(Makes 12)

Ingredients:

Sponge:

• 6 oz salted butter (preferably left at room temperature overnight / few hours)
• 6 oz sugar  (preferably caster sugar)
• 3 eggs (preferably left at room temperature overnight / few hours)
• 6 oz self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp lemon essence
• zest of one lemon

Lemon Drizzle:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 1/4 oz sugar

Method

1. Recite Bismillah.
2. Preheat oven to 170 c. (Ovens may vary from 170-180)
3. Beat butter & sugar till light & creamy. This may take a while & is the key to light & airy cakes. (We recommend taking out the stand mixer for this)
4. Meanwhile sift the self raising flour in a bowl & set aside.
5. Prepare your cupcake cases by placing them in a cupcake baking tin / tray. This will help your cakes to bake evenly.
6. Add one egg at a time to the butter & cream mixture, along with 1 tbsp of flour each time & beat. Be careful not to over beat.
7. Fold in the flour, zest, baking powder & lemon essence.
8. Spoon into cupcake cases using an ice cream scoop.
9. Bake at 170 c for 15-20 mins. You will know the cake is cooked when the sides have started to release from the pan & the middle is springy to touch. Do not rely on a clean toothpick!
10. Prepare lemon drizzle by dissolving lemon juice & sugar over heat.
11. Pour lemon drizzle over cupcakes whilst they are still hot.
12. Remove from cupcake pan or tray & allow to cool, preferably on a cooling rack.
13. Frost with lemon frosting. (see our recipe)

 Tips:

• If you think your batter looks very doughy like add a few tbsps of water.
• If you do not have a stand mixer, have all the ingredients weighed out & ready so all you are focusing on is the making the cake batter!
• If you do not have caster sugar, you can make some at home yourself! Simply blitz granulated sugar in a food processor / chopper, till the grains look like caster sugar, be careful not to blitz it too much & turn it into icing sugar!