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image of a lavender lemon cupcake that's been cut into to show its lemon curd filling
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5 from 2 ratings

Lavender Lemon Cupcakes

These lavender lemon cupcakes have a perfectly balanced, floral-citrus flavor! They bake up tender, soft, and absolutely delicious.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Cupcakes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 456kcal
Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Lemon Cupcakes:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest or the zest of 1 large lemon 6g
  • 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature 125g
  • 1/2 cup water, room temp 120g
  • 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil 56g
  • 1 large egg, room temperature 56g
  • 1 tsp lemon extract 4g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
  • yellow gel food coloring optional
  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour 160g
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g

Lavender Milk

  • 1/3 cup whole milk 80g
  • 2 Tbsp dried culinary lavender 6g

Lavender Buttercream Frosting

  • 3 large egg whites, room temperature 100g
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
  • 1/4 cup lavender milk, room temperature - recipe above 60g
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest or the zest of 1 large lemon 6g
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
  • purple and pink gel food coloring optional

Optional Filling

  • 3/4 cup lemon curd

Recommend Tools and Equipment

Instructions

Lemon Cupcakes:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and place 12 cupcake liners in a muffin pan. Set aside.
  • Add 1 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp lemon zest into a medium-sized bowl. Use your fingertips to massage the zest into the sugar to help release the oil in the zest. You should be able to smell the oils being incorporated into the sugar. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup oil, 1 large egg, 1 tsp lemon extract, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. If desired, add in a small squirt of yellow gel food coloring. Mix until fully incorporated.
  • Whisk 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, the lemon sugar we made in step 2, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. The batter should be smooth.
  • Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the pan halfway through to help the cupcakes bake evenly.
  • Let the cupcakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Or if you're in a rush (or just impatient like me), place the entire pan in the freezer for 30 minutes to accelerate the cooling process.

Lavender Milk

  • Pour 1/3 cup milk into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, until the milk begins to simmer.
  • Remove the pan from the stove top and add in 2 Tbsp dried lavender.
  • Let the mixture steep for 15 minutes, then pour the liquid through a strainer into a small bowl.
  • Set aside to cool completely before adding to the frosting.

Lavender Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

  • In a medium sized pot, add about 1-inch of water and bring to a simmer.
  • Add 3 egg whites and 1 cup of granulated sugar into a metal or heat-proof mixing bowl.
  • Place the bowl on top of the pot filled with simmering water. The bowl should create a seal over the pot. Make sure the water isn’t actually touching the bottom of the bowl, or it can cook the egg whites.
  • Whisk the mixture constantly for about 1 1/2 minutes, until it reaches 160°F / 71°C. You can test the mixture to see if it’s ready by rubbing a tiny bit between your fingertips. The sugar should be fully dissolved, and it should feel super smooth and hot to the touch.
  • Once it reaches this stage, lift the bowl away from the pot and dry the bottom with a towel. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on a medium-high speed with a whisk attachment. Mix for about 10 minutes, or until you have stiff, glossy peaks that stick straight up. While the meringue whips, I like to add something cold around the base of my bowl. I find the meringue stays quite warm while it whips up and placing a bag of frozen veggies around the base of the bowl helps cool it back to room temperature. This can prevent your buttercream from becoming soupy in the next step.
  • Mix in 1 cup of unsalted butter at a medium speed, 1 stick at a time. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. The frosting should have a thick, whipped consistency once all the butter is mixed in. If it looks lumpy or broken, keep mixing until it looks fluffy and thick. If it doesn't seem to come together after an additional 10 minutes of mixing, check out the troubleshooting section in this post.
  • Once the consistency is right, swap out the whisk attachment for a paddle attachment and add in 1/4 cup lavender milk, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp fine salt, and a drop of purple and pink gel food coloring (if desired). Continue mixing on a low speed for a couple minutes to make the frosting extra smooth.
  • The frosting should have a thick whipped consistency at this point. If it looks lumpy or broken, keep mixing until it looks smooth and thick.
  • Place the frosting in a large piping bag fitted with your favorite piping tip and seal the top of the bag with a rubber band or clip. I used a Wilton 1M piping tip.

Decorating These Lavender Lemon Cupcakes:

  • If you chose to fill these cupcakes, remove the centers with the bottom of a large piping tip or a 3/4-inch circle cutter. Fill each cupcake with 1 Tbsp of lemon curd.
  • Next, make the heart garnish. Use a vegetable peeler to peel a few thin strips of skin from a lemon. Then use a small heart shaped cutter to cut out 12 little hearts. If you don't have a heart shaped cutter you can also cut them out using a small, sharp knife.
  • Then pipe a large dollop of lavender buttercream on top of each cupcake. Gently press a lemon peel heart into the frosting on each cupcake.
  • Use a microplane grater to top the cupcakes with a sprinkle of lemon zest, then enjoy!

Video

Notes

Yield:

One batch of this recipe makes 12 standard sized cupcakes. It can also be used to make about 30 mini cupcakes. Bake mini cupcakes for 13-16 minutes at 350 F / 175 C.

Variations:

  • To make dairy free lemon lavender cupcakes, use an alternative dairy milk to replace the whole milk (almond, oat, or soy), vegan butter in place of the butter, and dairy free yogurt (almond, oat, or soy) in place of the sour cream.
  • To make gluten free lemon lavender cupcakes, swap in your favorite gluten free flour blend for the cake flour this recipe calls for, and be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.

Tips for Making the Best Lemon Lavender Cupcakes

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better. Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
  • Properly measure the flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure the dry ingredients.
  • Mix the cupcake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated once you add in the flour. This will ensure the cupcakes are tender and fluffy.
  • To make gluten free lavender lemon cupcakes, swap in your favorite GF flour blend for the cake flour in this recipe. Be sure to over-mix your batter and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking for best results.
  • Use a large cookie scoop to easily fill the cupcake liners. It also makes sure the cupcakes end up being the same height.
  • Be careful not to overfill the cupcake liners! This can cause them to sink in the middle or explode over the sides of the liners.
  • One batch of batter can also be used to make one 8×8-inch lemon lavender sheet cake. Bake it at 325 F / 162 C for 33-38 minutes.

Making These Lavender Lemon Cupcakes in Advance & Storage Tips

You can make these cupcakes in advance! Frosted and filled cupcakes can sit at room temperature for a few hours or be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
They can also last up to a month in the freezer. If you plan to freeze them, I suggest waiting to fill and frost them until they're thawed.
You can also make the buttercream ahead of time or save any leftovers. This buttercream frosting will last in the fridge for up to a month.
Be sure to give the frosting a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
You can also store buttercream in a piping bag in the fridge. I find buttercream keeps its consistency well in piping bags and doesn't require any mixing after it's thawed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 346mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g