LEMON & LAVENDER CUPCAKES
Lemon and lavender...a lovely combination with a light taste. May your baking bloom with these fresh and floral cupcakes.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 115g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 150g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180g all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 120ml whole milk
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 80ml fresh lemon juice
Buttercream:
- 1 tbsp dried lavender buds + extra for decoration
- 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 250g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- A small amount of natural violet food dye, optional
Method
Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases.
- Using a stand mizer or handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on a high speed in a large bowl until creamed, for about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract, then beat on high speed until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and lemon zest together.
- Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, start the mixer on low speed, then slowly add the milk and lemon juice. Once combined, stop the mixer.
- Divide the mixture equally between the 12 cupcake cases, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Use a cake tester or skewer to test the middle of the cupcakes and ensure it comes out clean. If not, bake for a further 3-5 minutes.
- Leave to cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream:
- Mix the butter with the powdered sugar, lemon zest and a small amount of purple food dye until you have a thick, fluffy buttercream.
- Fold in the chopped lavender buds.
- Keep refrigerated until use.
Buttercream:
- Transfer the frosting to an icing bag and pipe on top of the cupcakes. Decorate with dried lavender buds and lemon slices. Serve and enjoy!
Baking Tips
Don’t over-mix - Make sure you stop mixing the batter as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Overmixing batter, whether that’s for cupcakes, muffins or other bakes, leads to a tough-texture.
Room temperature ingredients - To achieve creamy buttercream, always use butter at room temperature!
Fill cupcake pans appropriately - Aim for about 2/3 full (about 3 scant tablespoons).
Allow to cool completely - Don't rush the process. Decorating cupcakes before they're completely cool is a recipe for disaster. The frosting will melt! If you need to speed up the process, let them cool for 10 minutes inside the cupcake pan then emove them and place in the freezer for around 20 minutes.
Make-ahead - Cupcakes can be made one day in advance then covered and stored at room temperature. Frosting can also be made one day in advance then covered and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Decoration - Instead of a lemon slice, you could also decorate these cupcakes with blackberries, white chocolate chips, or even crushed hard lemon candies.
Shop the Judge Cupcake & Muffin Tin for your most delicious lavender and lemon cupcakes.
