National Cupcake Week

This week is National Cupcake Week here in the UK. It runs from 13th – 19th September. It’s only the second year of this event organised by the British Baker Magazine to highlight the joys and delights of all things cupcake.

Truth be told I’m not really a cupcake fan. I’d rather munch on a slice of cake or a biscuit. The trouble with cupcakes is that the cake seems to fall by the wayside – it is all about the frosting. And in many cases that frosting is sickly sweet and garishly coloured.

Regardless of that I decided to make some cupcakes yesterday. Well given that it is cupcake week, I had to, didn’t I?

With a bowl of limes waiting eagerly to be used up and a hankering for some Floridian sun my recipe choice was simple – lime cupcakes. I’ve named them Key Lime Cupcakes after one of my all time favourite desserts: Key Lime Pie.

I did however, leave the garish food colouring well alone and let the natural flavourings shine through.

As the name would imply these delicate sponge bites have a tangy but sweet flavour.

The frosting is a most basic cream cheese one. I added a couple of tablespoons of pavolva magic, a rather magic ingredient which my lovely friend Gail sent me from Australia. It isn’t necessary to add it you will still get a delightful frosting but this powder takes it another dimension altogether, metamorphosing it into a light, marshmallowy, pillowy consistency.

Quick. Simple. Lush!

Key Lime Cupcakes

For the cupcakes

140g unsalted butter, room temperature
285g golden caster sugar
120ml sour cream
3 medium eggs
170g self-raising flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
55g ground almonds
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of one lime

For the icing

110g unsalted butter, softened
110g cream cheese, room temperature
450g icing sugar
2 tablespoons pavolva magic (optional)


Preheat oven to 180C or the equivalent.
Line a 12-hole non-stick cupcake tin with paper cases.
Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat the sour cream into the eggs and then stir into the sugar mixture, add the lime juice.
Add the lime zest, flour, ground almonds and baking powder to the batter and gently mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases so that they are three-quarters full. Bake the cakes in the centre of the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until they are firm and springy to the touch.
Remove from the oven and place the cakes on a wire rack to cook.
To make the icing, cream the butter and cheese in a bowl. Gradually add the icing sugar until you have a good piping/spreading consistency, beat in the pavolva magic if using.
Pipe or spread onto the cooled cupcakes.