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 🐻