Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Frosting

You'll need some pretty paper liners. Or plain paper liners, if that's how you roll.

My life is powered by lemon curd at the moment... I though you should know that about me.

Pretty as a picture.

Get your piping arm all limbered-up.

Swirly, whirly,whirly... sorry!

Get out your fine linen. Or your paper napkins, if that's how you r... oh, you know what I mean.

Let's cut to the chase.

A perfect little cupcake for afternoon tea, or morning tea... or midnight tea...

Vanilla Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Frosting
cupcake recipe adapted from A Free Range Life
Makes 12

For the Cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1/2 cup caster sugar
50g butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:
1/4 cup lemon curd
100g cream cheese
1 1/2 - 2 cups icing sugar

Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C and line a 12-hole muffin pan with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until pale a fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg, golden syrup and vanilla. Once they are incorporated, remove the bowl from the mixer and add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and the baking powder and gently fold the mixture together with a spatula until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Don't over mix or the cupcakes may become tough.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into the paper liners until about half full and bake them for about 10 minutes. They should spring back when lightly pressed on top. Remove them from the tray and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Make the Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the lemon curd and beat again until incorporated. Gradually add the icing sugar until you have a piping consistency. Beat the frosting for another few minutes until fluffy.

Spoon the frosting into a piping back fitted with a star tip and pipe swirls on top of the cupcakes.