Honey Lavender Cupcakes
How long is too long to forget about a load of laundry in the wash before you have to re-wash it? I NEVER remember that I put the laundry in. It is one of Walter’s pet peeves – actually a lot of his pet peeves revolve around the laundry… he won’t let me fold our laundry because he says every time I fold it he losses a sock… — I think I’m winning here, right? But back to my original question – how long?! I just get so distracted and I literally CANNOT remember that I put it in… To top it off I may be the worst laundry-doer in all the land. I don’t separate the whites from the colors, I don’t use fabric softener and I put in loads that exceed that “max load” level. Why is this relevant to cupcakes? It is not. I just remembered a load I had put in hours earlier when I started making them and RAN downstairs to switch it… as if if it sat a moment longer that would be the re-wash breaking point!
Any who… about these cupcakes 🙂 In case you were wondering what the humans had for dessert at Layla’s birthday party it was these beauties! Honey Lavender is one of my favorite Nicecream flavors. I surprised myself when I realized how much I loved it. The flavor is so unique, like nothing you have tasted before. Many people have never tasted lavender, they only know how it smells because it is usually in things like soaps and body washes, so it can be a little off-putting to think about eating it. It is worth giving it a shot though, because you may be pleasantly surprised like I was. I was a bit nervous serving them because they are such a unique flavor, but most people seemed to enjoy them!
To create the honey flavor in the cupcakes I not only used honey, but also some honey greek yogurt and honey almond milk 🙂
Cupcakes were invented as a vehicle for frosting and this frosting is to die for (this is coming from a honey lover). It is just your basic butter cream + honey. The subtle honey flavor in the frosting helps to highlight the honey flavor in the cupcakes tempering the lavender flavor a bit so it does not overpower.
I was pretty proud of my piping skills on these cupcakes. I used to dread piping frosting until I discovered a trick! Use a little bit of heavy whipping cream instead of milk in your frosting for a much firmer, easy to pipe consistency.
Honey Lavender Cupcakes with Honey Butter Cream Frosting
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups sifted white flour
- 2 tsp ground lavender
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup honey greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup honey almond milk
Frosting
- 1 1/2 sticks butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 tbs heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar, honey and vanilla on high until fluffy
- Add eggs 1 at a time
- In a small bowl whisk together flour, ground lavender, baking powder and sea salt
- Mixing on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the mixer, mix until just combined
- Add greek yogurt, mix
- Add 1/3 of flour mixture, mix
- Add almond milk, mix
- Add last of the flour mixture, mix until just combined
- Scrap down the sides of the bowl and mix 1 more time, be careful not to over mix
- Oil a cupcake pan
- Fill each cupcake tin 3/4 of the way full with batter
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
- Cool before frosting
Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together butter and honey on high for at least 5 minutes until light and fluffy
- Mix in sea salt
- Slowly mix in the confectioners sugar until the consistency is just too thick
- Slowly add the heavy cream to loosen the frosting and bring it to the correct consistency – it should be thick enough to hold it’s shape, but not too thick to spread
- Spread or pipe onto cooled cupcakes
