Name: Cup cakes
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Makes 24
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 200g butter at room temperature; 200g caster sugar; 4 eggs; 200g self-raising flour; 1 lemon zested; 3 tbsp apricot jam; 1 box ready made fondant icing; 2 tbsp liquid glucose; 2 tbsp caster sugar; for decorating food colouring; for decorating sugar flowers

200g butter
at room temperature
200g caster sugar
4 eggs
200g self-raising flour
1 lemon
zested
3 tbsp apricot jam

decoration

1 box ready made fondant icing
2 tbsp liquid glucose
2 tbsp caster sugar
for decorating food colouring
for decorating sugar flowers

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 200c/fan 180c/gas 6. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, flour and lemon zest. If the mixture is too stiff to fall off a spoon, add 1-2 tbsp lemon juice or water. Fill 24 cupcake cases ½ full, either put in a muffin tin to help them keep their shape, or put on a baking sheet (use 2 cases per cake to keep them more rigid) and bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned and springy to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.
step 2
Melt the apricot jam with a little water and sieve to make a glaze. Melt the fondant icing very carefully with the liquid glucose in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (don’t let it boil or it won’t set again). Melt the sugar with 2 tbsp water and add to the mix. Stir until smooth, then leave until it thickens and cools a little. Add colouring if you like.
step 3
Brush each cake with apricot glaze then ice it with the fondant, decorate with sugar flowers, and let dry.