For The Icing:
100 g butter, softened
300 g icing sugar
Zest of one lemon (optional)
100 g full-fat cream cheese
For the Cupcakes:
300 g self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
120 g white sugar
90 ml sunflower oil
280 g sour cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
To Finish: 100 g (1 pack) Chika’s Sweet Cinnamon Almonds
METHOD:
1. Place the butter, together with icing sugar and lemon zest in a stand mixer bowl, and beat until pale and fluffy.
2. Add the cream cheese and mix at a slow speed, until all the ingredients are combined.
3. Transfer to the fridge and chill for a minimum of 2 hours, or until set.
4. Line mini cupcake trays with cupcake cases.
5. Preheat the oven to 175°C.
6. Mix the flour together with the baking powder in a medium size bowl.
7. Meanwhile, place the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer bowl and whisk for around 10 minutes, until thick, pale and fluffy, then start adding the oil. Keep whisking until fully combined.
8. Add the sour cream and vanilla essence, together with flour mixture and mix well.
9. Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases, around ⅔ full so the batter doesn’t rise too high.
10. Bake for around 12 minutes, but start checking the cupcakes after 8, to make sure they don’t overbake. The timing really depends on the size of your cupcakes and your oven.
11. When the cupcakes are ready, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.
12. Remove the icing from the fridge and spoon or pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.
13. Decorate with Chika’s Sweet Cinnamon Almond
