Lemon cupcakes

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 175°C, line a muffin tin with twelve paper liners and set a rack in the middle of the oven. Having the tin ready lets you get the batter into the oven as soon as it's mixed, while it rises best. The oven is ready when it has reached the set temperature.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Add 8 g grated lemon zest to 200 g sugar and rub them together with your fingertips for about a minute. The sugar crystals rubbing against the zest release its oils, making the cupcakes much more fragrant. The sugar is ready when it's slightly damp, tinted yellow and smells strongly of lemon.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Beat 115 g softened butter with the lemon sugar on medium speed for about four minutes, scraping down the bowl once halfway through. Beating long enough works in air, making the crumb light and fluffy. The mixture is ready when it's fluffy and smooth, a pale creamy yellow and noticeably increased in volume.

   Suggested time: about 4 minutes.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Add 100 g room-temperature eggs one at a time along with 3 g vanilla extract, beating just enough to blend each egg into the butter. Cold eggs would make the butter seize and the mixture curdle. The mixture is ready when it's glossy, smooth and uniform.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Sift 190 g all-purpose flour with 6 g baking powder and 2 g salt, stir 120 g whole milk with 30 g lemon juice, then add the dry and wet ingredients to the butter mixture in alternating additions, mixing gently on the lowest speed. Minimal mixing keeps the gluten from developing so the cupcakes don't turn tough. The batter is ready when it has just come together smoothly with no dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Divide the batter evenly among the twelve liners, filling each about two-thirds full, then tap the tin lightly on the counter. Tapping releases large air bubbles and gives flatter tops. This step is done when all the liners are evenly filled and the tops are level.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Bake at 175°C for about 18 to 20 minutes. These lemon cupcakes are rich in butter, so they need moderate heat to bake evenly without browning too much. They're done when the tops are pale golden, the edges slightly browned and they spring back when pressed lightly.

   Bake at 175°C for about 18 to 20 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Let the cupcakes cool on a rack for about forty-five minutes. A fully cooled crumb is firmer for coring and won't melt the buttercream. They're ready when there's no warmth left in the center.

   Suggested time: about 45 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Use a small knife or a round piping tip to cut a hole about two centimeters deep in the center of each cupcake, fill it with 120 g lemon curd, then cover it with the piece of cake you removed. The surprise filling adds a sweet-tart burst with every bite. This step is done when every cupcake is filled and the tops are level again.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Beat 170 g softened butter for about two minutes until pale, gradually add 300 g powdered sugar along with a pinch of salt, then add 25 g lemon juice and 4 g lemon zest and beat on high speed for about three more minutes. The salt and lemon keep the frosting from tasting too sweet. The buttercream is ready when it's light and fluffy, ivory white and holds a standing peak when you lift the beaters.

    Suggested time: about 5 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Use a star tip to pipe the lemon buttercream into roses or tall swirls on each cupcake. You can decorate with a thin slice of lemon or a little grated zest. They're finished when the frosting covers the tops evenly and the piped lines are crisp.

    Mark step 11 as done