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Soft, fragrant, and quietly elegant, these lavender cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are a beautiful floral dessert. Whether you’re planning a spring brunch, bridal shower, afternoon tea, or simply craving something unique, these homemade lavender cupcakes with either a glaze or frosting deliver bakery-quality flavor with a surprisingly simple method!
If you love cupcake recipes, don’t miss these recipes for double chocolate fudge cupcakes and pineapple and rum cupcakes!
Quick Look: Lavender Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- ⏲️ Prep Time: 45 minutes
- ⏲️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes (including making the sugared flowers)
- 👨👩👧👦 Servings: 24 cupcakes
- 👩🍳 Cuisine & Heritage: American & French
- 🍽️ Calories: 228 calories per serving (more nutritional info in recipe card)
- 🧈 Dietary Info: can be made Gluten Free and/or Dairy Free
- 🟢 Difficulty: Easy
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Oven Baked
- 🪻 Flavor Profile: Batter infused with the sweet-floral aroma of lavender flowers and crowned with either a lavender glaze or a cream cheese frosting.
- 🔑 Top Tip: For stronger flavor, use a small amount of lavender extract. Other extracts may be used in lieu of lavender if desired.
- 🍷 Drink Pairings: Serve with hot Earl Grey or chamomile tea, lavender lemonade, or a latte. Or enjoy with chilled Prosecco, Champagne, or a delicate Moscato.
- ❄️ Storage: The frosting and glaze will keep in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. Frosted cupcakes will keep in the fridge for 3–4 days. The cupcakes freeze beautifully for up to 2 months when wrapped well.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- French Inspired, Elegant Treat: When somebody says ‘lavender cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting,’ my mind takes me back to my visits to France: in particular, Bertie’s Cupcakery in the heart of Paris on the Île de la Cité by Notre Dame, and a baker who knew how to bake with flowers and floral extracts.
- Flavored with Edible Flowers & Less Sugar: Edible flowers have been used in culinary delicacies around the world for thousands of years. The florals in the batter and glaze communicate to the brain, signaling the need for LESS sugar.
- Beautifully Decorated: Putting on the pretty colored icing adds to their beauty, but you can also decorate with edible flowers and natural extracts to make them look dramatically appealing. Flowers add rich colors, subtle to spicy flavors, have diverse uses, and will add a bit of magic to warm weather entertaining.
“These cupcakes are a dream! So pretty! Easy to make with ingredients already in my pantry. So delicious too! Can’t wait to make them again on Mother’s day.”
Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Lavender Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients
- Variations & Substitutions
- How to Make Lavender Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Expert Tips
- Other Elegant Desserts You’ll Love
- Lavender Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
Do you have what you need to bake these lavender cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (or lavender glaze)? Grab these key ingredients, and you’ll be ready to start baking!
- Edible Dried Lavender: Use food-grade dried lavender for the cupcake batter and decoration. For the batter, you’ll need to grind some up in a spice grinder or crush it with a mortar and pestle.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese makes a creamy and delicious frosting that pairs beautifully with the light and flavorful lavender cupcakes. If you love cream cheese desserts, don’t miss my recipes for apple cream cheese bundt cake or Southern cream cheese bundt cake!
- Clover Honey: Adding a touch of clover honey to the cream cheese frosting gives it a lovely flavor that pairs well with the floral tones of the lavender. If you love honey desserts, don’t miss these salted honey yogurt pops!
- Food Coloring: You’ll need a little blue and pink gel food coloring to tint the glaze and frosting to your desired shade of purple or mauve.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Want a stronger lavender flavor in the glaze or the cream cheese frosting? Add a drop of consumer grade lavender extract.
- Want to try a different flavor? The cupcake batter or the cream cheese frosting could be flavored with lemon, honey, or a teaspoon of loose Earl Grey tea. All of these variations are far stronger in flavor than the recipe the way I present it here.
How to Make Lavender Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Scroll down for the full printable recipe or stick around for the step-by-step breakdown with photos to walk you through every delicious detail.
1
Make Cupcake Batter
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
Beat granulated sugar, lavender, and butter on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium and add eggs 1 at a time, beating until each is incorporated before adding next egg. Beat in the pure vanilla extract.
Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk and beating just until incorporated.
2
Fill Liners with Batter
For cupcakes that will be glazed, fill the paper cupcake liners only ¼ full (about 2 tablespoons of batter). For cupcakes that will get the cream cheese frosting, fill them halfway (about 3 tablespoons of batter).
3
Bake
Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Repeat with remaining batter, reusing muffin pan. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Be very careful not to damage the folds of the paper liners. Repeat with remaining batter, reusing muffin pan.
4
Make Glaze & Frosting
To make the glaze, whisk the confectioners’ sugar and milk to a pourable but thick consistency. Tint to desired shade with food coloring.
To make the cream cheese frosting, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until fluffy, about one minute. Add butter and beat for another two minutes, until well-incorporated and fluffy. Turn mixer to low and add powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time, beating well between each addition. Add honey and vanilla and beat until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
5
Decorate & Enjoy
To decorate with the glaze, spoon 1-2 tablespoons on top of each cupcake. Sprinkle loose lavender flowers on top and leave to set completely, about 1 hour.
To decorate with the cream cheese frosting, load into a piping bag with desired tip. (Alternatively, load into a zipper seal plastic bag, snipping a tiny corner with scissors.) Frost cooled cupcakes by piping in a circular pattern like a flat flower and top with a single sugared flower.
Enjoy these cupcakes as an elegant treat!
Recipe FAQs
Lavender pairs beautifully with bright mild flavors that let its floral notes shine without overpowering them. Lemon is the classic companion, but honey, vanilla, blueberry, blackberry, and even a touch of orange all complement lavender wonderfully in cakes, cupcakes, and frostings.
Lavender cupcakes are light, soft, and delicately floral with a gentle sweetness. When properly balanced, the lavender is subtle and floral; never soapy!
Yes, but fresh lavender is more potent in aroma and moisture, so use about half the amount of fresh as dried and chop it very finely. Be sure it is culinary-safe and free from pesticides.
Serving Suggestions
Lavender cupcakes with cream cheese frosting is the kind of kitchen project worthy of a birthday, shower, or Mother’s Day celebration. I love serving these on a pretty white cake platter, as it reminds me of a pastel spring bouquet. Enjoy alongside other spring favorites, like carrot and cheddar soufflé, sweet potato and muenster gratin, brown butter French green beans, or smoked salmon brunch frittata.
Expert Tips
- This cake batter yields between 24 and 36 cupcakes. If going the glaze route, the liners must only be filled ¼ of the way full; the liner will be filled the rest of the way with the glaze after baking. If you’re doing the cream cheese frosting, fill the liners just under halfway to ensure the rise is only just at or slightly above the paper edge.
- Taste as you go, and add according to your strength in taste preferences; or follow exactly as I indicate in the recipe card. I like things light and am of the opinion that ‘less is best.’ So I will almost always offer a basic list of measurements for you to follow or to add to.
- For stronger flavor, use a small amount of lavender extract. Other extracts may be used in lieu of lavender if desired.
- Crushed loose Earl Grey tea leaves may be used in lieu of the crushed lavender leaves in the batter for a non-lavender cupcake.
- Want to dye the glaze and icing with food coloring? For the purple colored glaze, I used pastel blue food gel and a drop of pastel pink food gel. A little goes a long way, so I mixed it in a separate bowl. For the cream cheese frosting, I opted for a mauve and increased the pink food gel by two drops.
Other Elegant Desserts You’ll Love
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Lavender Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- 12 or 24 well cupcake tin
- paper cupcake liners
- tiny paintbrush (sugared flowers)
Ingredients
For the Cupcake Batter
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon edible dried lavender, ground in spice grinder or crushed with mortar and pestle
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup whole milk, room temperature or slightly warm
- ¼ teaspoon lavender extract, optional
For the Glaze
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
- 5 tablespoons whole milk
- gel paste food coloring, violet or lavender colored
- loose lavender flowers, for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon lavender extract, optional
For the Honeyed Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3½ cups confectioner's sugar
- ¼ cup clover honey
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Sugared Edible Flowers
- 1 large egg white, whisked until frothy
- edible dried lavender, or other edible flowers
- ½ cup superfine sugar
Instructions
Prepare the Sugared Flowers
- Dip a very small dry pastry brush or tiny paintbrush very slightly into the frothed egg white and lightly brush the lavender sprigs or petals of whatever flower you are using, front and back. Use tweezers to hold the flower while applying the egg wash.
- Coat with sugar, shaking off excess. Allow to dry 1 hour on parchment-lined baking sheet.
Prepare the Cupcake Batter
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. I am using a pale pink and a pale blue respectively.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
- Using an electric hand mixer, beat granulated sugar, lavender, and butter on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium and add eggs 1 at a time, beating until each is incorporated before adding next egg. Beat in the pure vanilla extract.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk and beating just until incorporated.
Filling & Baking
- For cupcakes that will be glazed, fill muffin cups just under halfway (final height of cupcakes should be just below tops of cupcake liners). For accuracy, I use a 2 tablespoon cookie/ice cream scoop. For cupcakes that will get the cream cheese frosting, fill muffin cups halfway (final height of cupcakes should be just above tops of cupcake liners). For accuracy, I use a 3 tablespoon cookie/ice cream scoop.
- Bake until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Repeat with remaining batter, reusing muffin pan. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Be very careful not to damage the folds of the paper liners. Repeat with remaining batter, reusing muffin pan.
Making the Glaze & Frosting & Decorating
- For the glaze, whisk confectioners’ sugar and 5 tablespoons milk to pourable but thick consistency, adding more milk if necessary. Tint to desired shade with food coloring. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons on top of each cupcake. Sprinkle loose lavender flowers atop. Let set 1 hour.
- For the cream cheese frosting, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until fluffy, about one minute. Add butter and beat for another two minutes, until well-incorporated and fluffy. (Optional: add ¼ teaspoon lavender extract and beat 1 minute additional.)
- Turn mixer to low and add powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time, beating well between each addition. Add honey and vanilla and beat until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Load into a piping bag with desired tip. Alternatively, load into a zipper seal plastic bag, snipping a tiny corner with scissors. Frost cooled cupcakes by piping in a circular pattern like a flat flower and top with a single sugared flower.
Notes
- This cake batter yields between 24 and 36 cupcakes. If going the glaze route, the liners must only be filled ¼ of the way full; the liner will be filled the rest of the way with the glaze after baking. If you’re doing the cream cheese frosting, fill the liners just under halfway to ensure the rise is only just at or slightly above the paper edge.
- Taste as you go with the lavender, and add according to your strength in taste preferences; or follow exactly as I indicate in the recipe card. I like things light and am of the opinion that less is best!
- For stronger flavor, use a small amount of lavender extract. Other extracts may be used in lieu of lavender if desired.
- Crushed loose Earl Grey tea leaves may be used in lieu of the crushed lavender leaves in the batter for a non-lavender cupcake.
- Want to dye the glaze and icing with food coloring? For the purple colored glaze, I used pastel blue food gel and a drop of pastel pink food gel. A little goes a long way, so I mixed it in a separate bowl. For the cream cheese frosting, I opted for a mauve and increased the pink food gel by two drops.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How beautiful are these cupcakes? I totally love the sugared lavendar flowers on top. I’m planning on making these cakes for our Easter celebration, and they’ll be perfect.
Keri, please let me know how your guests enjoy them! I am kinda thinking you will have a hit on your hands with the youngers 😉 Jenny