I received an email this morning from Claire, an FP Club member to say she has had her apron on again and baked some yummy looking orange and lemon cupcakes.  I’m sure you’ll agree, they look delicious and Claire has kindly passed over the recipe and photos, which I’m passing on to you!  Do let me know if you have a go at baking the cupcakes and, if you can, send a photo…would l love to see them & I’ll add them to the blog.

Over to Claire….

Here are some super tasty orange and lemon cupcakes. The  frosted topping has Philadelphia Cream Cheese with a syrup of super reduced orange and lemon juice whisked in. I love it when a recipe works out at just the right quantity to fill a dozen good deep muffin cases.

Ernie, our Border Terrier is always very interested when I am taking food photo’s. He takes any opportunity when I am arranging things to try and get a taste. If he weren’t on his absolute tippy toes on this shot he would have made a grab for a bun.

I am never sure about cakes with cream cheese in the frosting. My instincts tell me that I should put them in the fridge, but I don’t like a cold cake.

Let me know what you think; to fridge or not to fridge?

This recipe is based on one by Thomasina Miers. The oven needs to be at 180c:

• 180g plain flour
• 110g butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 1 rounded tsp baking powder
• 2 large free range eggs
• Optional – 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and some orange/lemon zest
• 1/2 cup (125mls) milk

I would only do this with my electric whisk, by hand would be hard work. Into Bowl 1: Sift the flour and baking powder. In Bowl 2: Beat the butter very well, add the sugar and beat well again. In a small Bowl 3: whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla and zest.

Add 1/3 of the flour mix and 1/3 of the egg mix to the creamed butter and whisk well, add the 2nd thirds and whisk again, add the last 3rds and fold in – although to be honest I end up whisking this one in too.

Spoon good tablespoons of mixture into 12 muffin cases in a muffin pan. Bake for 15 minutes and then check and turn them round and if needed give them 2-3 minutes until golden.

For the tangy topping:

• 40g soft butter
• 40g soft cheese (philadelphia)
• 130g icing sugar
• Juice of 2 oranges and/or lemons

Beat the butter until pale. Beat in the cream cheese. Simmer the orange juice in a non stick pan until it is reduced down to a tablespoon of syrup. I can confirm that if you leave this unattended it burns easily and welds to the pan.

Stir the juice into the icing sugar and then beat this into the butter and cheese mix. When the cakes are completely cooled smear the topping onto them with a spatula and decorate with zestiness.

To see more of Claire’s baking please visit her wonderful blog.