The Hummingbird Challenge: Lemon Cupcakes

I have officially started my self-set challenge to slowly make my way through "The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook". I decided to start with a cupcake as they're a family favourite, and it was the only way my Dad would pay for the ingredients. So after drooling over the photo of their Lemon Cupcakes I cracked an egg and got on with it. The result wasn't too disappointing, even if using the family Agar is a lot different to using an oven. Yes, I burnt them slightly.

Cupcakes aren't hard to make, it's always pretty much a case of measure the right ingredients add them together and then shove it into the oven. The Hummingbird cupcakes were much the same and so there isn't too much I can comment on - except for the detailed instructions. my favourite being "beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency" at this point I knew I was doing well since I could imagine myself laying inside the bowl making sandcastles, eating ice cream and waving at cute life guards. I wish!

With the minor set back of cutting my finger whilst grating lemon zest out of the way, I managed to put all 12 cupcakes neatly into the oven, set the timer and off I went to clean and wash. This is where they burnt. Being given the option of "20-25 minutes" I thought, fantastic I'll put it on 20 then I'll know when to check them as they'll probably need 25. Rookie mistake! As I pulled them from the oven I found they looked more like brown hills than golden delicious cupcakes. 

At this point I opted for the optional "small spoonful of lemon curd" in the middle, allowing me to cut out the nasty lumps and instead have lovely flat, slightly well cooked, cupcakes.Hallelujah - Goodbye hills. 

When it comes to baking I generally like to use a good old wooden spoon, it feels more handmade and I always get better results however since I started baking at 10pm I thought I'd save time and use the Kenwood. Which was going just great until I forgot that icing sugar is like the Houdini of baking and escapes the bowl every time you to go to turn the silly thing on! 

In the end, once they had been neatly constructed and the icing had been whisked to "light and fluffy" perfection they didn't look half bad. Although these cakes are certainly for those with a sweet tooth, they aren't the tart lemon flavour you expect but instead invoke a scrunching of the nose as you adjust to the sweetness and then a sudden release when you realise just how mouth wateringly brilliant they are. Burnt bits and all. 

I'm now curled up in bed, feeling rather smug that I managed to complete my first bake, without throwing the whole thing away, plus I'm certain I'll only get better in time! Next I'm thinking maybe a biscuit? Or possibly the Lemon Bars, since I've got six lemons sat downstairs without any zest left! Whoops! 

Until next time,

HarrietCorey 

xxx