Sunday, 14 March 2010

Lemon and Elderflower Cupcakes

It’s Mother’s Day in the UK today and I want to wish all my fellow yummy mummies a very Happy Mother’s Day! I awoke to the perfect start with breakfast in bed made by my gorgeous son, a card and Gizzi’s Kitchen Magic Cookbook, whoop whoop. I'm in ♥ with this book and I even got a message on my Twitter from the lovely Gizzi herself wishing me a Happy Mother's Day, how cool is that? My boys are cooking a Roast Beef dinner with all the trimmings and I’ve been told I’m not to lift a finger today but I could not help myself and ended up in the kitchen doing what I enjoy most, baking. I had the perfect cupcake recipe in mind to celebrate Mother’s Day and also the arrival of spring, Lemon and Elderflower Cupcakes. These luscious, lemony delights have a super light fluffy texture and topped with the elderflower icing these are truly yummylicious.

Happy Mother's Day!



Lemon and Elderflower Cupcakes

Makes 12

Ingredients
200g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
225g granulated sugar
45g ground almonds
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
2 large eggs
90ml sunflower oil
250ml low-fat Greek Yoghurt (I used non-fat)
½ tbsp lemon essence

For the icing
225g icing sugar
1 tsp elderflower cordial
4 tsp water

Preheat the oven to 180oC/fan 160oC/gas 4. Line a 12-hole non-stick muffin tin with paper muffin cases.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Sprinkle over the sugar and ground almonds, followed by the grated lemon zest, and mix everything together.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the oil and Greek yoghurt. Add the lemon essence.

Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon. Mix until everything is combined and there are no clumps of dry ingredients.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases so that they are three-quarters full. Bake the cakes in the centre of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until they are firm and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and place the cakes on a wire rack to cool.

To make the icing, sift the icing sugar into a medium-sized bowl. Add the elderflower cordial and water a little at a time to achieve a thick, creamy consistency.

When the cakes are cool, spoon a tablespoon of icing onto each one. Serve plain or decorate with little sugar flowers or thin shavings of lemon rind.

The gorgeous golden cupcakes cooling before being decorated.

22 comments:

Chele said...

Now are you ever going t believe this but I happen to have some Greek yogurt and some elderflower cordial in my stash of supplies with no idea what to turn them into. THANK YOU!

PS - Happy Mother's Day!

Snooky doodle said...

wow really nice and romantic. Must be delicious!

Finla said...

That is jsut such a beautiful looking cupcake.

Lucie said...

Oh these are just perfect Maria! So elegant. I don't know how you get your icing so perfect, mine doesn't ever turn out like that :) Hope you have had a well deserved lovely Mother's Day. Lucie x

Beth (jamandcream) said...

I love elderflowers - have to try these - glad you had good day. I got spoilt too, but still ended up having to do the ironing!!!

Rhyleysgranny said...

Happy Mother's Day Maria. Those cup cakes look and sound so pretty and delicate. Perfect

Hayley said...

I've got to make these! I'm halfway there on ingredients... They look really great Maria xx

Reeni said...

Happy Mother's Day Maria! You baked yourself up a lovely cupcake! I never tried Elderflower before. I bet it's yummy. XO

Unknown said...

Sounds like you had a lovely Mother's Day.
The cakes do look and sound very yummy indeed.

Katiecakes said...

How beautiful! I'll certainly be giving these a try!!

Maria, may I ask, whatever happened to Sweet and Simple Bakes? I miss it so :(

Katie xox

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Mmmmmm, nice flavours! I do enjoy elderflower cordial, so I am sure I would love these :)

Sweet Treats by Dani said...

happy mummies day :)

Maria♥ said...

Thanks for all the lovely comments.

Katie, lovely to see you here. Unfortunately Rosie and I are not able to commit to Sweet and Simple Bakes at the moment. Rosie has been having her on-going health problems with her back since way before xmas and she is not able to even sit at a computer let alone blog right now.

I have a lot going on at the moment too and in the process of moving house in the next week. I also lost my blogging mojo when my kitten passed away last summer. So I've been dedicating the time I do have to my own blog.

Hopefully in the future we would like to start Sweet and Simple Bakes up again.

Maria
x

Nickki said...

These cupcakes look so pretty Maria :-) Glad you had a nice Mother's day! x

Jemima said...

They look gorgeous, I love elderflower so I'm going to give this a go soon! x

Lucie said...

Maria - I have just noticed on your twitter than you plan to turn a Chocolate Guinness Cake into cupcakes - I am off to a St Patrick's Do and wanted to do this too. I wondered if you would mind sharing your goddess expertise and telling me how many cupcakes you will do from the standard recipe and how long you would suggest to cook them for??? Sorry to be cheeky. I hope you don't mind me asking you? I'd be so grateful - thanks flower. Love Lucie x

Maria♥ said...

Hi Lucie

Of course I don't mind you asking, great minds think alike ;o)

OK this will be my first time turning the recipe into cupcakes. I've done research online and others have baked the same recipe into cupcakes and ended up with 24 cupcakes. Fill the cases 3/4 of the way up and baked for 15 to 18 but maybe 20 (depending on your oven). Leave in the pans to cool for 20 mins, then remove to wire rack to finish off cooling.

Hope this helps and have fun!

Love
Maria
x

The Caked Crusader said...

lovely looking cupcakes - they are so spring-like!

Kelly-Jane said...

I have these bookmarked in the book to make, yours have come out superbly!

Lucie said...

Maria - you are a treasure - thanks so much. I am half Irish so I will leave you with this as a little thank you :) -

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.
~Irish Blessing

Choclette said...

Oh these look gorgeous and I love elderflower - what a nice idea.

Maggie said...

The cupcakes look really pretty Maria.