LaLaLa...La Lo-o-o-la

Ok, so at some point soon I am going to have to hang up my baking shoes and start dieting - as the rest of the nation seem to be doing right now...! However, until then I would like to share with you one of my favourite cupcake recipes which I spent Sunday afternoon making! 

Funnily enough I am not a massive chocolate cake lover- even though I am more than obsessed with chocolate in any other form!  Give me a lemon, walnut, coffee or carrot cake any day of the week. So this time I chose to make Lola's Lemon Cupcakes as they are light, fluffy and incredibly creamy! 

Since I was a little girl I have been obsessed with making cakes and the trial and error that one has to go to in order to create something light, fluffy but oh-so moist! My family spent many a weekend being sat down and forced to try my very latest creation - carrot cake with a 99% raw centre being the most . . . memorable! 
However, over the years I have luckily honed my baking skills and am much more attune to a) measurements and b) when it is of utmost necessity to follow a recipe! ;)

For Christmas, much to my delight, I was bought the Lola's "Making Cupcakes With Lola" recipe book- filled to bursting with mini delectable treats for us all to make. 

Sometimes I am a little daunted when I see 101 ingredients and a long list of tasks but my favourite recipes from this book are relatively quick and very straightforward. A must have - especially if you are also cooking a roast and trying to Skype a friend all at once! ;-)

So, here goes:

Lola's Lemon Cupcakes 

"Light, lemony, creamy and utterly delicious!"

What you will need: 

225g  Plain Flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

150g butter cubed and soft

175g tablespoons caster sugar

3 eggs

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon (I always use much more though!)

100ml milk

For Butter Cream:

125g butter, cubed and soft

400g icing sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Grated zest of one lemon

1 tablespoon milk

12 muffin cases

The process:

• Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees/ 350 Fahrenheit
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda and salt in a bowl

• Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Stop occasionally to scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula

• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. beat in the lemon zest and juice
• Gently fold in half the sifted dry ingredients with a large, metal spoon, then half the milk
• Divide the mixture between the muffin cases 

• Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean 

• Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before decorating

Lemon Buttercream:

• While the cupcakes are cooling down, make the lemon buttercream
• Put the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until very soft and smooth
• Sift half the sugar into the bowl, beating until incorporated 
• Add the second half of the sugar and beat on low speed
• Add the vanilla and lemon zest
• Slowly pour in the milk and when it is mixed in, beat for 3-5 minutes on a higher speed
• Spread the frosting over the cold cupcakes using a spatula, or spoon the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle / tip and pipe it on top of the cupcakes

• Decorate with a cluster of chocolate chips / Yellow sugar crystals 

And enjoy! 

What is your favourite Lola's cupcake? 

Emi x