Homemade sherbet is really easy, just don’t eat huge amounts of it as it is high in sodium and always keep the sherbet very dry or it will go sticky and lose it’s fizz. Citric acid is available from most chemists but make sure it’s for food use. A version of this recipe was first published in Cupcakes Kids 2012
Ingredients: for 12 cupcakes
150g soft butter or margarine
150g caster sugar
3 eggs
150g self raising flour
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
For the frosting:
100g white vegetable fat such as Trex
400g icing sugar
Freshly squeezed juice of 2-3 lemons
For the sherbet:
3 teaspoons citric acid (for food use)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
7 teaspoons icing sugar
How to make lemon sherbet cupcakes… WASH YOUR HANDS
1. Preheat the oven on to 180c/fan 160c/gas 4.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and flour and mix well. Stir in the lemon zest.
4. Split the mixture evenly between 12 cupcake cases in a muffin tin and bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
5. Remove the cakes from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool.
6. To make up the frosting: beat the white vegetable fat in an electric mixer for 20-30 seconds until it’s softened, sift in the icing sugar and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, slowly start mixing until the icing sugar is amalgamated adding more juice if the icing looks crumbly. Turn up the mixer to the highest setting and beat for 4-5 minutes until the icing has doubled in volume, it should feel soft when stirred, if it is difficult to stir add a little more juice and beat again for 30 seconds.
7. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle and pipe onto the cupcakes.
8. To make the sherbet: mix together the citric acid, bicarbonate of soda and icing sugar, sprinkle over the icing and finish with yellow edible glitter.