Lavender Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
These elegant lavender cupcakes are a beautiful dessert for a spring brunch, bridal shower, or afternoon tea. Top them with either a lavender glaze or cream cheese frosting for an easy and showstopping finish!
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Cost: $0.18 per cupcake
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
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 463IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg