HONEY ALMOND & LAVENDER CUPCAKES WITH SALTED HONEY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Happy Belated Birthday to my dear dear friend and co-blogger, Jerica! Actually her birthday was a while ago but she had been in Hawaii- putting a hold on her birthday celebration. We booked a hotel down in Denver for a sweet hotel soireeeee, had dinner at Linger (a restaurant that used to be a Mortuary), and a night full of festivities at the bars!

   Here is an adorable picture from dinner of Kyle, Jerica, and Alix!

I initially wanted to make a cake and bring it to dinner- but that seemed like it’d end up being more work than needed. So I went with a Honey Almond and Lavender (gluten free!) cupcake with a salted honey cream cheese frosting. Sounds like a bit much but it is really a lightly sweet and floral cupcake!

Honey Almond Lavender Cupcake
PREP TIME: 30 MIN. TOTAL TIME:  1 HOUR
MAKES A DOZEN

FOR THE BATTER:
   ½        cup organic butter
    2        cage free eggs
 1¾        cup gluten free all purpose flour
 1½        teaspoon baking powder
    2        teaspoon dried lavender
   ½        teaspoon sea salt
    1        cup organic raw sugar
   ¼        cup organic honey
    1        teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    1        teaspoon pure almond extract
   ½        cup vanilla almond milk

FOR THE FROSTING:
    8        ounces soften organic cream cheese
    3        tablespoon soften organic butter
   ¼        cup organic honey
   ½        teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    3        cups organic powder sugar
    2        tablespoon lavender
    2        teaspoon of sea salt

1. Let butter and cream cheese sit at room temperature to soften up.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Set up the cupcake wrappers into a muffin pan to maintain shape. Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. Beat ½ cup of butter with an electric mixer. Add sugar,  ¼ cup of honey, 1 teaspoon almond and teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat  on medium speed and slowly add in eggs.

4. Slowly sift the dry mixture into the beater. Add in ½ cup of vanilla almond milk. Beat on medium speed until all is blended into a smooth and creamy consistency.  Add more almond milk if needed.

5. Spoon batter into cupcake holders about ¾ of the way full. Bake for 12 minutes and cool before frosting. Double check the cupcake is fully cooked by poking the middle with a tooth pick- if it comes out dry than its done! If not leave in for a few more minutes to cook.

6. Prepare the frosting while the cupcake cools. Let the 3 tablespoon of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese soften at room temperature. Beat together softened butter and cream cheese on medium. Drizzle in the ¼ cup honey and  ½ teaspoon vanilla. Sift in the powder sugar slowly and beat until smooth and thick.

7. In a small bowl mix together 2 tablespoon of sea salt and 2 tablespoon of lavender evenly to create Lavender Salt for the topping.

8. Once cooled begin frosting the cupcakes using a pastry bag and frosting tip. Sprinkle each frosted cupcake with the Lavender Salt topping mixture and toasted almond slivers for texture. ENJOY

 

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