Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (October 2016) and taken from
Twist: Creative Ideas to Reinvent Your Baking by Martha Collison
To make these cupcakes, use the reverse creaming method, during which the butter is rubbed in to the dry ingredients, followed by milk and eggs. As well being simpler, this method produces a better-textured, more even sponge.
Makes : 12
For the Cupcakes :
175g plain flour
200g caster sugar
75g butter
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, at room temperature
90ml whole milk at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
For the Filling :
12 tsp Lemon Curd
For the Icing :
100g full-fat cream cheese
350g icing sugar
150ml double cream
For the Topping :
50g digestive biscuits
1 tsp butter, melted
Step One : Preheat the oven to 180oC / 160oC fan / Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with 12 cases. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, butter and baking powder using the paddle attachment. Mix on a low speed, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs; or; use your fingers to rub the butter in to the flour and sugar.
Step Two : In a small jug, use a fork to blend together the eggs, milk and vanilla bean paste. Add the lemon zest. Add the mixture to the bowl, a little at a time, beating until it is all combined. Keep beating until the mixture is uniform and smooth with no lumps.
Step Three : Divide the mixture evenly between the cases, filling each one no more than two-thirds of the way. Bake in the preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean and the cakes are a pale golden brown. Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then remove and leave to cool completely on a rack.
Step Four : To make the icing, put the cream cheese into a large bowl, and use an electric, hand-help whisk to beat it until smooth. Add the icing sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, until it is all incorporated. Mix in the double cream and whisk until the mixture thickens. You can whisk it by hand but it will take a few more minutes to thicken. It won’t hold it’s shape yet, so it is important to chill it in the fridge for at least an hour so that it firms up. Put the biscuits for the topping in a sealable plastic bag, seal it and then, using a rolling pin, lightly bash the bag to crush the biscuits into small pieces. Add the biscuit crumbs to the melted butter and stir until the mixture starts to clump together.
Step Five : To assemble, use a knife or special cupcake corer to make a circular incision in the centre of each cupcake. Take out the middle and fill each cavity with 1/2 teaspoon of lemon curd.
Step Six : When the icing has set, put it into a disposable piping bag. Cut the end of the bag, making a medium-sized, circular hole, then pipe a double ring around the edge of the lemon curd, and fill the gap with the remaining lemon curd.
Step Seven : Sprinkle the topping around the icing ring, avoiding the lemon curd centre. These cupcakes can be stored in the fridge for up to three days.
