These delicious cupcakes complete with pretty, crystallised flowers are a real taste of Spring sunshine. Enjoy with afternoon tea or at a springtime party… The crystallised flowers can be made in advance. The recipe here makes approximately a dozen and a half cakes.
Ingredients for Cupcakes
175g unsalted butter at room temperature
175g caster sugar
Grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
3 large free-range eggs
175g self-raising flour
Ingredients for Lemon Icing
250g icing sugar
lemon juice – enough to make a paste
Ingredients for Crystallised Flowers
Edible flower heads (violets, primroses, rose petals and pansies are suitable)
Edible leaves (mint, lemon balm)
2 egg whites
100g caster sugar
Method
- Line your cupcake trays with paper cases
- Heat the oven to 180 C (fan oven)
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until it is light and fluffy
- Add the lemon zest
- Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the mixture a little at a time, beating the mixture well between additions
- Fold the flour in with a large metal spoon
- Fill the paper cases, but leave a little room at the top for the cakes to rise
- Place in a preheated oven for around 20 minutes, until the cakes are golden brown
- For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a clean bowl and add enough lemon juice to make a paste
- When the cakes have been cooked and allowed to cooled, spoon icing onto the top and allow it to set
For the Crystallised Flowers
- Take the egg whites in a large bowl and add a spoonful of water. Whisk with a fork until a few bubbles appear in the mixture
- Brush each flower and leaf with egg white
- Coat each flower and leaf with a sprinkling of sugar
- Allow the sugar to absorb and then cover with a second sprinkling
- Place the finished leaves and flowers on some kitchen paper and allow to dry at room temperature for around 24 hours. They are then ready to use.
Gardening with Children 