My baking effort last week wasn’t meant to be cupcakes. I was supposed to bake butter cookies, but as life would have it, I was handed some lemons.
Last Saturday saw me up bright and early, ready to hit the oven and churn out 50, yes 50, butter cookies. I mean, I am known for my ambition.
I mixed and stirred and piped and baked. And inhaled the buttery scents which had so pleasantly wafted through my tiny apartment. After 15 minutes in the oven, I removed the tray with utmost excitement, left the cookies to cool a tad and proceeded to remove one from the tray.
But I couldn’t.
I mean, I physically couldn’t. They weren’t cooked right, or maybe they weren’t mixed right or they weren’t piped right. Or maybe (actually) I think I added too much butter to the batter. Idiot.
If I tried to pick one up, it would crumble.. it would more than crumble, they were the consistency of little piles of sand.
So none of the cookies turned out. My apartment smelled amazing though if that’s any consolation, but then I realised the universe wasn’t done fucking with me yet.
As I reached to put the tray back in the oven, I burnt myself on the back of my left hand, which swelled and blistered and what’s worse? It stung when anything touched it, so all weekend, in this ridiculously long winter we’re having, I couldn’t wear a glove, nor could I keep my hand in my pocket.
And what’s even more worse than that?
The universe only gave me metaphorical lemons. It didn’t even give me real lemons. I had to go buy them myself.
But with lemons in tow, I managed to successfully bake some adorable little lemon cupcakes, adapting a recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook (I added the juice of half a lemon to the frosting because I wanted it extra zesty).
These are probably my favourite of all the things I’ve ever baked. Oh wait, I lie, my red velvet cupcakes are my babies, but after them, these are my next favourite.
Light, refreshing, moist and ever so adorable.
And everyone loves lemon.
lemon cupcakes |
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Cupcake: 120 grams plain flour 150 grams caster sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (plus extra to decorate) 40 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature 120 mL whole milk 1 egg Lemon frosting: 250 grams icing sugar, sifted 80 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest Juice of 1/2 lemon a couple of drops of yellow food colouring (optional) 25 mL whole milk |
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Makes 12-15 |
Gorgeous pics cat! Love the styling. Like how you gave that extra zesty lemon feel with the bright yellow background π
Not only the pictures look gorgeous but the recipe looks delicious. Well done!
tiff: thanks LOL I’m glad you appreciate the extra “zest” with the yellow cardboard π
Mathilde: thanks honey π
Oh no, sorry to hear about the cookie and burnt hand disaster but at least you ended up with these lovely cupcakes. I have made this hummingbird recipe a few times, I love them.
Oh these are gorgeous! I love lemon flavored things too and will give these a go. Great pics too.
I honestly can never resist lemon treats, so these cupcakes look so fabulous! Zesty, zingy – I’m hungry! Beautiful photos too.
Shame about the biscuits (and your hand!), but your cupcakes do look very yummy!
I have the same Ikea teatowels!
xox Sarah
when one thing goes wrong, i will just be waiting for the other stuff to go wrong altogether. it isnt what a self-fulfilling prophecy but a reluctant observation!haahaha. at least we know after all those bad stuff, the good stuff sorts of take over right? well,those lemon cupcakes definitely look like good stuff to me:) i hope your hand gets better soon and try making those butter cookies again, i am sure they would turn out better than the last:)
These look great! Perfect for spring!
Sarah, Maison Cupcake: Agreed – it’s one of Hummingbird’s best recipes and isn’t overly sweet!
Jenny: thanks π
Lucy: Lemon treats are the best because they are a great balance between sweet and zesty!
Sarah: IKEA. You can count on them anywhere in the world!
amy: LOL that’s right, a totally self-fulfilling prophecy if there ever was one! I will definitely tackle the butter cookies again. I WANT TO WIN! π
arugulove: you know what, I didn’t even think about it but YES – a perfect Spring treat! π
OMG– I love all things lemon and these are just goregous!! I’ll take about two dozens..haha
sweetlife
Look what you’ve gone and done! I sat here, happy and contented with my kleenex box but now i’m craving these beautiful and bright cakes! Thanks!
U shld get yrself a tube of cream for burns. π I only like lemons for their smell but not their sour taste. :p Don’t like anything sour.
They look really lovely.
The butter cookies – did you have enough binding ingredient, like egg?
extra zesty… that sounds good
sweetlife: yeah sure no problem, come by and get them π
bethany: haha I’m sorry! But getting out of bed is good for you, no? And the lemon cupcakes will definitely make you better π
The Cooking Ninja: yeh I have some stuff here for burns, it’s healed nicely now – thank you!
Lizzie: thanks! Well, I was following a recipe from here: http://www.pigpigscorner.com/2010/02/when-green-tea-meets-butter-cookies.html so no egg, but I think I added too much butter π
justcooknyc: extra zesty is good! π
*eats a couple more butter cookies*
No idea what happened to your attempt, but I got a great bunch here.
*munch munch*
LOL I know exactly what happened to my batch! I got greedy and thought a little extra butter wouldn’t hurt…? π *jealous of your munching*
piles of sand for cookies? Sounds like it was dried out…hmmm. Sadness! But look, you’ve got these amazing cupcakes. I’m well jeal. They look so yummy and lemony amazing xx
I saw these on TasteSpotting and couldn’t help ut click on it straight away! They look lovely and i also love everything lemon!
diva: the cupcakes more than made up for the cookies, trust me! And I did promise to make you some next time, didn’t I? π
L.Baskin: oh I know what you mean. I click on everything when I go to TasteSpotting. it’s an RSI (repeated stress syndrome) hazard LOL π
Oooooo… I want! I want! i want! Can’t wait for our next lantana meet up my love xxx
Mowie: me too! See you soon xxx
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Mmmm! Anything lemon! Beautiful Pics!!
Thank you! π
This recipe is great. I replaced the plain flour + baking powder with SR flour & baked for 15 mins instead. turned out pretty well! (or so I think?)
Yay! I’m so pleased it worked for you π SR flour is exactly the same as plain flour + baking powder so it would have worked fine. But you didn’t bake very long? Whatever, as long as it worked π
These look fantastic. My cooking abilities are lacking though I am perfecting my cupcake skills at the moment. My biggest problem with most recipes is the amount of butter though this one doesn’t have as much as others so I may be making these later on today – wish me luck!
=)
Good luck and please let me know how it goes!! π
Hi,
I love the hummingbird recipes and have their book with this recipe.
Unfortunatey it is packed away for moving and so I had to use the web… (isn’t it grand)
Your recipe keeps making my cupcakes sink… They dont come out fluffy and full but like a volcano. I have now made three batches and will be waiting for my book to be unpacked!
oh no REALLY? π They always work for me and I’ve done it maybe 4 times now. I’m sorry to hear they sink! I should check if my recipe is exactly the same as in the cookbook, I’m pretty sure it is!
I’ve made these cupcakes twice now, once from my friends copy of the hummingbird book and the other from this recipe. I’m sure it is identical apart from the extra half lemon juice in the frosting (which I used second time round and thought it improved the icing although made it a bit runny so I would use a little less milk next time).
The first time I baked the cup cakes they came out volcano shaped, so the next time I put the oven down a little lower (it is fan assisted so seems to get really hot) and they were just ‘fluffy and full’.
These are the best cakes ever, everyone who has tried them has loved them. They never hang around for long!!
Great feedback Claire, THANK YOU! And now you’ve inspired me to bake these again. I do love them and you’re right – they’re always a hit!