Happy Birthday to us today!!! Feta & Arepa, just turned 1 today!!!

This has been such a thrilling experience so far. We have learned so much, tasted so much and enjoyed this journey together so very much that we cannot wait to start another year dynamically

We would love to hear from you, are there any recipes you are really interested in learning how to make? Are there any amazing recipes you are dying to share?? Whatever the case may be, we would love to hear more from you, whether it is:

• On our Facebook Page
• Through e-mail: fetaarepa (at) gmail (dot) com
• On Twitter: (at)fetaarepa
• Or as comments to this post

So, to properly celebrate this occasion, we thought there would be no sweeter treat, than sharing these scrumptiously delicious sweetly sour lemon poppy seed bite size cupcakes frosted with luxurious cream cheese frosting to enjoy! These are great because you can just have one as a small sweet bite, or a couple and not feel bad, because 3-4 count as 1 regular cupcake (in my book )

Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

makes about 80 mini cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

For the mini cupcakes: (adapted from : BBC Good Food’s Lemon & Poppyseed Cupcakes)

• 225g flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 175g golden caster sugar
• zest 2 lemons
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds , toasted
• 3 eggs
• 100g natural yogurt
• 175g butter , melted and cooled a little

For the syrup:

• Juice of the 2 lemons
• 85g granulated sugar

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 150g cream cheese
• 100g margarine
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 cups powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 180˚C, and line cupcake cases with colourful wrappers.
2. Combine and lightly whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, lemon zest and poppy seeds together in a large mixing bowl.
3. Beat the eggs into the yogurt, until well blended. Pour this into the dry ingredients, add the melted butter. Mix together with a wooden spoon until just barely lump-free, do not over-mix. Divide between the cases. Bake for 14-16 mins until cakes springs back to the touch.
4. While cupcakes are baking, in a small sauce pan, heat the syrup ingredients until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat.
5. When cupcakes are done, remove from oven, poke 5 holes into the top with a skewer, and brush a generous dose of syrup on to each cupcake. Repeat with each batch of cupcakes. Let cool completely.
6. Whip up your cream cheese frosting. Beat the cream cheese and margarine well together. Add vanilla extract and beat until completely combined. Slowly slowly add powdered sugar into the cream mixture, about 2 tbsp at a time, ensuring to scrape the sides. (This will allow the sugar to spread evenly and get rid of the gritty texture that can some times come from quick cold frostings.) Once you have mixed in the complete amount, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. (I recommend refrigerating at least 30 mintues prior to use, as this frosting melts quite quickly and refrigeration helps to firm it up a little bit.)
7. When all the cupcakes have cooled, bring frosting out from the fridge and place a generous amount in a piping bag, (or as i did in a disposable sandwich bag, where you snip off a small part of the corner to use as your tip). Frost all your cupcakes. You can either serve immediately, or keep in the fridge until ready to serve.