These cupcakes are lovely golden sunshines of a treat. And using butternut squash in the recipe brings in more sunshine orange, and some healthsome veg!*
Across European and African cultures, honey was a rare commodity, and a food from the gods. In pagan traditions many practitioners leave honey cakes in the garden on the night of Midsummer’s Eve to delight the faery folk. You may want to serve these lemon honey cakes during a summer solstice ritual or leave them on the altar/in the garden as an offering. The recipe is for 12, so maybe 1 for the faery folk and the rest for you and your loved ones!
*This wonderful method of putting vegetables in cakes was pioneered by the very talented Harry Eastwood. For more amazing veggie cake recipes, I wholeheartedly recommend her book: Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache (those are the names of two of her finest cake recipes) I love this book, Ms Eastwood creates a baking magic all her own!
You Will Need
2 Free range eggs
140g Caster sugar
20g honey
200g peeled and finely grated butternut squash (or sweet potato)
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (organic is best when you are eating the zest)
100g white rice flour
100g ground almond
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
For the Icing
75g Butter
200g icing sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Finishing touches
A little grated lemon zest
A drizzle of honey and/or sprinkle of bee pollen
Equipment
A 12-hole muffin/cupcake tray and 12 paper cases.
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line the muffin tray with paper cases.
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl for 5 minutes, until pale and increased in volume. Add the grated butternut squash and lemon zest, and whisk again. Mix in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, honey and salt, along with the lemon juice.
Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, aiming for it to come two thirds of the way up each case. Place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until risen and cooked. Cool in until they are cold enough to ice.
Whilst the cupcakes are cooling, make the icing. Whisk the butter in a large mixing bowl (with an electric whisk is easier!) until pale and fluffy before adding 100g of the icing sugar. Whisk again to incorporate the sugar*. Add the zest and juice, as well as the remaining sugar. Beat once again to combine. Refrigerate until the cupcakes are cool and ready to ice.
Ice when the cupcakes are cold, with the help of a small knife or spatula.
*Don’t worry if the icing splits when you add the lemon juice. It will right itself when you add the final batch of icing sugar. If for whatever reason it doesn’t, simply add more sugar, keep mixing and send a little blessing to the goddess until it has unified again!
