I don’t know what else to say other than I think I’ve well and truly lost my mind here. They’re a lot I understand. Yet also, pretty flipping cute, no? The tastes of a hot cross bun jam-packed into cupcake form.

Simplify things by thinking: soft sultana laced lemon cake with fluffy icing on top. The icing in question is simply a meringue based fluffy concoction, scented with nutmeg and cinnamon. To make things even more simple, the cake batter is whipped up in a food processor.

You can completely dispense with the cross if you’re not keen on another step but it does add to the cuteness. Equally so, feel free to not adorn the surrounding areas with fake, tiny felt bunnies. I make no apologies.

Ingredients

Cupcakes

125 grams softened, unsalted butter

2 cups of self raising flour

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sultanas or raisins

Zest of a whole lemon and 1 tablespoon’s worth of juice

pinch of salt

Icing

2 egg whites

1/2 cup golden syrup

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

couple drops of brown food colouring (optional)

Small batch buttercream

40 grams of softened unsalted butter

1 teaspoon sour cream

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 cup icing sugar

Firstly, fill a 12 cupcake tin with chosen liners and preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. In a food processor, combine the sugar, butter, lemon zest and vanilla. Blitz until smooth.

Take a moment to enjoy my egg cup, repurposed as a vanilla vessel.

Once smooth, crack in your eggs and blitz once again.

Next, sift in your flour, salt and spices in a seperate bowl. Slowly add this mixture into your wet, alternating with the milk and lemon juice.

Carefully fold through any pockets of flour and tumble in your sultanas or raisins.

Gently, yet thoroughly, combine this and spoon into your cupcake cases.

Bake for around 15 minutes (depending on your oven they make take a little longer) and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before getting on with your icing.

Combine all icing ingredients (apart from the spices) into a bowl and place over a barely simmering saucepan of water, ensuring the water does not touch the base of the bowl.

Whisk continuously with some electric beaters for around 5 minutes or until stiff, yet fluffy peaks form.

Remove from the heat and fold through the spices and food colouring, if you choose to use it.

Your topping should be thick and glossy like below.

For the buttercream, simply place all the ingredients in the food processor (or mix with an electric whisk) until smooth. Spoon this mixture into either a proper piping bag or a makeshift zip-lock bag like I’ve done. Simply snip a small corner off an edge and away you go.

Ice the completely cooled cupcakes with your glossy topping and gently smooth it out.

I’ve gone for a slight middle indentation here but you can ice these as rough and ready as you like or more neat a precise if you’re so inclined. I can’t be arsed.

Pipe away your crosses over each cupcake and there you have it.

Not a lot of work for great pay off. These would look cute at any upcoming Easter event or simple if you’re a fan of hot cross buns and their flavours.

What are you baking this time of the year? It’s allegedly suppose to be cooling down soon down our end but I’m still sweating in this humidity. I’m looking forward to warm comforting bowls of soup and bread!

Happy baking!

Yak x