Lilac and lemon cupcakes, Lilac season is back again. One day I will have my own lilac plant, but for now I’ll have to make do with the bunches I harass Jason into finding me :D. These cupcakes make the most prettiest spring/ summer dessert. Make them for mother’s day or make them for yourself, it doesn’t matter coz they taste damn delicious :D. Lilac infused syrup is brushed on the cupcakes, a rich homemade lemon curd for the filling. Finally fluffy sweet lilac infused marshmallow fluff for the frosting.
Lilac syrup recipe is here. I did add a couple of blueberries for the colour this time around.
Lilac and Lemon Cupcakes
Lilac and Lemon Cupcakes, lilac syrup soaked cupcakes filled with lemon curd and frosted with lilac infused marshmallow cream
Ingredients
Lemon Curd (Makes about 2 cups)
- 4 XL Egg yolks
- 1 XL Egg
- 150 gm Granulated Sugar ¾ cup
- 100 gm Salted Butter Just little under a stick
- 2-3 tsp Lemon Zest
- 125 ml Lemon Juice ½ cup
Lilac Syrup (Link in writeup above)
Vanilla Cupcakes
- 120 gm All purpose Flour 1 cup
- 2 L eggs
- 100 gm Sugar ½ cup
- 115 gm Salted Butter 1 Stick
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1½ tsp Baking Powder
- 60 ml Milk ¼ cup
Lilac Marshmallow Fluff Frosting
- 250 gm Granulated Sugar 1¼ Cup/ can also use lilac infused sugar
- 3 Small bunches lilac flowers abut ½-¾ cup flowers
- 30 ml Water 2 tbsp
- 2 L Egg Whites about 65 gm if you buy carton egg white
- 1-2 drops purple colour
- ½ tsp Lemon juice/ Vinegar
Instructions
Lemon Curd
Add all ingredients in a metal or a glass bowl. On a pan with simmering water, place the bowl with the ingredients and whisk slowly.
Keep whisking gently until the curd starts to thicken. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the simmering water.
Once the curd starts to thicken, remove from heat. Strain it to remove any lemon zest or egg white bits that may have been slightly cooked in case the water was too hot or the bowl touched the water.
Store it in a bottle until needed for the cupcakes, the curd can be stored in the refrigerator for upto 3 weeks.
Vanilla Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Line the muffin tin with liners.
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add the butter and sugar. Cream the butter and sugar until light, pale and fluffy.
Add and beat one egg at a time. Add the milk and vanilla extract into the bowl.
Sift in the dry ingredients (Flour and baking powder). Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Divide the batter into the cupcake liners. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are light springy and golden.
Remove from oven and you can brush the lilac syrup immediately on the warm cupcakes or you can brush it over before assembling.
Lilac Marshmallow Fluff Frosting
Clean metal bowl of the stand mixer and the whisk attachment with a little bit of lemon juice/ Vinegar.
Add the sugar, water and lilac flowers into a heavy bottomed pan. On low -medium heat, heat the ingredients until the sugar is completely dissolved. (If you do not want to add lilac flowers you can add lilac infused sugar or heat up lilac syrup instead and use directly).
Strain the lilac flowers from the hot syrup (Be very careful, you don't want to end up burning yourself up!)
Meanwhile whisk the egg whites and vinegar/ lemon juice on medium speed until soft peaks are formed. Add the sugar syrup slowly into the bowl, as the egg whites are whipping.
Whip until stiff peaks are formed. Add a couple of food colouring and whisk for a couple more seconds.
Add the marshmallow fluff frosting into the piping bag with a closed star piping tip.
Assembly of the cupcakes
Brush the cupcakes with lilac syrup, if you haven't brushed them as when they were warm and out of oven.
Using the cupcake corer or a paring knife, remove the centre of the cupcakes.
Fill in the cores with lemon curd.
Pipe the marshmallow fluff on the lemon curd filled cupcakes. Garnish with a couple of lilacs!
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!