Making the cupcakes:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F/gas mark 3. Line the cupcake tray with the cupcake cases.

Step 2

Beat the butter and sugar together for approximately 5 minutes on high speed until pale and fluffy, scraping down with a spatula regularly.

Step 3

Add 1 egg at a time to the butter and sugar mixture with 2 heaped tablespoons of flour and beat on slow until just combined.

Step 4

Spoon in the remaining flour and mix on slow until just incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and add the milk and lemon zest, mixing again briefly to incorporate.

Step 5

Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake cases and bake on the middle shelf for 25-30 minutes being sure not to open the oven before the 20-minute mark.

Step 6

Once golden, remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Decorating the cupcakes:

Step 7

Open the Plain Icing and mix with a spoon until smooth. Add 50g of lemon curd into the Plain Icing pot and mix well. Chill for one hour.

Step 8

Knead 100g Marzipan on a clean, dry surface until pliable. Add a small amount of Yellow ProGel and knead until an even lemon colour is achieved.

Step 9

Roll the lemon-coloured Marzipan into a thin sausage and cut into 12 equally sized pieces, approximately 3g in weight. Knead each piece and roll into a ball. Pinch at each end to create a lemon shape. Create a pitted effect by marking with a cocktail stick all over.

Step 10

Knead 50g Lincoln Green Fondant Icing on a clean, dry surface until smooth and pliable. Roll 2 very small balls, one slightly bigger than the other and roll one end to make a cone shape. Flatten to make a leaf shape and score down the middle then 3 lines at either side with the cocktail stick for the veins of the leaf. Repeat for each lemon.

Step 11

Place the smaller leaf on top of the other and pinch the bottom to a point. Make a small hole in the lemon with the cocktail stick and insert the leaves.

Step 12

Remove the centres of the cupcakes using the corer and fill with the remaining lemon curd. Plug the top with the “lid” of the core.

Step 13

Snip off the end of the piping bag and insert the piping tip. Turn the bag inside out and paint four equally spaced lines inside of the piping bag with Yellow ProGel and a paintbrush.

Step 14

Turn the piping bag the right way round and spoon the lemon Icing into the bag. Pipe a generous whirl on top of the cupcakes. Top with the Marzipan lemon decorations to finish.