Lemon and rosemary cupcakes

I've started growing a kitchen windowbox herb garden and today decided to test out adding some of my fresh herbs to cakes - starting with some lovely, fragrant rosemary. I can't describe how delicious these turned out to be - just that after the first one, I had to eat a second immediately (and am struggling not to go and polish off the rest instead of writing this!)

Ingredients

4 oz caster sugar

4 oz butter

½ tsp lemon extract

Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

2 eggs

6 oz self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

For the icing

4 tbsp butter

Icing sugar

Juice of a lemon

Yellow food colouring

To decorate

A few sprigs of fresh rosemary

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.  Place 12 paper cases in muffin tins.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, lemon extract and lemon zest until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and beat well. 
4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, and add the chopped rosemary.  Fold together with a large metal spoon until well combined.
5. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases and bake for 20 mins or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Leave to cool in their tins for 5 mins and then carefully remove to a cooling rack.
7. To make the icing, place the butter, lemon juice and a drop of yellow food colouring into a mixing bowl, and sift in the icing sugar, mixing until you get a smooth, thick paste. 
8. Once the cakes are completely cool, ice and decorate with a sprig of rosemary.