The Saffron Challenge #3 - Vanilla Poppyseed Cupcakes with Saffron Lemon Curd

Cupcakes! Who doesn't like them? They have special effects on everyone ... even more so than cookies.

They are tiny, cute and when you look at them, perfectly lined in the cupcake pans with individual colourful 'wrappers' (i don't know what those things are called), how could you resist?!

And it gets even better. You get to do all sorts of things to it ... frost them, sprinkle them, dip them or just simply bite into them. Mmmmmm good! Satisfying. 

They make me feel like a girlie girl again. 

I've decided to pair the very simple yet classic Vanilla Poppyseed Cupcakes with a tart lemon curd, spiked up with saffron. Gorgeous, don't you think?

I tried to do the 'artsy' thing here. Focus at the back and blur at the front.

I am trying!!! ;)

Main ingredients for cupcakes and curd

Pastely colours cupcake 'wrappers'. Trying to be 'artsy' again with the close ups. 

I am incredibly happy with how these cupcakes turned out. I have never enjoyed my own cupcakes, or any kind of cakes, as they ALWAYS turn out to be dense and crusty. But these ones are light and fluffy. Just what a cupcake should be. I think calling them Fairy Cakes are more suitable in this case. Is for you D!

The weird thing was that I screwed up on the mixing of the cupcake ingredients - I forgot to add the eggs (!!) before doing the dry and wet ingredients alternate. 

Anyways, it was a good baking day!

Is amazing what a little heat does to ingredients.

before - pale, pasty and cold

after - golden, beautiful and hot

Before - watery, lifeless and unattractive

After - velvety, lush and irresistible

And here it is again .... 

yes, I took it on top of the washing machine cos that's the only white surface I have

Recipes

Classic Vanilla Poppyseed Cupcakes

1 stick (113g) butter

200g sugar

2 large eggs

1/2C whole milk

1T vanilla extract

1 3/8C flour

3/4t baking powder

pinch of salt

2 handfuls of poppy seeds

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake pans with the cupcake 'wrappers'.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. 

3. In separate bowl, mix together milk and vanilla extract

4. Use electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. 3-5 mins.

5. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

6. At low speed, add in the flour mixture and milk mixture, alternating 3 times - starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in poppy seeds.

7. Spoon into lined cupcake tins and bake for 25mins.

8. Allow to cool 10mins before removing to rack to cool completely.

Saffron Lemon Curd

125ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

80 - 100g sugar (depending on the sourness of the lemons)

zest of 1 lemon

3 eggs + 1 yolk

30g butter

pinch of saffron.

1. Combine juice, zest saffron and sugar in a sauce pan. Simmer over low heat to dissolve sugar.

2. Whisk together eggs. Slowly drizzle in the hot lemon mixture into the eggs, whisking as you go so you don't scramble the eggs.

3. Pour mixture back into pan and cook slowly over low heat until mixture thickens and coats the back of spoon.

4. Take off heat and stir in butter until fully melted.

5. Let cool. Dollop onto of cupcakes. Store the rest in a jar. Keep up to 1 week, refrigerated.