(July The 4th) Lemon Cupcakes

If you're a Brit or American you'll have noticed there's a lot of red, white & blue around. So I thought these cupcakes were appropriate: 

Wimbledon excitement is building as we enter the second week - what an extraordinary first week for tennis fans!  
And across the pond July the 4th is just around the corner. C is half American so I half heartily said these were to celebrate his heritage. Of course, for me, it was just an excuse to bake & eat cupcakes!  

You'll need: 
250g butter
250g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
250g self-raising flour
Zest & juice of 2 lemons    

And for the buttercream:
140g butter
280g icing sugar   

Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan & line a muffin tin with 12 cases. 
Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, zest of 2 lemons and juice from 1 lemon into a bowl and whisk with an electric whisk. 

Whisk until your cake mixture is just combined - don't over whisk. Divide between the muffin cases then bake for 30 minutes, until a skewer poked in comes out clean.

Transfer to a cooling rack. See? Easaay! 

Cream the butter & icing sugar together, add about a tablespoon of lemon juice to loosen it & add flavour. Leave the cupcakes to cool completely and pipe the buttercream on. 

Sprinkle red, white & blue things on top!

Eat them watching Wimbledon, with a Pimm's in hand, punnet of strawberries to your side. 

American friends: eat them watching fireworks, after a BBQ worthy of your British friends envy, with a Pabst in hand.