Lemon Cupcakes for Cheeky Little Birthday Boys

Well my son is 2!  How did that happen?

I've spent the last 2 years, well last 18 months I guess, making food for my son which doesn't feature too much sugar, salt and is low on the artificial additive scales.

Birthdays are time off in my opinion; (well at least a bit.)

So here is my lemon cupcake recipe which my son, his Daddy, Grandad, Gran and I shared this evening as he was opening his presents.  He was going to have candles in it but I figured that could wait for his party at the weekend.  I mean, giving a two year old a little cake which is on fire might be a step too far...

Lemon Cupcakes - makes 12-16

Ingredients

4oz, 110g Buttery margarine (I would normally advocate butter all the way but in the case of sponge cakes, it can make them too greasy and margarine blends better.  Just chose a margarine without hydrogenated and trans fats.)
4oz, 110g, Golden caster sugar
2 eggs
4oz, 110g, self raising flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
Zest of lemon

Icing

1oz, 30g unsalted butter
Juice of half a lemon
Icing (confectioners) sugar to mix

Method

Preheat the oven to 180-200oC 350F - 400F (use the lower temperature for a fan oven).

Cream together the margarine and sugar.  I do this by using the twirly beater attachments on my electric whisk but you could use normal beater attachments or do it by hand.  Beat in the eggs, it might curdle at this stage but it doesn't matter (that just happens if the ingredients are cold.)  Add in the lemon zest and then sift in the flour.  Fold in the flour and then drop spoonfuls of the mixture into small fairy cake / cupcake cases.

Bake for 10 mins approx (possibly a touch too long in my oven, 8-9 would have been spot on but ovens vary.)

Allow to cool for a bit then make the icing.  Melt the butter in a microwave, add the juice and enough icing (confectioners) sugar to make into an icing (bear in mind it will thicken as it cools.)

Pipe on the top!  Indulge...

This has been linked up here.

As I was writing this post, on my son's second birthday, I found out I'm a finalist in Britmums BIB's award in the "tasty" category.  What a day!  Wow!  If you get the chance, follow the link above and check out some of the other fantastic blogs on there.