Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone Frosting

These are the first cupcakes I have planned myself and I think that they worked well.
I used a basic lemon drizzle cake mix, but in cupcake form. I then made a homemade lemon curd which was mixed into some mascarpone frosting. This was then topped with some homemade candied lemon peel.

Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes Ingredients

200g butter
200g self raising flour
200g caster sugar
4 eggs
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/2 tsp baking powder

Syrup Ingredients
 
120ml lemon juice
150g caster sugar
6 tbsp water

Method

Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.
Then add the eggs, flour, zest and baking powder and combine.
Split between cake cases and bake at 170 degrees C for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
While the cakes are cooling put all the syrup ingredients in a pan over a low heat until it becomes syrupy.
Make skewer holes in the cupcakes and pour over the syrup.




Lemon Curd Ingredients

2 large eggs
175g caster sugar
112g butter
2 large lemons (zest and juice)

Method

Lightly whisk the eggs in a medium saucepan
Add the sugar, butter, zest and juice.
Put on a low heat and whisk until it thickens.
Simmer (whilst still whisking) for a minute or so.
Remove from the heat and put into sterilized jam jars (topping with a waxed disc)




Mascarpone Frosting Ingredients (will make a double batch)

225g mascarpone
113g Icing sugar
240ml double cream

Method

Whip the mascarpone, double cream and icing sugar until thick.
Fold in as much cooled lemon curd as required.
Leave to firm in the fridge.




Candied Lemon Peel Ingredients

1 lemon
100g caster sugar
100ml cold water

Method

Peel the lemon as close to the pith as possible.
Cut into long juilenne strips.
Put into a pan with the sugar and cold water.
Gently bring to the boil stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Leave to simmer for 30 minutes and then cool (I picked out the peel with a fork and cooled on a silicone baking sheet)




Now you can frost the cupcakes and add your decoration (beware as the cupcakes will be very sticky from when you added the syrup)