BBC Good Food: Lemon Cupcakes

Bright, zesty, and perfect for spring or any time you want citrus in cake form — these lemon cupcakes are simple to make and taste fresh. I’ve tweaked the method a little for my kitchen, but the spirit of the BBC Good Food version remains.

Ingredients: 

For the cupcakes:

• 140 g unsalted butter, softened
• 100 g caster sugar
• Zest of ½ a lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 140 g self-raising flour

For the buttercream icing:

• 85 g butter, softened
• 175 g icing sugar
• Zest + juice of ½ a lemon
• Optional: sprinkles or decorative sweets

Method: 

1. Preheat your oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan) and line a 12-cupcake tin with cases.
2. Beat the softened butter with the caster sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Stir in the lemon zest.
4. Add the eggs slowly (one at a time), mixing well after each addition.
5. Fold in the self-raising flour until just combined.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the cases and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch.
7. While cupcakes cool, make the buttercream: beat the softened butter, then gradually add icing sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth and spreadable.
8. Once the cupcakes are fully cool, spread or pipe the buttercream. Decorate with sprinkles or sweets as desired.