Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes

My first post of the year at last! After guiding my older boy through the SA2 last year, I have been on holiday mode and didn't have any energy to take photos of the cooking processes.

To get myself started off, here is a one bowl recipe for Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes! I usually do a whole cake and this time last year, I made one to wish my dear gal pal a happy birthday but due to high stress level (this happens whenever I bake for others apart from my own family =p), the cake was a little undercooked. To right that wrong, I decided to try again but I made them into cupcakes instead for the pal who loves lemon bakes. The chance of undercooking them is much lower! Ha Ha!

This is a very moist and fragrant cupcake. With the lemon drizzle topping, it will add a nice sugary crunch when you sink your teeth into the cake. I hope you will like it.

Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes (adapted from BBC Good Food)
Makes 18-20 cupcakes

Ingredients:

250g unsalted butter (softened)

230g caster sugar (reduced from original recipe of 250g)
250g self raising flour (sifted)

3 eggs (@ room temperature)

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon

For drizzle topping

Juice of 1 lemon

70g caster sugar

Method:

1. Line muffin/cupcake tin with cupcake cases
2. Preheat oven to 160 deg C
3. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until pale and creamy
4. Add in lemon zest and lemon juice, beat well
5. Add in the 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well at each addition (to prevent curdling)
6. Sift flour into mixture, and mix till just combined (do not over mix)
7. Fill cupcake cases till 3/4 full. I used an ice cream scoop for even distribution. One scoop of batter is just right for a cupcake.
8. Bake for 20-25 min at the middle rack
9. When cakes are baking, prepare the drizzle topping by mixing the juice of 1 lemon and 70g caster sugar together
10. When cakes are done, remove tin from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 min. Spoon a teaspoon of the drizzle topping on each cake and then let the cakes completely cool before storing them in an airtight container. (It is important to put the topping on the cakes whilst they are still warm, so the cakes will absorb the lemon juice and the top layer will be nice and crunchy)

The cakes can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. If they are going to be kept for more than 3 days, it is best to put them in the refrigerator. Just take the cakes out of the fridge 30min before eating.

Enjoy!