4.26.2010

lavender and honey cupcakes

Yesterday, I took my son, my daughter and my daughter's bff to the zoo. We wanted to see the new predator exhibit. We caught the lions and tigers lounging in the sunshine. We also spotted the zebras, hippos, fruit bats, penguins.... We took a little lunch break. As I was munching on my sandwich, I noticed this tiny wonder of nature. Thank God for honey bees. They really keep our planet plugging along.

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While I was studying this honey of a bee, I remembered a recipe for lavender and honey cupcakes I've been wanting to try.

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I found the lavender at Bob's Red Mill. I'm so lucky to have Bob's right down the street from me!

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I threw 2 tbsp of lavender and 1/4 cup of sugar into a food processor to make lavender sugar for my cupcakes.

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They also have whole wheat pastry flour (also from Bob's), honey, sour cream, butter, eggs, vanilla...

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So much fantastic stuff going on in here!

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Then, I topped them off with a drizzle of honey and lemon icing. Oh. My! So moist. So lovely.

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lavender and honey cupcakes
by theUngourmet -inspired by 500 cupcakes

makes about 18 cupcakes

Print recipe

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup honey (I used raw honey from Mohawk Valley Trading Company)
1/3 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup lavender sugar (1/4 cup sugar and 2 tbsp lavender flowers pulsed in food processor)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil muffin pan.

In a large bowl combine the butter, honey, sour cream, lavender sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy. About 2 or 3 minutes.

Evenly fill muffin tins and bake for 16-18 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool in pans for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin pans and cool on a wire rack.

lemon and honey icing

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp lemon extract
1-2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp honey
1-2 drops blue food coloring
lavender flowers for garnish

Combine the sugar, honey, extract and 1 tbsp of milk. Add more milk 1/2 tsp at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Top cupcakes with icing and garnish with lavender flowers.

Don't forget to help our honeybee friends by planting lots of flowers and plants around your yard! They will love you for it! ;0)

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58 comments:

pam said...

I love cooking with lavender. Mine is getting green, I can't wait for the flowers!

Chef Dennis Littley said...

great cupcakes....I have never worked with lavender....I would love to try it
thanks for sharing!!

Julie said...

I don't think I've ever had anything made with lavender. Obviously I really need to try it, these look great.

Molly Anne said...

I went to a craft sale last year and a lavender farm was selling "culinary lavender" and I was so fascinated by that and have been dying to try some lavender recipes ever since. These look fantastic as usual but I love that little bit of frosting on the top!

Delicious Dishings said...

These are just stunning... and that bee picture is unreal! I've never used lavender (except in one spice mixture I have). I think I worry about overwhelming my food with it and giving things a "floral" flavor. Did you like it? Did you find the flavor to be too floral or perfume-y?

Bit of Butter said...

Oh wow, those look amazing!

Jenn said...

lavender is one of my favorite flours. i haven't used it in cooking or baking yet, but after seeing these cupcakes, I'm more interested in trying now!!

Faith said...

These cupcakes are so sweet, Kim! The lavendar on top is such a lovely touch! I'll definitely have to make lavendar sugar, great idea!

~Kathie~ said...

Beautiful pictures and the cupcakes look delicious!

Emily said...

OMG these look very interesting and delicious! I am quite intrigued!

Pam said...

You are amazing! These cupcakes are so creative and beautiful. Nicely done.

marla {family fresh cooking} said...

I love the dried lavender on these beautiful cupcakes. They look so dainty, but very full of flavor. I can tell you put love into them. Yes, gotta love those honey bees. xo

BarbaraJean said...

These look so good and I love the pictures, as usual. I have never cooked with lavender. I love the smell. I have a spray from PartyLite that I love. The aroma is so relaxing. Love you, Daughter!

Anonymous said...

Terrific cupcakes! I love that you use the lavender in both the cupcakes and the icing, yum!

AiringMyLaundry said...

Oooo those sound good.

I'll try any cupcake.

sweetlife said...

what dainty but so flavorful cupcakes, I love lavender I shoudl use it more, aren't bees wonderful? how lucky you are to live so close to bob's place, great products

sweetlife

Angie's Recipes said...

I love baking with lavender too! These cupcakes with lavender icing look so awesome!

Joanne said...

You got the color of that icing just right! What a lovely hue.

Honey bees really are excellent things...because without them, we wouldn't have these yummy cupcakes!

Cathy said...

Your photos are terrific, Kim. Love the shot of the bee. And the lavender sugar is a great idea. Lovely cupcakes.

TKW said...

Hooray for lavender and honey cupcakes and days at the zoo with children. It must be spring! :)

Michelle said...

It is getting lavender time isn't it! I used lavender with chicken this week and it tasted so good!

Gorgeous photos!

teresa said...

pure gorgeousness! i've never even tried lavender, but i bet it's delicious!

Bob said...

They look awesome! I'll have to make them for my girlfriend, she loves lavender.

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

So much good stuff indeed... this is a great post, not just the recipe, but the sentiment (and not the least, the artisan cooking store!)

Catherine said...

This looks wonderful! I love the idea of the lavender...so pretty and beautiful!
I love the photos too!

Randi Troxell said...

oh these look wonderful!

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

Not only do they look delicious...but they're so pretty!

Punctuation Mark said...

This recipe looks delicious!!! need to find a place in miami that sells lavender!

Daphne said...

Perfect timing! I just bought a small baggie of lavender at the farmer's market this weekend and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. This sounds perfect! Mine is dried so I am hoping the food processor will grind it up for me.

Reeni said...

These are so pretty! And I bet their delicious with lavender and honey. Such great Spring flavors!

Unknown said...

Oh man...you have a bobs red mill down the street? LUCKY!! I just love that color and your cupcakes sound so yummy. I bet they were really moist. It seems that sour cream really makes for moist baked goods

Rhiannon Bosse said...

oh this is fantastic! the topping looks incredible and such a lovely shade of purple it is :)

Anonymous said...

I love the pictures and the beautiful glaze on the cakes.

Nisrine

Anonymous said...

what a perfect recipe. I have some lavender in the pantry, and now I know exactly how to use it.
*kisses* HH

jacqueline said...

I love visiting the zoo too. How wonderful that tiny little honey bees that brings wonders to our world. These cupcakes look so yummie and i bet it smells great too! It's very hard and almost impossible for me to get lavender here in malaysia, i shall just enjoy your cupcakes from here. Have a lovely merry happy day and love to you!

Ma What's 4 dinner said...

Ok, as always they look beautiful. But I went to the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa once and they are famous for lavendar, which I LOVE, to smell, but honestly, I wasn't a fan of eating it. AND in cheesecake no less. But you haven't steered me wrong yet, so I'll give it a go because they look insane!

Left you an award at my site today...swing by and pick it up. You deserve it.

Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner
www.mawhats4dinner.com

Mhel said...

Wow!! I havent tried any desserts with lavender. But I have heard about lavender ice cream. I would have to look for dried lavenders in some spice shops.... By the way, I have given you an award! Checkout my last post for the details... U

Tina L. Hook said...

What a yummy blog you have. Stopping by from SITS.

Stella said...

These are lovely, Kim. I don't know that I've ever seen such an elegant cupcake. I'm going to look at the recipe more carefully, b/c i actually have some Frontier lavender....

Rachel said...

These looks simply beautiful. Glad I stumbled upon your blog! You have some mighty fine recipes and great photos.

Fresh Local and Best said...

Those cupcakes are so elegant! You are so lucky to be close to Bob's Red Mill, all of their products are high quality.

MaryMoh said...

Wow....beautiful! I love lavender....very calming. These cakes must be very delicious.

Gloria Baker said...

I love lavander recipes and theses look absolutely beauty, look belle,belle! gloria

Sweta (My Indian Dietitian) said...

I know I've said this before,but I can't help saying it every time I see another of your awesome cupcake recipes-you are the official 'Cupcake Queen' in my opinion!!!!
Wish I was your neighbor ;)

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Bob's Red Mill is down the street from you? You are one lucky gal. Love the photos. We have been fairly successful with growing lavender. It's so pretty and reminds me of France.
Sam

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of lemon/honey icing! Yum!

Barbara Bakes said...

They do look so lovely. How fun to be able to shop at Bob's Red Mill.

Chiara "Kika" Assi said...

those look so beautiful... I love the lilac icing on them! my best friend here has a giant lavender plant on her porch... I guess we'll finally know what to do with it!

ck said...

when i think of lavender i think of those candies that seemed like a great idea, with the shiny purple and silver packaging, but were such a disappointment to eat. i've never thought to actually cook with it. i think you may have redeemed my broken relationship with lavender!

nora@ffr said...

Fantastic! These delightful little lavender and honey cupcakes look wonderful!i just love the beautiful lavender color!! :D

Shaheen said...

Oooh they look delightful. I made some lavender heart shaped scones, now I am tempted to make these.

tasteofbeirut said...

Kim
This is such a lovely and dainty cupcake and I bet the lavender perfume is wonderful too! Great idea to grind the flowers too.

pigpigscorner said...

I've never cooked with lavender. The colour is so pretty!

Karalie said...

I made these last night. They were quite good! The combination of honey, lavender, and lemon was just right. Thanks for sharing a yummy post!

Lisa said...

The cupcakes sound divine and I just love bee photos!
I just planted some Hidcote and two other varieties of culinary lavender. Can't wait to cook with it.

Sprinkles said...

These cupcakes are gorgeous!! Love the colour! I have included them in our honey cupcakes feature at Party Cupcake Ideas!

Jeeves1729 said...

Thanks so much for this recipe! I borrowed the lavender from my neighbor who is starting her own catering business. I gave her a few of these yummy treats as a thank you and she loved them! I added 2 drops of blue and one drop of red food coloring because mine were a little too blue to begin with and now they look just like the picture :) thanks a million!

Anonymous said...

I recently baked these cupcakes for some friends and they loved them!! Thanks for the idea!

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