Tasty Lemon Lavender Cupcakes
Lemon Lavender Cupcakes combine subtly sweet, tart and floral flavors in a special cupcake that’s perfect for a tasty dessert or snack.
What’s yellow and lavender… airy and sweet… and tastes like spring? How about some nice Lemon Lavender Cupcakes!
It was years ago now—before the lemon lavender craze was everywhere—that I first tasted this cupcake. My oldest had a summer restaurant job and the chef/owner made it as a special dessert.
It was so good, I vowed to recreate it, then struggled with a series of failures. I finally got it right for a big Mother’s Day brunch. Amid the savory quiches and bright spring cocktails, it was the hit of the party, and people were sneaking into the kitchen taking even the unfrosted “extras.”
Yes, this was clearly a keeper!
Why You’ll Love This!
Flavorful. The lemon lavender flavor combo has caught on for good reason—it’s delicious!
Unique. Don’t be the third person bringing chocolate cupcakes. Everyone will appreciate a these unique cupcakes!
Festive. Tastes like spring, even looks like spring! Perfect for brunch season, bridal showers, or anytime!
Step by Step Overview
The night before
If using dried lavender, combine sugar and lavender in an airtight container.
To make the cupcakes
In a small bowl, combine 2T milk, egg whites, vanilla extract and lavender paste if using; whisk briefly to blend.
In a second larger bowl, combine the flour, sugar/dried lavender (if using) mixture, cornstarch, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt. Mix briefly on low speed to combine, about 30 seconds.
Add in the butter and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand, about 1-2 minutes.
Mix in the remaining 3/8 cup milk, then increase the speed to medium and beat for about 2 minutes more.
With the mixture on low speed, add the egg white mixture in three additions, mixing for about 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Fill lined 12 count cupcake pan about halfway full. Bake at 350F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in the pan briefly, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
How to get good lavender flavor
In my early days of trying lavender flavored foods, I always thought they tasted too much like eating flowers. But knowing how to get the flavor just right made a difference (and the lemon also helps balance things out).
I have had good results getting a nice lavender flavor using a couple different techniques.
The first dates from over a decade ago when this recipe was originally created. Then lavender was much less mainstream, so you almost had to go with the dried buds. But add too much and you got a bitter flavor, or two little and the flavor wasn’t evenly distributed.
I ended up adding the lavender to the sugar the night before and letting the sugar absorb the flavor. This was the answer to spreading the flavor around and to making every bite perfect. I didn’t love the bits of lavender, and my blender didn’t break them up, but a reader reported even better results blending it in a spice mill (genius!).
I have also used Taylor and Colledge Lavender paste which is super easy and delicious. Both methods are included in the recipe. There are also lavender extracts which should work. If you want to test one of these, start at half to equal the amount of the paste recommendation and increase as needed.
Tips & FAQs
This recipe has a “homemade cake flour” built into the ingredients. Did you know that you can make your own cake flour from all purpose flour and cornstarch? It’s built into this recipe but If you’d like to try this elsewhere, just measure out 1 cup of flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. It’s effective, cheaper and takes less room in your cupboard.
The egg whites in this were left over from my Key Lemon Pie recipe which just uses egg yolks. But egg whites freeze well, so if you’re ever making a recipe with just yolks, pop them in your freezer sealed in Tupperware or the like, where they’ll keep until you do need them. It will be a good excuse to make this recipe!
Yolks can also freeze, but they need to be mixed first with sugar or salt. And for some reason it’s usually the whites I have left.
I frosted with a basic vanilla buttercream, but I think Swiss Meringue Buttercream would be another delicious (and slightly less sweet) option.
More Brunch Recipes:
- Pretty in Pink Margarita from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Strawberry Tea Cakes from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Fruit and Granola Tart from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Blackberry Streusel Muffins from Blogghetti
- Eggs Benedict Burgers from The Spiffy Cookie
- Easy Cranberry Pomegranate Fizzer from A Little Fish in the Kitchen
Lemon Lavender Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons skim milk
- 2 large egg whites room temperature
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lavender or 1 teaspoon lavender paste
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Zest from a very small lemon or half a regular lemon a scant 1 t
- 6 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 3/8 cup skim milk
- Buttercream frosting if desired actually good unfrosted...
Instructions
The night before (or earlier)
- Combine sugar and lavender in an airtight container if not using lavender paste.
To make the cupcakes
- In a small bowl, combine 2T milk, egg whites, lavender paste if using, and vanilla extract; whisk briefly to blend.
- In a second larger bowl, combine the flour, sugar/lavender mixture (just sugar if using lavender paste) , cornstarch, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt. Mix briefly on low speed to combine, about 30 seconds.
- Add in the butter and mix on low speed just until the mixture resembles wet sand, about 1-2 minutes.
- Mix in the remaining 3/8 cup milk, then increase the speed to medium and beat for about 2 minutes more.
- With the mixture on low speed, add the egg white mixture in three additions, mixing for about 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Fill lined 12 count cupcake pan about halfway full, dividing the batter evenly between the 12.
- Bake at 350F, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in the pan briefly, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from the original dated June 26, 2014
I love the tips you give about the lavender and the cake flour. I have some paste that I want to use up and these cupcakes will be perfect.
These look so pretty and sound so delicious. I’ve been trying cake recipes that mix the butter and flour instead of the butter and sugar. The texture is much better, I think. And the swirling of the buttercream is so fun.
You know me… I love anything with lavender! They sound wonderful Inger.
These are so pretty! I love lemon and lavender together and you are so right about how it’s more balanced that way.
I’m not a frosting lover so I know I would love these cupcakes, however the frosting certainly makes these beautiful.
Made these with a lemon cream cheese frosting from epicurious.com. They were a huge hit. Absolutely delicious and not too sweet either. Also, I ground the lavender in a coffee grinder before mixing with the sugar for a smoother texture. Thank you for the great recipe!
So happy you enjoyed these Maggie! The frosting sounds wonderful. I have never tried grinding my lavender (despite having a coffee grinder I use just for herbs), so I guess I just need to find another lavender recipe so I have a good excuse to try that! Thanks for commenting–I am always excited to hear my recipes worked for someone else!
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Hi,
Planning on making this for the thanksgiving . Could you please send me the recipe for the butter cream frosting?.
thanks
sashi
Hi Sashi–
I just emailed you the recipe for the buttercream frosting. I hope you enjoy these. If you get a chance I’d love to hear how it goes or see a picture on facebook! Have a great Thanksgiving!
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How did you create that beautiful icing effect?!
It’s really not hard–and in fact I plan to do a post on buttercream frosting in the next month or so that will have pictures of this technique, so stay tuned! Basically you put a large star tip on a piping bag (or cut a hole in the corner of a gallon sized zip loc bag and insert the tip), then half fill the bag with white frosting, keeping it on one side, add 1/4 yellow frosting and 1/4 purple (also trying to keep them divided). People who are really pros will actually take separate bags and pipe the different colors into the bag which makes the colors come out more even but I find it still works (though a little less perfectly) if you spoon it in carefully. Then I just start on the outside of the cupcake and pipe it out in a spiral moving to the center. When I try something new, my first couple cupcakes are always bad, and I just scoop off the frosting, drop it back in the bag (or give it to the kids to eat) and start over ;-). Thanks for commenting!
Cool! I’ll be doing these for a baby shower & want to impress. Thx for the quick reply!
As eager as I am to try your recipe, I’m MOST excited about the cake flour conversion. I’ve always been cranky about cake flour for the very reason you gave – it takes up too much room in my cupboard!
Love these cupcakes. I love what lavender does for food. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Hi Inger , lovely , I don’t think I could eat just one nice meeting you see you at the picnic
yep, i do have quite a few cupcake recipes, and i’m so glad you found a winner! these are beautiful! so sorry about your stepdad though–my sincerest condolences!
Amazing looking cupcakes, Inger. Those flavors are wonderful and I bet every single one was gone the minute you opened your picnic basket!
Thank you Barbara! Wasn’t it a wonderful picnic!
These sound delicious, and your frosting is beautiful!
Thanks Marjie!
Hi Inger, Happy Picnic Day! Nice to meet you, I love your cupcakes. They are beautiful and must very tasty. I can imagine how the aroma must be, between the cupcakes and then the lavender. Wonderful Job…Enjoy your day! Dottie 🙂
Thanks Dottie! There are so many wonderful dishes gathered for the picnic!
These are a joy to have on a picnic!
Thanks!
Hi Inger, so nice to meet you, and to find your blog through Louise! I’m also joining the picnic, and bringing my Vegan Mango Salsa. You’re the only one bring cupcakes…and not just any ordinary one. Lemon, and Lavender; even sounds so fancy and elegant! I’ll have to make sure that I could get a piece of yummy creation, so light, and the frosting is amazing!
Looking forward to your salsa Elisabeth. I think we have a great combination of healthy and fun treats at the picnic!
These look absolutely beautiful! Definitely love the story of how these came about too, it’s nice to hear the progression of how a recipe came about! I’ll have to try these!!
Thanks Phi. I was amazed myself when I started writing down the history. I guess I’m as stubborn as my husband says after all 😉
Beautiful cupcakes…they sound and look luscious!! Love the addition of lavender…one of my favorite flavors! I just bought two lavender plants for my yard…hoping to harvest the lavender for wonderful treats like these! I will be looking for you at the picnic!!
Thanks Kathy. I didn’t have a lot of luck growing lavender, but I really need to try again (now that my kids are older). I will be looking for you to get a taste of that delicious sounding quinoa salad of yours.
Your cupcakes are just so lovely! And I like your pretty swirls. Lavender and lemon sounds so sweet citrusy fragrant to me. I’ll be coming over to your blanket for cupcake or two! 🙂
I look forward to “seeing” you. I will make sure to save a couple for you!
These cupcakes look terrific, and I’m not surprised to hear that the recipe came from Grace. I’m so glad you managed to recreate them after losing the recipe.
Thanks Beth. It took two tries (too much lemon zest the first time), but I’m so glad I finally have it written down!
very lovely flavor combo!
Thanks Dina–and hopefully I can drop the obsession part now and just enjoy them!
What beautiful cupcakes – perfect for a picnic.
Thanks!
These are lovely!They will be wonderful on our pic-nic! You have made them perfectly and I love the lemon and lavender combination. Delicate and delicious.
“See” you soon Alida!
These look SO delicious! In fact I am now so hungry my stomach is growling! Time for lunch…
Thanks Kathy. And I sympathize–it is tough reading a food post on an empty stomach!
hi inger! i love the beautiful frosting you made..beware..now the people at the picnic game might just fight over them again..hehe…i was late and not able to participate in this year’s picnic but i’ll be over for the roundup!
I know there will be plenty of food to go around if you are able to “drop in” Lena!
Look absolutely beautiful Inger!
Thanks Gloria!
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Hi Inger, such beautiful and yummy lemon lavender cupcakes. Guess I need to sit beside you, huh. Thanks for sharing and see you at the picnic. Warmest regards 🙂
I would be excited if you put your blanket next to mine–I’ll be nice and close to your wonderful food!
I didn’t know that about cake flour, love that tip as I’ve always bought cake flour at the store when a recipe required it.
I believe that the white/bleached cake flour (unlike the unbleached) is actually milled differently, though many people recommended using the cornstarch swap even for that. These turned out so nice and light that I’m definitely sticking with what I did.
These are lovely! We have the lavender and we have a small lemon tree, so these are definitely on my must-make list. Thanks for hanging in there with all your experimenting so the rest of us can benefit from it 🙂
I like eating local but these are definitely not local for me. But I am very excited at the idea of you getting the two most significant ingredients right out of your yard!
Hi Inger!
Yipee you made them and they look so incredibly lovely. I almost don’t want to touch them they look so “purity.” However, I definitely will.
I’m so glad they finally turned out the way you had hoped. I hadn’t realized the recipe was inspired by a post from Grace. Did you tell her? She would love to see them I’m sure. Unfortunately, she won’t be at the picnic unless she comes to the round-up:)
I have teeny tiny buds on my new lavender plant. I can’t wait until it grows and I too can try my hand at baking these lovelies.
I’m so glad you are “playing” the Picnic Game again Inger. As you can see, we have some delicious dishes to chow down. Yes, I will be putting my blanket real close to you because I’m not leaving without one of these beauties! Thank you so much for sharing, Inger…I’m off to pass your letter around:)
I can’t thank you enough for hosting again Louise. It wouldn’t be summer without your picnic. Just finished my “visit” to all the “blankets” and it is a most impressive collection. I may need to go on a diet after this!