Lavender-Honey Cupcakes

For those of you that don’t know, I am an avid cupcake baker and consumer.  I am always looking for or creating unique and exciting cupcakes as opposed to the traditional vanilla and chocolate.  On one particular spring day a few months ago, I was flipping through a cupcake magazine (Better Homes and Gardens) when I came across one of the most odd-ball recipes that I had ever heard of: Lavender-Honey.  I knew I loved honey and I loved lavender, but the herbal/floral combination with honey sounded almost too foreign for me to try.  Thankfully, a friend of mine and I were throwing a bridal shower and I was in charge of making a dessert and thought “These cupcakes are just too stunning not to try”.  They were an instant hit and since then I have been asked to make them for other bridal showers and friends in need of a festive dessert.  I fought with the decision to post the recipe, but I always hate when people tell me they won’t share a recipe so I was indebted to pass it on.  I hope you love it as much as I have!

½ cup butter

2 eggs

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons dried lavender

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup milk

1 recipe Honey Frosting Dried Lavender

1.) Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, line forty-eight 1 ¾ inch muffin cups or eighteen 2 ½ inch muffin cups with paper bake cups.  In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, the 2 teaspoons lavender, and the salt.  Set aside.

2.) Preheat oven to 350°F.  In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, honey, and vanilla; beat until combined.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until mixture is combined.

3.) Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full.  Use the back of spoon to smooth out batter in cups.

4.) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes for 1 ¾ cupcakes or 16 to 18 minutes for 2 ½ inch cupcakes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.  Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 1- minutes.  Remove cupcakes from muffin cups.  Cool completely on wire racks.

5.) Pipe or spread with Honey Frosting.  If desired, sprinkle cupcakes with additional lavender.  Makes 48 (1 ¾ inch) or 18 (2 ½ inch) cupcakes.

Honey Frosting:  Allow half of an 8-oz package cream cheese and 2 tablespoons butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, butter, 3 tablespoons honey, and ½ teaspoon vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well.  Gradually beat in 1 ½ to 2 cups additional powdered sugar until frosting reaches a piping or spreading consistency.  Makes about 1 2/3 cups.