Butterfly Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

I have mentioned that I was a very fussy eater growing up, but there is one thing that I’ve always loved: dessert. I recall having 3 favourite desserts that my Mum made – toblerone mousse, custard tart, and butterfly cupcakes.

I adore cupcakes (who doesn’t?!). I love making them, looking at them, and eating them. When my Mum made cupcakes (back in the 80′s!) the butterfly wings made them seem even more special. Sure, I love the cupcakes around now, mini pieces of art, bold flavours, decorated so perfectly that you can’t help but react with an “ooh aah”… But sometimes I just want simplicity.

It had been a while since I’d baked any form of cake, since the end of January I think! I don’t know why but I felt a need to bake these old butterfly cupcakes last week. I just love baking; I get a great satisfaction from weighing exact measurements and producing something sweet and delicious – nerdy?

To recreate the simple cupcake of my past I chose a recipe from one of my favourite cookbooks, ‘Cook’ by the Australian Women’s Weekly. This recipe produced the lightest textured cupcakes I’ve ever made, and although I wouldn’t normally put cupcakes in the fridge, I did put in a couple that were leftover and the next day they were still nice and not too dry! It’s a keeper! Originally these might be served with jam and cream as the topping but I decided to make a lemon buttercream, which I thought would go nicely, and simply, with the light vanilla cake.

The recipe says it makes 24 ‘patty cakes’ which I assume use smaller cupcake cases. I made 12 standard size cupcakes, plus 12 mini ones. Oh and my icing skills are awful, I know. I was given this handy decorating set for my birthday, and though it was easier than a piping bag, it’s still hard. So it’s something I hope to master this year

Do you have any simple, or not-so-simple, favourites from your childhood?

Vanilla Butterfly Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream
Slightly adapted from ‘Cook’ by The Australian Women’s Weekly – makes approx 12-18 cupcakes

Cupcakes

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk

1. Preheat oven to moderate (180C / 160C fan-forced). Line 1 or 2 deep 12-hole cupcake pans with paper cases (depending on how much you put in each).
2. Combine ingredients in a small bowl and beat with electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are just combined. Increase speed to medium; beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and changed to a paler colour.
3. Fill paper cases with mixture, approximately 2/3 full (or 1/2 if you want a flatter topped cupcake). Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until just cooked. Remove cupcakes from pan and place on a wire rack to cool.
4. To assemble, cut a circle from the top of each cupcake and cut in half to form 2 semi-circle ‘wings’. Spread cupcake with icing and top with wings. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy with a cup of tea.

Lemon Buttercream

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (240g) icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons milk
• Zest of 3 lemons

1. Beat butter and vanilla extract in a small bowl with an electric mixer until as white as possible. Gradually beat in half the icing sugar, milk, then remaining icing sugar and the lemon zest.

My swarm of butterflies!