Lemon curd cupcakes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 12-cup cupcake tin with cupcake liners.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high until creamed, light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract, and mix until combined.

3. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and add to the wet ingredients. Keeping the mixer on low speed, slowly add the milk, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix until just combined.

4. Scoop the batter into the liners, filling them three-quarters full. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean, then cool completely on a wire rack.

5. For the icing, beat the cream cheese, butter and lemon zest in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until very smooth and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and slowly spoon in the icing sugar, then scrape down the bowl and mix again at high speed until fluffy.

6. Cut a small cylinder out of the centre of each cupcake with a sharp paring knife, keeping the cut-out pieces for snacking. Spoon a small amount of lemon curd into each hole and fill to the top.

7. Scoop the icing into a piping or ziplock bag and pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake, finishing each with a flat top that has a rim and a shallow centre. Fill the centres with more lemon curd, serve and enjoy.