Lemon and Lavender Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
Everybody has their favorites when it comes to cupcake flavors and lemon is definitely one of mine. With that being said, I was super excited when I found an awesome recipe for Lemon and Lavender cake. I had never tasted the two flavors together so I was eager to try it for my second IronCupcake Herbs entry this month.
Now, I know lemon and lavender is a popular combo but there is a reason… It’s because they are outstanding together. In this recipe, the lemon taste hits you first, followed closely by a subtle hint of lavender.
To top it all off, these cupcakes were a breeze to make. Just dump all the ingredients in the bowl, mix and bake. How simple.
While they were still warm, I drizzled some lemon-sugar syrup on each cupcake (recipe below). It kept them extra moist and added a bit more lemon flavor. So if you aren’t really crazy about that much lemon you could skip this step.
Rather than pairing them with a fancy frosting, I opted for a plain cream cheese icing. I didn’t want to do anything that would detract from the lemon and lavender.
Also, I had a bit of batter left over, but not enough for another pan of regular size cupcakes, so I made some mini cupcakes. I actually wish I would have made more mini sized cupcakes because they were just so darn adorable!
Voting for the IronCupcake:Earth Herbs challenge begins Tuesday, July 28th and will be open through Wednesday, August 5th. You can use the icon on the right side of the page or the link below to vote for your 3 favorite cupcakes.
Also see my first entry for the Herbs challenge, Peach-Rosemary Filled Pound Cupcakes.
Etsy Prize-Pack:
- A sweet cupcake ID bracelet by insanejellyfish
- A delicious treat from circlemonkey
- a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin’ Cakes Cupcakery
- PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend CAKESPY who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice – sweet!
Corporate Prize Providers:
- Head Chefs by Fiesta Products
- Hello Cupcake! by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson
- Jessie Steele Aprons
- Taste of Home books
- A t-shirt from Upwithcupcakes.com
- Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers
Learn more about IronCupcake:Earth and join the fun at www.ironcupcakeearth.com
Lemon & Lavender Cupcakes:
adapted from here.
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cupcakes: 2 1/3 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 3 2/3 cups self-rising flour 2 1/4 cups superfine sugar 1 cup ground almonds 8 medium-sized eggs 1 tsp (slightly heaped) baking powder 2 lemons (zest from both, juice of one) 1 tbsp dried lavender syrup: |
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pans with liners. Place all of the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix throughly, being careful not to over mix. Divide batter between cups and bake for 18-23 minutes and lightly browned or until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean. Meanwhile, gently heat the lemon juice and sugar for the syrup together until the sugar is dissolved. Do not boil or let it burn. While the cupcakes are still warm, take a small knife and gently prick the tops. Spoon about one eighth of a teaspoon of syrup over each cupcake. This step makes certain that the cupcakes are moist and adds a little extra flavor. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on wire rack. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen. |
Cream Cheese Frosting:
adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes
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1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract |
Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, then vanilla, and mix until combined and smooth. Makes about 4 cups. |
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