Lavender Lemon Cupcakes

I am having a cupcake-based fit right now.

Pink lemonade.

Xocolatl.

Strawberry lime.

Lavender lemon.

Heavens to murgatroyd, those puppies are versatile.

My kindergarten teacher used to say 'heavens to murgatroyd', while placing one hand on her chest in ladylike surprise.

Loved her.

It must just be a cupcake-y kind of summer, you know?  Nothing like a personal-sized cake (or three) while sitting in your hammock, enjoying your novel.

Maybe your romance novel.

Outlander is a classic, okay?  A CLASSIC.

In other words, vacation is going G-R-E-A-T.  I hope you're doing something fun too.

Lavender Lemon Cupcakes
This cake recipe is from the Joy of Baking, and it is the best lemon cake I've found so far if you want a good, strong lemon flavor.  A lot of lemon cakes get their flavor from their frosting, but I needed a strong, lemony cake that the lavender frosting wouldn't overpower.  Found it!  The lavender frosting is, of course, my favorite go-to, slightly adapted.  

1 c unsalted butter
1 c white sugar
1 t vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
zest of 1 large lemon
2 c all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 c fresh lemon juice (3 - 4 lemons, usually, depending on size)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Paper 12 cups worth of a cupcake tin.
 

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer) beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and pale in color (about 3-4 minutes). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition (batter will look curdled).

 

Sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Add the flour mixture (in three additions) alternately with the lemon juice (in two additions), mixing until you have a smooth batter.  

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon. 

Bake about 40 - 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cake will be dry.) 

Place on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes, then gently remove the sides and bottom of the pan.

For the frosting:

3 1/4 c powdered sugar

1 c butter

1 t vanilla

3 T milk

2 T lavender buds

1-2 drops food-grade lavender essential oil (optional*)

Beat the powdered sugar and the butter together on low for 1 minute, then on medium for 2 minutes more.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and beat on medium for another minute.

*If you aren't using the oil, I advise you make this frosting a few hours ahead of time and store it covered so the lavender flavor has time to diffuse through the frosting from the buds.  Otherwise it will have a weak flavor.