Directions

Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Line a 12-cup cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, vanilla bean paste, continue beating on medium-high speed until combined (roughly 1 minute).
4. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, all the while mixing on low speed.
5. Gradually add milk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Only mix until just combined; do not overmix.
6. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full and bake for 18-22 minutes. A toothpick inserted in them should come out clean.
7. Let cupcakes cool completely before creating cavity to insert lemon curd.

Lemon Curd

1. Place lemon juice in medium pot. Add half of sugar to lemon juice. Bring to boil

2. Place eggs and remaining sugar in bowl. Whisk.

3. When lemon juice and sugar come to boil, use to temper eggs and sugar mix, then pour everything back into pot. Bring to boil; boil for about 2 minutes

4. Remove from heat; add drained gelatine

5. Add butter; bamix until smooth.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. Prepare bain marie. If possible, use the bowl from the stand mixer you will be using to make the buttercream as the bowl for the bain marie. Water should be simmering over medium heat.
2. Place egg whites and sugar in bowl on bain marie, whisking constantly until sugar is dissolved and you have a thinned out, homogenous mixture (around 70°C on a thermometer).
3. Transfer bowl to stand mixer and start whisking on medium-high speed. Whisk until stiff peaks form and the outside of the bowl is no longer warm to the touch. This will take about 10-15 mintues, but it could be longer. It is important that the meringue is no longer warm before adding the butter.
4. Switch over to the paddle attachment. With mixer on low speed, start adding butter slowly, one cube at a time.
5. After all the butter has been added, whip on medium-high speed for about one minute.
6. Lastly, add vanilla bean paste and salt; beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.

Chocolate Paw Decorations

1. Make paper cone for chocolate piping and pour melted chocolate in it.
2. Pipe out paw shapes onto a sheet of baking paper. This is just like piping dots, but a bit larger to create the shape of the paw.
3. Place in freezer to set. When chocolate has fully set, peel away decorations from baking paper and use, face-side down.