Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Beat butter,  caster sugar and lemon zest, until pale and creamy. Add lightly beaten eggs and blend well. Fold in self-raising flour,  crème fraîche and ½ cup lemon juice.

Line a cupcake pan with paper cups and spoon the mixture into the cups. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

To make the beetroot frosting: In a bowl, sift  icing sugar. Add egg white, beetroot juice (strained from 1 cooked beetroot) and crème fraîche, and beat until smooth. Spread generously over the cupcakes.

To make the candied violets: Preheat the oven to 80ºC. Using a fork, stir a drop of purple food colouring through 220 g caster sugar – the sugar will become purple in colour, but must remain dry in texture. Whisk 1 egg white with another drop of purple food colouring. Dip clean, pesticide-free violets first into the egg white then into the sugar. Place on baking paper on an oven tray. Dry in the oven for 1 hour then turn off the heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, place in an airtight container.