Ingredients

Method

• 125 g soft butter
• 165 g caster sugar
• 2 lightly beaten eggs, blend well
• 200 g self-raising flour
• 125 g crème fraîche
• 2 t lemon zest
• ½ cup lemon juice
• Ingredients aren't specified.
• To make the beetroot frosting
• 260 g icing sugar
• 1 T beetroot juice (strained from 1 cooked beetroot)
• 2 T crème fraîche beat until smooth
• 1 egg white
• To make the candied violets
• 220 g caster sugar
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup of violet flowers
• Ingredients aren't specified.
• Ingredients aren't specified.

Method

Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Beat butter,  caster sugar and lemon zest, until pale and creamy. Add lightly beaten eggs and blend well. Fold in self-raising flour,  crème fraîche and ½ cup lemon juice.

Line a cupcake pan with paper cups and spoon the mixture into the cups. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

To make the beetroot frosting: In a bowl, sift  icing sugar. Add egg white, beetroot juice (strained from 1 cooked beetroot) and crème fraîche, and beat until smooth. Spread generously over the cupcakes.

To make the candied violets: Preheat the oven to 80ºC. Using a fork, stir a drop of purple food colouring through 220 g caster sugar – the sugar will become purple in colour, but must remain dry in texture. Whisk 1 egg white with another drop of purple food colouring. Dip clean, pesticide-free violets first into the egg white then into the sugar. Place on baking paper on an oven tray. Dry in the oven for 1 hour then turn off the heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, place in an airtight container.