Poppyseed and Lemon cupcakes –filled with creamy lemon custard and topped with creamcheese frosting

200 ml             poppyseeds

400 ml             milk

200 g               butter

350 ml             sugar

10 ml               finely grated lemon rind

10 ml               vanilla essence

4                      egg separated

650 ml             cake flour

20 ml               baking powder

2,5 ml              salt

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 180 °C
• Soak the poppyseeds in the milk.
• Cream the butter and 300 ml of the castor sugar until light and fluffy – add the egg yolks one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add the lemon rind and vanilla essence.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and the salt together. Add the dry ingredients alternatively with the milk and poppyseed mixture to the egg and butter mixture.
• Mix to make a batter – but do not overmix
• Beat the egg whites to the soft peak stage and add the other 50 ml castor sugar. Beat well and fold it gently into the batter.
• Spoon the batter into 24 lined cupcake pans and bake for about 20 minutes until cooked. Cool completely

CREAMY LEMON CUSTARD

60 ml   cornflour (35 g)

2          eggs

120 ml sugar (110g)

400 ml milk

1,5 ml  salt

Finely grated zest of 2 small lemons

5 ml     vanilla essence

80 g     butter

METHOD

• Mix together the cornflour, eggs, sugar, salt, lemon rind and the vanilla.  Add the milk and mix to form a smooth paste
• Place in a saucepan and heat
• Stir continuously and bring just to the boil
• Mix in the butter and mix well
• Cool completely (keep the top covered while cooling – use a plastic sheet or lid)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING WITH LEMON

200 g    butter

250 g   cream cheese

3 X250 ml icing sugar, sifted

            zest of 2 lemons

50 ml   lemon juice

METHOD

• Cream the butter and the cream cheese together
• Add the icing sugar gradually and beat very well, lastly beat in the lemon zest and juice and beat until the frosting is light and airy. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle

TO ASSEMBLE:

Use a sharp knife to cut small cones out of the cupcakes.  Fill the cones with the lemon custard and pipe cream cheese frosting on top.  Sprinkle with poppyseeds and garnish with a thin lemon slice