Gluten Free Earl Grey Lavender Cupcakes
Floral and elegant, these earl grey lavender cupcakes are topped with a silky buttercream and filled with earl grey syrup and finely ground lavender
Servings: 24 Cupcakes
Calories: 350kcal
Equipment
- Cupcake pans
Ingredients
For the lavender syrup:
- 1 Cup water
- 1 Cup white sugar
- 1/4 Cup dried lavender buds
- 2 Tbsp honey
For the earl grey syrup:
- 3 Cups water
- 1 1/2 Cups white sugar
- 3 Tbsp earl grey loose leaf tea or tea bags
For the cupcakes:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Cup milk with 1 earl grey tea bag
- 2 tsp ground earl grey (contents of tea bags)
- 2 Tbsp earl grey syrup
- 3/4 Cup canola oil
- 1 Cup white sugar
- 3/4 tsp finely ground culinary lavender or lavender syrup less is more!
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Cups gluten free 1-1 flour mix with xanthan gum added (if the mix doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1/2 a teaspoon)
- 1/2 Cup almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the buttercream:
- 2 Cups salted butter room temperature
- 4 Cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lavender syrup less is more!
- 3 Tbsp earl grey syrup
- 1 tsp ground earl grey tea (contents of a tea bag)
- purple food coloring optional
Instructions
- First, make the syrups. In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients for the earl grey syrup and cook over medium low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase temp to medium heat and stir occasionally until syrup begins to boil. Immediately turn off heat and let the tea steep for about 8 minutes, then pour syrup through a sieve into a bowl, rinse out the pan, and pour the tea-less syrup back into the pan and cook on medium heat for 8-10 more minutes or until liquid is a bit more syrupy. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl to cool. Repeat all of this for the lavender syrup: combine all ingredients in the same small sauce pan, bring to a boil, turn off heat, let lavender steep for about 10-12 minutes, then pour liquid through a sieve into a bowl, then pour back into the pan without the lavender and continue to cook until syrupy and thicker, then remove and let cool.
- Then, make the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit and line two cupcake trays with paper liners then set aside. Heat the milk in a mug in the microwave for one minute, then steep one earl grey teabag in it for 5 minutes. While the tea is steeping, in a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil and sugar until lighter and creamy. Add in the ground earl grey, earl grey syrup, vanilla, and ground lavender (or lavender syrup). Once the milk-tea is steeped, pour in and beat together until combined. Add in the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt and beat until combined. Pour batter into the lined cupcake pans (each should be about 2/3 -3/4 full). Bake for 17-18 minutes (longer and the cupcakes will be dry) - until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
- While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream frosting! In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and 1 cup of the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in 1 cup of the powdered sugar at a time until completely combined. Then add in the earl grey and lavender syrup, vanilla, ground earl grey, and purple coloring (optional), and beat together until smooth. Taste frosting and adjust any of the flavors as needed (lavender goes a long way so I recommend not adding more!). Scoop frosting into a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes, then serve!