Very Lemony Cupcakes

I took a break from uni this weekend and popped home to celebrate a birthday and enjoy the snow!  These lemon cupcakes were part of an afternoon tea that I made (other goodies included shortbread and macarons).  I really love lemon; whether I'm eating a drizzle cake in the garden with a book in Summer or making the most of a sore throat and indulging in endless cups of hot honey and lemon whilst snuggled up on the sofa.  These cupcakes were the product of my own creation (and many lemon cake recipes I've used in the past)!  A note of caution, these are really very lemony and may not be to everyone's taste - but that's just how I like them!

Very Lemony Cupcakes 
Makes 12

For the cupcakes:
125g Stork margarine
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs
125g self-raising flour
Juice of half a lemon
Splash of milk
For the syrup:
2/3 tbsp caster sugar
Juice of half a lemon
For the icing:
Juice of half a lemon
Icing sugar
Yellow food colouring
Sugar stars

• Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
• Beat together the margarine and sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Beat the eggs in a small bowl or mug.  
• Add a little of the eggs and sift in a little of the flour and mix well until all of the eggs and flour have been added.  
• Add the juice of half a lemon and mix in.
• Add a splash of milk to the mixture.  The mixture should be a little runnier than normal cupcakes.
• Spoon into cases and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown and spring back when pushed in the centre.
• While the cakes are in the oven, add the sugar and lemon juice to a pan and heat gently.  Once combined, take off the heat.
• When the cakes are out and on a wire rack to cool, prick each one with a cocktail stick or fork and spoon over the syrup.
• To ice, mix together the juice of half a lemon and icing sugar.  I just keep adding more icing sugar until I have the correct consistency!  Add in food colouring until you have the shade of yellow you are after and spoon onto the cakes.  Finish with yellow and white sugar stars.