Nursery in Kingsthorpe and I used Turkish Delight variety in mine.
For the best results fill with cream about 30 minutes before serving.
Serves: 18
Prep time 20 minutes & overnight infusing of cream
Cooking time 18 minutes
Suitable for freezing Yes but I freeze before Adding the Cream
Ingredients
200g caster sugar
200g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
2 lemons, finely grated zest
3 medium eggs, beaten, at room temperature
200g self-raising flour
4/ 5 Scented pelargonium leaves
500ml double cream
3 tbs icing sugar
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Method
1 Bruise the Geranium leaves and add to the cream. Leave to infuse overnight.
2 Preheat the oven to 180°C/ gas mark 4.
3 Place 18 cupcakes in a tray ready.
4 Put the sugar, softened butter and lemon zest in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or an electric hand mixer. The result should be pale in colour, with a really light and fluffy texture. Putting in the lemon zest when you cream the butter and sugar helps to release the oils in the zest, which results in a much more lemony sponge.
5 Now start adding the beaten eggs, which should be at roughly the same temperature as the butter and sugar. Add them in stages, beating after each addition. If the mixture looks like it’s going to curdle, add 1 tablespoon of flour. Finally, fold in the flour. You will be left with a really thick mixture, but this is what you want for a dense sponge.
6 Spoon the mixture into your prepared cupcakes and bake for 15 - 18 minutes
7. Remove from the tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8 Strain the cream and whip to a firm consistency. Cut out a chunk from the top of each cupcake to make a hollow.
9 Dollop a tablespoon of cream into each indentation. Cut the remaining piece of cake in half and place on top of the cream to give you an old-fashioned butterfly-cake effect.
Decorate with Geranium petals (Although I do remove mine before eating
Vanessa_kimbell_a

2 comments:

  1. These look gorgeous, of course. (I baked your lovely chocolate and lavender cup cakes, and everyone whose tasted them has loved them.)
    Jude x

    ReplyDelete
  2. These look beautiful, almost too pretty to eat!

    I bet they smell absolutely gorgeous too.

    Hannah @ Love to Dine
    http://lovetodine.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete

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