Lemon Butterfly Cupcakes Recipes

LEMON CURD BUTTERFLY CAKES

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.

BUTTERFLY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the already sifted cake flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Cream the butter in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft, then add the sugar and mix. Add the yolk, the egg and the vanilla and whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer running at low speed, add a third of the flour mixture and mix. Then add half of the sour cream and mix. Add another third of the flour and mix. Add the remaining sour cream and mix, then the remaining flour. Give it one last mix to make sure everything is blended in. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them 3/4 full. Bake until firm to the touch in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack and let cool.
• To make the butterflies, spread a thick layer of rainbow sprinkles on a plate. Cut off the top rounded "cap" (like the cap of a mushroom or a muffin) of each cupcake. Spread the flat top of each "beheaded" cupcake with frosting. Cut a "V" shape wedges out of the center of each cap, creating 2 semicircles that will serve as the butterfly wings. Spread the flat cut side of the 2 semicircles with frosting, then dip in rainbow sprinkles to coat. Place the 2 wings on top of each cupcake, sprinkles side up, so that the curved sides meet in the middle.
• Lay 3 strands of red licorice down the center of each one to make the body. Use two pieces of black licorice to make the antennae. Pipe 2 black dots for the eyes, placing one white sprinkle in the center of each eye.
• Over medium heat, cook the flour and milk until thickened. Let cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the flour mixture.

LEMON BUTTERMILK CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a standard-sized muffin tin with cupcake papers.
• Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs and egg yolk and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in lemon zest, juice, and vanilla.
• Add flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Mix until no dry flour remains.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. Don't overfill, each cup should be no more than 2/3 full, or about 3 tablespoons each. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes, then remove cupcakes from tin and allow to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, to prepare glaze, sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Slowly add lemon juice and whisk until smooth; add 1 to 2 drops of food coloring if desired. Dip tops of cooled cupcakes in glaze, then quickly flip and place on wire rack. Sprinkle with nonpareils or sugar pearls, if desired. Glazed cupcakes are best enjoyed the day they are made, although unglazed cupcakes will keep, stored in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.

BUTTERFLY CAKES

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.