Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients:
115g butter, room temperature
200g sugar
2 large free-range eggs, room temperature
1 tsp Staffords Bourbon Vanilla Extract with Seeds
225g flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
125ml full-cream milk
Zest of 1 large lemon
80ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
250g / ½ a jar Staffords Lemon Curd
Icing:
250g full cream block-style cream cheese, room temperature
115g butter, room temperature
Zest of 2 large lemons
220g icing sugar, sieved
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 12 cup cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high until creamed, light and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides as needed.
Add eggs one at a time and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Keep the mixer on low speed and slowly add the milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Mix until just combined.
Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling them ¾ full.
Bake for about 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Place cupcakes on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
To make the icing:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, butter, and lemon zest. Beat until very smooth and fluffy.
Reduce speed to low and slowly spoon in the icing sugar.
Once all the icing sugar has been added, scrape down the bowl.
Mix again at high speed until the icing is fluffy.
If your icing is a tad soft because of warm temperatures or over softened butter, place in the fridge for a few minutes before piping.
To assemble the cupcakes:
To fill the cupcakes, use a sharp paring knife to cut a small cylinder out of the centre of each cupcake. Remove and keep that delicious inner for chef / family snacks.
Spoon a small amount of lemon curd into the hole and fill to the top.
Scoop icing into a piping / ziplock bag and pipe swirls of icing on top of each filled cupcake.
Finish each swirl with a flat top that has a rim and a little shallow centre to fill with more lemon curd.
Fill the centre with more curd, serve and enjoy!