Flowers make these easter cupcake recipes perfect for Easter dessert

Maybe it’s winter in your part of the world, but it’s never too early to dream of spring! And spring means flowers and warmer days … and Easter! Sweets and treats are a big part of the holiday celebration, so to get you in the mood for baskets and jellybeans and egg hunts, I wanted to give you some new ideas for oh-so-yummy Easter cupcake recipes that use flowers as an extra special ingredient and a lovely decoration!

A word of caution before you begin baking. If you add fresh lavender sprigs, rose petals, or other flowers, make sure they’re from a source that hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals. Whole Foods and other larger natural foods stores often carry organic flowers suitable for baking. Or plan, and grow your own in your garden!

As with all produce, do give them a rinse to remove any dust or dirt on the petals.  

Lavender Easter Cupcakes (Makes 12)

Spring is all about flowers, so what could be more perfect than a cupcake made with flowers? The recipe is easy, but you do need to infuse the milk with lavender the night before, so be sure to plan. Dried lavender is available online or in the spice section of most grocery stores and natural food supermarkets.

Supplies:

• A jar or bottle with a lid
• Paper cupcake liners
• A cupcake pan (12-cake pan, or two 6-cake pans)
• A hand strainer (in a pinch, a coffee filter in the bottom of a colander will work. Just dampen it before using it to strain so it doesn’t soak up your ingredients!)  
• Electric mixer

Ingredients for the cupcakes

• 1/2 cup whole milk (skim or lowfat milk will not work as well) 
• 3 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
• 1/2 cup plus one tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1® teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg 

For the icing

12 small sprigs of lavender (optional)
1/8 cup whole milk (cream or half-and-half works even better!)
1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
A couple of drops of purple food coloring (optional)

The night before (or at least a few hours before):

Put the milk and dried lavender flowers for both the cakes and the icing in a jar or bottle with a lid. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight if possible. When you’re ready to bake, strain the lavender-infused milk and measure the right amounts for the cupcakes and the icing.

• Preheat the oven to 325?F
• Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a mixing bowl, and use the electric mixer to beat on low, until the mixture resembles damp sand. 
• Slowly add the 1/2 cup lavender-infused milk to the flour mixture, mixing on low as you pour
• Add the egg and mix well on medium, scraping down the sides as you go
• Spoon the batter cupcake cups, filling them about 2/3 of the way.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cupcakes are slightly firm to the touch. Do not overbake!
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the tray to the rack to finish cooling before frosting. 

Lavender icing

• Beat together the icing sugar, butter and food coloring on medium speed until well blended
• Turn the mixer down to low, and slowly add the lavender-infused milk.
• Once the milk is well blended, turn mixer to high and blend until light and fluffy (about 5-6 minutes) 
• Frost the cupcakes, and decorate each with a lavender sprig,

Decorating ideas: 

If you’re not able to find fresh, organic lavender, these cupcakes look lovely with a light sprinkling of purple sugar or a candy flower in purple and yellow.  Or add an Easter touch with a nest of tiny lavender-colored candy eggs.

Strawberry-rose cupcakes (Make 16)

This recipe was adapted from a recipe on MyRecipes.com, and offers a simple way to bring the flavor of flowers to your Easter cupcakes recipes.  Rose water is available in many grocery stores, and in almost all Arabic or Middle Eastern markets.

Supplies

• Mixer
• Cupcake liners
• Cupcake pan (18-cupcake pan)   

Cupcake ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (do not use butter substitutes or margarine)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or use almond extract for a yummy alternative)
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Smucker’s Simply Fruit strawberry preserves
2 tsp. rose water

Cream Cheese-Rose Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. rose water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 1/2 cups small rose petals (organically grown)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Line 16 cupcake cups with paper liners.
• Place butter and sugar in a bowl and mix on medium until creamy.
• Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat until well blended.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
• Gradually add into the butter mixture a half cup at a time, beating after each addition until well blended.
• Mix together preserves and rose water in a small bowl
• Spread 2 heaping tbsp. batter in each cupcake paper
• Top with 1 tsp. preserves mixture, then another 2 heaping tbsp. batter, making sure the preserves are completely covered
• Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted toward the edge comes out clean, about 25 to 27 minutes (for dark baking pans, check after 21 minutes)
• Let cool in pans on wire cooling racks for 5 minutes
• Remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks before frosting.
• Decorate each frosted cupcake with a sprinkling of with rose petals.

Icing directions

• In a bowl, mix all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use

Decoration ideas

If organic rose petals are not available, frosted mint leaves (mint leaves dipped quickly in hot sugar syrup and then allowed to cool and dry), fresh sprigs of mint, or a pink candy rose are wonderful choices. Or play up the Easter theme with pretty pink bunnies or soft pastel mini-jelly beans.