Lavender Earl Grey Tea Cupcakes

While it may have snowed here in Boulder this past weekend, our recent blizzard hasn’t stopping me from embracing the spring season fully. With the beautiful budding of trees and the sweet scents of flowers blooming, I can’t help but feel a little spring in my step as this sweetest of seasons approaches.

In homage to spring, I decided to make Lavender Earl Grey cupcakes that combine the warm tones of vanilla bean with just the right amount of a sweet lavender aroma. I love how the subtle floral notes of the lavender add the perfect amount of sweetness to this already super moist cake recipe. For a fun spring color palette, I topped each with the prettiest Lavender Earl Grey-infused buttercream frosting and the sweetest little fondant flowers. I mean, how cute are those teeny pink flowers?!  These lavender tea cupcakes are the perfect addition to your next girls brunch or simply a sweet weekend treat for your family (or yourself :P), and would be the star of any garden party you host. I hope you love these as much as I do!

And for anyone who isn’t a huge fan of Earl Grey tea (me), I’d definitely still give this recipe a try if you like vanilla cupcakes, as the tones of Earl Grey tea are very subtle. For my next batch, I’m actually going to try to make the lavender notes a bit stronger by using fresh lavender and/or lavender sugar.

Recipe

Cupcakes Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 8 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup extra-strong lavender Earl Grey tea, cooled
• 2 tsp lavender sugar (optional)

Frosting Ingredients:

• 16 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups confectioner sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup extra-strong lavender Earl Grey tea, cooled
• 1/4 cup lavender sugar (optional)
• 1/4 tsp purple food color

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard cupcake pan with paper baking cups.
2. Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar at medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.
5. Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a large liquid measuring cup.
6. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by one third of the milk, and mix. Repeat. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the last third of the flour, followed by the last third of the milk, and mix until just combined.
7. Mix in the tea until fully incorporated.
8. Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into a cupcake pan so each well is two thirds full. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. For the frosting, place all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until well combined. Be sure to beat on high speed at the very end for at least 2 minutes to ensure that the frosting is light and fluffy.
10. Frost each cupcake with a swirl of frosting and top with a pink fondant flower and lavender dusting sugar!

Original recipe here.