The Outdoors Season Has Finally Begun!

Unbelievable! After all this cold the temperature  finally rose high enough for us to be able to sit on our terrace and enjoy a bit of sun and self-baked cupcakes with a nice cup of coffee.

Some time ago my husband was actually mocking my cupcakes. He said they are never just as beautiful as those featured in the advertisments. My pride was hurt and I immediately set out to prove him wrong, and baked those delicious cupcakes, using a recipe from an American magazine called The Taste Of Home:

Well, I guess dear husband was right after all...Mine don't look just as beautiful as those featured in the magazine, and I had to change the recipe slightly, but let me tell you,  they still tasted great! Yesterday we ate the last ones so now I'll have to bake something else. Here is the recipe I used (a simplified version for the cupcake-decoration challenged):

For the batter you use

3/4c soft butter
1c sugar
2eggs
1tsp vanilla
1tsp grated lime peel
1 1/2c flour
1/2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
2/3c buttermilk

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and lime peel. Combine flour, baking poweder, soda and salt, add to the mixture alternately with buttermilk. Line muffin pan or cups with paper and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 350*F for 20 till 25 min. Cool, remove from the pan and cool completely. Decorate with lemon curd which I made using lime instead of lemon. You will need:

3tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp sugar
3tbsp lime juice
4 1/2 tsp butter
1 beaten egg
1tsp grated lime peel

In a saucepan cook sugar, lime juice and butter together until smooth, stirring regularly. Stir some amount into egg, return all to the pan. Stirring constantly, bring to a gentle boil, cook 2 minutes longer, stir in the lime peel. Cook several more minutes, till the mixture starts thickening, taking care it doesn't burn. When it's thick enough, remove from fire, cover and chill for 1 1/2 hour and use to decorate the cupcakes. You can also remove the mixture from fire after 2 first  minutes of cooking, in which case it will be more liquid, and use the curd to fill the cupcakes, then you can frost them with a frosting of your choice. Lime can be substituted with lemons.

I'd also like to point your attention to a link graciously shared by one of the commenters, to an antique pattern library. Have a nice day!