Delicious Pudsey Cupcakes
Whether you're planning an epic bake sale for Children in Need or you just love a good cupcake, have a go at baking Great British Bake Off 2019 finalist Steph Blackwell's special zesty Pudsey cupcakes...you won't regret it!
- 660g unsalted softened butter
- 650g icing sugar
- 460g caster suger
- 260g self raising flour (sifted)
- 7 lemons
- 8 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 10 drops of lemon spice oil
- Fondant to decorate
- Yellow gel food colouring paste
- Cupcake paper cases
Before you start
Before you start, make sure that you have an adult to help with this bake as there are some tricky parts and hot pans involved! Make sure you have clean hands and a clean work surface and you are good to go!
Step one
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan). Line 2 x 12 hole muffin/cupcake tins with paper cases.
Measure out the ingredients for the sponge into a large bowl:
260g butter, 200g sugar, 260g flour, four eggs, the zest of three lemons, and 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.
Step two
Mix the ingredients together (an electric mixer or a hand whisk will work just as well).
Beat for around a minute on medium speed until the mixture is well combined. Add three tablespoons of lemon juice and the 10 drops of lemon spice oil, and beat mix these in.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and beat for a final 20 seconds. Fill the paper cases 2/3 full with mixture - there may be little mixture left over for a few spares.
Step three
Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. (Grab a grown-up to help with the oven, it will be very hot!)
Step four
While the sponge bakes, prepare the lemon curd. Add 200g caster sugar and the zest and juice of four lemons to a pan (grab a grown-up to help with grating the lemon).
Over Baine Marie (ask your parents for help!) heat the juice/sugar mixture until the sugar has dissolved, add 100g butter and stir until butter melts. Take the pan off the heat.
Beat two eggs and two egg yolks and whisk into the warm lemon mixture. Return the bowl to the heat (Baine Marie). Keep the heat low and cook gently until the mixture thickens, this will take 10-15 mins. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Once cool, transfer to a piping bag.
If you struggle to make the lemon curd you could always buy a jar of it from the shop!
Step five
For the buttercream beat 300g softened butter in a bowl for approximately five minutes. Weigh out and sift 650g of icing sugar into a large bowl.
Once the butter is beaten, carefully added the sugar to the butter – do this in two or three stages, beating well between each addition. Add some concentrated yellow gel food colouring paste to the lemon juice and mix well to combine.
Add this to the buttercream mixture and beat well for another five minutes – the buttercream should be light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle and set aside until ready to decorate.
Step six
Once the cupcakes are baked, remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool (grab a grown-up to take them out, they will be very hot!)
Once completely cool, scoop out a small amount of the sponge from the centre of each cupcake – Steph used an apple corer for this. Then fill the centre of each cupcake with the lemon curd mixture.
Step seven
Pipe the buttercream across the top of each cake to create Pudsey’s furry face.
Using black and white fondant (also red, yellow, green and blue if you have it), decorate the top of each iced cupcake with eyes, a nose and mouth as well as Pudsey’s white spotty bandage.