Lavender Cupcakes with Buttercream Icing

I don't think that most of you would have ever heard of lavender cupcakes before, and I certainly haven't either before making these. The idea arose when I found out that lavender was an edible flower and since there were plenty of lavender bushes in the garden I thought I could make use of them and what better than to make it into one of my favourite forms of food: cake.

I had no idea what the cupcakes would taste like, and the batter actually tasted a bit bitter so I was worried that this attempt at creative cooking may have been a failure. However I tried the finished product and they were yummy, the bitterness all gone and only the taste of lavender left. I tested these cupcakes on my family and friends and made them guess the flavour, it took a while but once they knew it was lavender they could definitely taste this flavour; one friend even said that they tasted like one of the lavender soap but sweet version. Lavender is an acquired taste I think and may not be to everyone's taste buds, however I can assure you that it tastes a lot better in a sweet form rather than just eating the flower on its own. In addition I thought that the icing finished off the cupcakes very nicely and would definitely recommend it in this cupcake; the sweeter the better with lavender. I even attempted making icing roses as decoration. Here is my first ever attempt:

I spent an hour playing around with the icing practicing my rose making skills, and as they say: practice makes perfect. I topped the cupcakes off with fresh lavender flowers for added decoration; pretty and simple.

Preparation time: 40 minutes 
Serves: makes around 15 cupcakes


Ingredients:

Cake
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp fresh or dried lavender buds chopped (can use lavender extract instead)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt

Icing
1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
a few drops of pink and blue food colouring to make purple

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Beat the butter and sugar till creamy, then beat in the eggs one by one.
3. Add the vanilla extract and yogurt and mix.
4. Add the dry ingredients and the lavender and mix again till the mixture is well combined and smooth.

5. Add the batter into cupcake moulds and bake for around 15 minutes till a cocktail stick comes out clean. 

6. Let the cupcakes cool. Whilst they are cooling make the icing by beating together the butter, vanilla extract, food colouring and icing sugar (a little at a time) till the right consistency is achieved. You can add more or less icing sugar depending on how you want the texture to be.
7. Ice the cooled cupcakes. Be creative.


A post from Fullest of Life