These individual cakes are a great way to celebrate spring. Naturally green, they're also made with lemon and white chocolate and topped with mascarpone icing.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Afternoon Tea, Picnics
Cuisine: British
Keyword: cakes, cupcakes, foraged food, lemons, mascarpone, nettles, spring
Wash the nettle tops, then simmer with a little water until they're cooked - about 5 minutes.
Drain off any excess water and puree with a hand blender.
Melt the white chocolate in a large bowl suspended over a pan of hot, but not boiling, water. Remove from the heat.
Add the butter followed by the sugar. This will help to soften the butter.
Grate in the zest of ½ a lemon (reserving the other half for the icing) and cream until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Sift in 200g the flours and baking powder.
Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.
Add the nettle puree and stir until just combined.
Spoon into 15 cupcake cases and bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for about 20 minutes when the cakes should be well risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Mascarpone Lemon Icing
Melt the white chocolate in a large bowl suspended over a pan of hot, but not boiling, water. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the remaining lemon zest and mascarpone cheese.
Squeeze in the remaining lemon juice.
Sift in the icing sugar and beat well. Leave in a cool place to firm up whilst the cakes bake and cool.
Spread the icing on top of the cakes.
Notes
Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They're approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.