Lemon Butterfly Cupcakes

Lemon Butterfly Cupcakes
Recipe by Dragon

I made these adorable cupcakes for my niece's birthday. The lemon flavour is subtle so it's perfect for kids as well as adults. The kids loved the butterflies but I think the adults loved them even more.

Makes: 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, soften
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 salt
1 cup buttermilk

Butterflies:
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup strawberry jam
18 blueberries
18 thin slices of strawberries
Icing sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line muffin pans with paper muffin cups.

2. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat until combined.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

4. Beat in flour in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk.

5. Fill the muffin cups equally. You can fill the muffin cups so it almost comes up to the top. With the back of a spoon, smooth the tops so the cupcakes cooks evenly.

6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until the tops start to turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let them cool in the muffin pans for 5 minutes, then remove them from the muffin pans to cool completely on a wire rack.

7. Whip the cream to firm peaks. Using a sharp knife, cut shallow rounds from the top of each cupcake. Cut these rounds in half; these will be the butterfly wings. Spoon a teaspoon of strawberry jam into the cavity of each cupcake top. Cover the jam with a dollop of whipped cream.

8. Place a strawberry slice on top of the whipped cream to form the body. Add a blueberry at the top of the strawberry slice to form the head. Position two halves of cupcake tops on either side of the strawberry to resemble butterfly wings.

9. Dust the cupcakes with icing sugar before serving.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

These are just beautiful and delicate looking...what a sweet treat!

Thistlemoon said...

Now that is an AWESOME cupcake!

maybelles mom said...

fun, fun, fun.

Lore said...

What an ingenious idea to use halves of cupcake tops to form butterfly wings!

Tarah at Genesis of a Cook said...

Such gorgeous cupcakes! They look lovely.

Dragon said...

Tarah: thanks!

Lore: Clever isn't it? I learned that technique from a local pastry chef.

Maybelles: I had my nieces help me decorate these. It was lots of fun. Try these with your little one.

Jenndz: Thanks!

Noble: Thanks! They are delicate looking but they held up well during a kid's summer birthday party.

test it comm said...

Nicely decorated cupcakes!

Anonymous said...

absolutely brilliant! always loved "natural" decorations made with fruits :)

Cakespy said...

These just make me so happy when I look at them! That would not stop me from eating them though.

Anonymous said...

Cute and creative. I bet they tasted amazing too.

Lady Jane Scarlett said...

Nom nom nom! I'll be trying these soon!
(in all seriousness, how about publishing a cooking book?)

Anonymous said...

gorgeous. I love lemon sponge in any form. your niece is very lucky

Dragon said...

Love: Thanks! I agree.

Kevin: Thank you. They are fun to make.

Cakespy: It didn't stop the party guest from eating them also. :)

Becky: They do!

LJS: You're too kind, my friend. I didn't know pirates liked cupcakes?

Vanielje: I'm luck to have her.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure I could eat a helpless butterfly. If you used dark chocolate you could make demon cupcakes! Everyone likes chewing on demons!

Dragon said...

Hungry: You know these butterflies aren't really, right? :)

Jeanne said...

What an excellent idea! I love how pretty these are - and I'm sure they taste like million bucks :)

 
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