It’s miserable outside. Grim, grey, gloomy, garbage. We’ve had a couple of days of this already, topped off on Friday with a poorly child  (he woke up sounding like a grumpy rhinoceros with pneumonia, but, from the second I told him he had to stay home, ne’er a sniffle was heard). He still looked awful, pretty hard for him from a doting mother’s point of view, and it was the sole clue of his true health.

There was only one thing to do. Bake! And bring the sunshine in!

These are fairly regular vanilla cupcakes tweaked with added lemonyness, topped with frosting sugar and a dollop of lemon curd.  I love that they’re quick to make, easily gilded, and relatively guilt-free – four or five minis would be the equivalent of a regular-sized cupcake. And their fresh looks and oeuf resemblance make them perfect for spring (Easter too!).

So easy peasy lemon squeezy, a sick child with repeatedly sanitized hands and N95 face mask could do it 🙂

  • wholemeal flour, 1 1/2 cups
  • baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp
  • salt, 1/4 tsp
  • sugar, 1 cup
  • butter, 3/4 stick (room temperature)
  • zest, of 1 lemon
  • lemon juice, 2 tbsp
  • eggs, 3 (room temperature)
  • milk or cream, 1 cup (room temperature)
  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. First, cream the butter and sugar with lemon juice and zest, till well combined
  3. Add the eggs, one by one, and process till super fluffy
  4. Slowly add the milk or cream and continue to blend
  5. Sieve the flour and baking soda, and add in three batches to the above batter
  6. Using a tiny ice cream scoop, fill mini cupcake liners about three-fourths full
  7. Bake, 15 minutes, till springy to the touch (shouldn’t leave a dimple in cupcake)
  8. Allow to cool
  9. Dust with icing sugar and spoon or pipe a dollop of lemon curd on top