Wilbear's luscious lemon cakes

Hello there, today was one of those days where I felt the urge to bake something zingy, so what better than lemon cupcakes? We love anything spongey but don't often bake anything with lemons -unless you count lemon curd - but lemon sponge is a rarity, as chocolate and hunny come way before lemon on our list of likes.

This is a really simple recipe for both bears and humans to bake, using minimal ingredients, and if you possess a food processor it means no achy paws from beating ingredients together. I found the recipe while 'paw'rusing my Craftseller magazine.

For the cupcakes you'll need

125g butter, softened
125g caster sugar
1/2 large lemon, finely grated, zest only
2 eggs
150g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder




For the lemon icing you'll need

75g butter, softened
175g icing sugar, sifted
1/2 large lemon, finely grated, zest only
1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pre heat the oven to 180c/ gas 4. Line a 12 hole fairy cake tin with paper cases.


In a large bowl, whisk the butter until fluffy and smooth. Whisk in the sugar and lemon zest until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Beat the eggs and add to the mixture gradually. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold into the mixture

OR


If you have a food processor, ignore the previous instruction and chuck the above in and blend together.




Divide the mix between the paper cases, if you're particularly greedy like us, you'll heap the mix in and end up with 9 cakes rather than the 12 stated in the recipe!!




Bake the cupcakes in the oven for 15-20 minutes depending on your individual oven.

NOTE, lemony batter MUST be licked off the spoon when you have finished dividing the cake mix between the cases, mmm mmm!!!

Remove cakes from the oven once they are risen and golden brown, and place on a wire rack to cool completely before icing.




To make the butter icing

Cream the butter in a food processor until very soft. Gradually add the icing sugar and lemon zest and beat into the butter.

Add the lemon juice bit by bit until the icing is softened to a spreadable consistency.

Spread the icing over the cupcakes. Decorate with lemon and orange sweeties if you have them.





Eat, eat and eat again.

Then for the worst bit of baking, clearing up, ah well, the cakes were deeeelicious.




With love from the bears 🐻

Paw made by Podgy

Hello there, Podgy the Panda here. I often find I have itchy paws, and need to be occupied in some way. One of my favourite ways to relieve 'bear'dom is to paw-make cards for charity ( animal charities are my favourite cause.)





First, I sort through my previously cut toppers. I always cut these on a separate occasion to the actual card construction, as I then have a handy stash of ready to go toppers and embellishments, this saves time and means my paws get a rest between card making stages!!

Once I've chosen my card toppers





I choose some tools to help with my card making

My Cuttlebug is a much used tool





Along with my Spellbinders Nestabilities dies




Circles and scalloped circles this time. Nestabilities and other popular makes of dies can make fab frames, which can be raised up from the card blank with 3d pads or glue dots, adding an extra zing (bear buzz word) to your finished product.

Us bears subscribe to Making Cards magazine, we don't get much 'paw'ket money, and this mag comes with free papers, leaving spare cash for our hunny habit!

I cut lots of frames





way more than I need, but I do like to have a choice of sizes and shapes when I assemble my creations.





The free papers in the magazine usually come with some embellishments that match, meaning I don't get a headache trying to co ordinate my efforts.

Once I have my frames and embellishments ready I start to create my card, here are a few made earlier













I'll add these to my donations box, ready to send to various animal charities, and maybe I'll keep one to send to a bear girlfriend if I find one?

Time to forage for a snack or two, card making makes for a very hungry bear!!

With love from the bears ��