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Macadamia nut and lemon cakes

This quick recipe uses a food processor to whiz up macadamia nuts before incorporating them into a lemon sponge mixture. The sharpness of the lemon contrasts so well with the rich and buttery nuts. If you can’t get hold of macadamias, you can replace them with ready-ground almonds for an even speedier cake, as the almonds won’t need whizzing in the food processor.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 15–18 minutes

Ready in: 50 minutes

Makes: 12 cakes

50g (2oz) macadamia nuts

150g (5oz) self-raising flour, sifted

150g (5oz) caster sugar

3 eggs

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

100g (3½oz) butter, melted

For the icing

200g (7oz) lemon curd (to make it yourself,

25g (1oz) macadamia nuts (or almonds), lightly toasted (see the tip) and roughly chopped

12-cup muffin tray and 12 muffin cases

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and line the muffin tray with the paper cases.

Place the macadamia nuts in a food processor and whiz for a minute or two until fairly fine. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse just until combined. Divide the batter between the muffin cases, filling each up to three-quarters full.

Bake for 15–18 minutes or until the cakes spring back lightly to the touch. Take out of the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool down fully.

When the cupcakes are cool, spread generously with lemon curd, then scatter over the toasted macadamia nuts.

Tip To toast nuts, either scatter them over a baking tray in a single layer and toast them in the oven (preheated to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4) for 4–5 minutes or until golden brown, or place them in a frying pan and toast over a medium–low heat for a similar length of time. In either case, the nuts need to be shaken every so often to prevent them burning on one side.