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Elderflower and lemon cupcakes recipe

Elderflower and lemon cupcakes recipe

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These pretty cupcakes are perfect for a celebration or afternoon tea with their fluffy sponge and gorgeous swirl of buttercream icing (see tip, below). The combination of sweet, floral elderflower and tangy lemon is a classic summer combo, topped off with tart raspberries for a simple decoration. See method

  • Serves 12
  • 20 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook, plus cooling
  • 502 calories / serving
  • Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 185g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 185g caster sugar
  • 185g unsalted butter, softened
  • 2½ tbsp elderflower cordial
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 tbsp milk

For the icing

  • 200g unsalted butter, softened
  • 300g icing sugar
  • 3 tbsp elderflower cordial
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • raspberries, to decorate
No self-raising flour? Add 2 tsp baking powder for every 150g plain flour

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    2100kj
    502kcal     25%

  • Fat

    27g 41%

  • Saturates

    16g 82%

  • Sugars

    47g 52%

  • Salt

    0.3g 5%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 60.8g Protein 3.8g Fibre 0.5g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a large bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar and butter with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the elderflower cordial and lemon zest and stir to combine.

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  3. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time, beating well between each addition. Gently fold in the flour and baking powder using a large metal spoon. Finally stir in the milk.
  4. Divide the mixture between the cases – they should be about two-thirds full. Bake for 18-20 mins, until lightly golden and springy to touch, then remove the cakes from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
  5. To make the buttercream icing, add the softened butter, icing sugar and cordial to a large bowl and beat together with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in a little of the lemon juice to taste, adding more as needed to balance the cordial but without making the icing runny.
  6. Once completely cool, fit a piping bag with a star-shaped nozzle and pipe the icing in a swirl onto each cupcake. Decorate with a few fresh raspberries and strips of lemon zest.

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Tip: If you don’t have a piping bag or star-shaped nozzle, you can easily spread the icing onto each cake. Place a heaped spoonful of icing onto the top of each cake then use a palette or blunt knife to swirl outwards from the middle, forming a nest shape for the raspberries to sit in.

Freezing guidelines:

The cakes (without icing) are suitable for freezing. Make the cupcakes up to the end of step 4, cool completely, and then pack into a freezer-proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before icing and decorating.

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