Meet us in the garden for these delicious lavender honey cupcakes. Sweet lavender honey vanilla cupcakes, made perfect with honey + lavender buttercream frosting - you'll be in love with their floral flavor and elegant frosting after just one bite!
Why you'll love this recipe:
Sipping a cup of Lavender London Fog with one of these lavender-honey cupcakes is a dream. Perfect for a spring soiree, baby shower, floral bridal shower, Mother's Day, easter - any occasion that deserves something elevated. The beauty of these cupcakes is that even those who may fear trying floral taste will find themselves swooning. There's something truly special about the way lavender flowers taste in a small, soft, fluffy vanilla and honey cake.
The subtle hint of lavender will take your baking game up a notch. I've always dreamed of owning a little floral bakery or ice cream shop, and these cupcakes would definitely be sold garnished with candied lavender.
Basic tools to help make perfect cupcakes:
- Muffin tin or cupcake tin
- Cupcake liner
- Piping bag and tip
- Ice cream scoop
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients to gather:
For the Lavender Honey Cupcakes:
- ½ cup butter, unsalted - room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup buttermilk or ½ cup whole milk (any milk of choice will do)
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon culinary lavender buds (dried)
Ingredient notes: We always use fresh local honey and occasionally floral infused honey in this house. Since you're going out of your way to bake, make it special!
For the lavender honey buttercream:
- 3 sticks (1 and ½ cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup honey
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup heavy cream or buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender, processed to be ultra fine.
How to make the cupcakes:
These lavender honey cupcakes are perfectly sweet, moist and soft - they really are a dream!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Process lavender to turn it into a fine consistency. You can do this in a food processor, in a spice grinder, or with your mortar and pestle. This step is optional, but will ensure you have a more even texture throughout your cupcakes.*
- In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In small bowl mix together wet ingredients: buttermilk, honey and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a large bowl beat butter, lavender and sugar on medium - high speed until combined. You can use a hand mixer or make in the bowl of an electric mixer / stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Gradually add the dry and wet ingredients, alternating starting and ending with dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Using ice cream scoop fill cupcake liners about ⅔ full. Simply spoon batter if you don't have an ice cream scoop.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Make your buttercream while they bake.
- Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove cool cupcakes to wire rack to finish cooling.
- Let cupcakes cool completely before adding buttercream.
How to make the buttercream:
This lavender honey buttercream flavor is a variation of our favorite American buttercream. It's easy, versatile, and delicious!
- Finely grind your lavender the same way as you did for your cupcakes.
- Add the butter and fine lavender and one cup of the powdered sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl if you're using a hand mixer. Beat on low just to blend, then beat on high for 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
- Add the honey, heavy cream and the remaining powdered sugar, mix until completely smooth.
- Check the consistency and beat in more powdered sugar if the buttercream is too thin. Taste, and add more salt, vanilla if desired.
Variation inspiration:
- Add in some lemon zest and lemon juice in place of vanilla extract for lemon lavender cupcakes
- Replace lavender with another flavorful edible flower of choice, lilacs would be perfect!
- Remove lavender all together for a delicious honey cupcake recipe
Frequently asked questions
Can I make these cupcakes ahead of time?
Make cupcakes and buttercream up to three days ahead of time. We recommend leaving them seperate and frosting them the day of the event for the easiest storing method.
Can I freeze these cupcakes?
You can freeze unfrosted cupcakes in a ziplock bag for up to three months. Do not freeze frosted cupcakes.
How do I store my cupcakes?
Store unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
Once cupcakes are frosted store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days for best flavor.
What is the best way to serve my cupcakes?
Serve at room temperature, so remove from the fridge an hour before serving. You can get fancy and add a sprig of candied lavender on top, if you're fancy. 🙂
Lavender honey cupcakes
Ingredients
- cupcakes:
- ½ cup butter unsalted - room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup buttermilk or ½ cup whole milk any milk of choice will do
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon culinary lavender buds dried
- buttercream:
- 3 sticks 1 and ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup honey
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup heavy cream or buttermilk at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon dried lavender processed to be ultra fine.
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Process lavender to turn it into a fine consistency. You can do this in a food processor, in a spice grinder, or with your mortar and pestle. This step is optional, but will ensure you have a more even texture throughout your cupcakes.*
In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In small bowl mix together wet ingredients: buttermilk, honey and vanilla. Set aside.
In a large bowl beat butter, lavender and sugar on medium - high speed until combined. You can use a hand mixer or make in the bowl of an electric mixer / stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Gradually add the dry and wet ingredients, alternating starting and ending with dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Using ice cream scoop fill cupcake liners about ⅔ full. Simply spoon batter if you don't have an ice cream scoop.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Make your buttercream while they bake.
Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove cool cupcakes to wire rack to finish cooling.
Let cupcakes cool completely before adding buttercream.
For the buttercream:
- Finely grind your lavender the same way as you did for your cupcakes.
Add the butter and fine lavender and one cup of the powdered sugar to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl if you're using a hand mixer. - Beat on low just to blend, then beat on high for 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times.
Add the honey, heavy cream and the remaining powdered sugar, mix until completely smooth.
Check the consistency and beat in more powdered sugar if the buttercream is too thin. Taste, and add more salt, vanilla if desired.
Assembly:
- Move buttercream to a piping bag and pipe onto cooled cupcakes with any piping tip of choice