These lavender lemon cupcakes are the perfect addition to any summer table! Fresh, tangy lemon is whipped to perfection in my signature light and fluffy buttercream frosting and paired with lavender's soft floral notes in a beloved vanilla cupcake base.
Thanks to the sponsor of this post, Vanilla Blossom Flavours, I received several products to create this delicious recipe for you! Links to products from this lovely company are affiliate links. This means that at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase I receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting BAKED by Blair!
This recipe is the perfect spring and summer dessert recipe! Nothing scream warm weather like lemon lavender cupcakes.
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Why These Are the Best Lavender Lemon Cupcakes:
- Is there anything better than cupcakes topped with tangy lemon buttercream on the summer dessert menu? I think not.
- They're a fresh, fragrant, floral twist on a classic vanilla cupcake recipe.
- Simple to make, from start to finish in under 45 minutes!
Ingredients Needed to Make Lemon Lavender Cupcakes:
Here’s what you will need to make these heavenly cupcakes.
For the Luscious Lavender Cupcakes:
- Unsalted Butter: provides that delicious buttery flavour
- Vegetable Oil: keeps the moisture level perfectly balanced
- Granulated Sugar: sweetens the batter and helps to create a light and fluffy cupcake through the creaming process
- Egg Whites: important for the leavening process
- Pure Vanilla Extract: make sure to use pure - not artificial - vanilla extract* for the strongest and best flavour.
- Cake Flour: a low protein flour essential to create a light, beautifully textured cupcake
- Baking Powder: creates rise in cupcakes
- Baking Soda: also helps cupcakes to rise, but requires an acid (buttermilk) to activate
- Salt: for flavour
- Buttermilk: provides a slight tang flavour and assists with activating leavening agents
- Lavender: Not all types of lavender are edible, so it's very important to use culinary lavender* only in your kitchen!
See the recipe card for quantities.
*I use Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract and Lavender Flower from Vanilla Blossom Flavours - you can use the code BBB2021 to receive 15% off of your order!
Vanilla Blossom Flavours are a Canadian based company specializing in vanilla extracts, vanilla bean paste and a variety of spices. I absolutely love their products and will be a lifelong customer! We love using Vanilla Blossom Pure Madagascar Vanilla Extract for all of our bakes! Not only is the taste great, but the price point is better than any other pure vanilla extract I've seen.
For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
- Unsalted Butter At room temperature
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Blossom Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract
- Lemon Extract
- Fresh Lemon Juice
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make the Luscious Lavender Cupcakes:
Full instructions for these lavender cupcakes are listed on the recipe card below, but here are a few pro tips!
- Ensure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. In order to allow your ingredients to incorporate together well, this is imperative. In the first step of the recipe, it’s especially important to allow the butter and oil to amalgamate together – and this takes time!
- Cream your butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy! Don’t skip this step. It’s important to allow time for these to whip together in order to create a light and fluffy cake.
- Don’t over mix your batter! Oh my goodness. If I had a nickel for every time I over mixed my batter and ended up with a dense vanilla cake when I first started baking… We only want to mix just enough to incorporate our ingredients.
- It bears repeating - use real vanilla extract! Good quality vanilla like Vanilla Blossoms is important to the overall flavour.
- Allow your lavender milk to cool to room temperature before using in your cupcakes.
How to Make Lemon Buttercream:
- Make sure your butter is room temperature. Butter that is room temperature incorporates fully.
- Whip butter using the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Whip until combined.
- Pour in lemon extract and juice and whip until light and fluffy.
Substitutions
- Cake Flour - use gluten free flour instead of all purpose flour to make this gluten free. I recommend using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour.
- Vegan - to make these lavender cupcakes vegan, you can use ½ cup unsweetened applesauce in the batter for the eggs and plant-based butter for the butter in the batter and frosting.
Equipment
For these lemon lavender cupcakes and the lemon buttercream frosting you'll need an electric stand or electric hand mixer.
Storage
Store unfrosted lemon lavender cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Alternatively you can freeze unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container such as a Ziplock bag for up to 1 month. Allow the cupcakes to come to room temperature on the counter for about 3 hours before frosting and enjoying.
These cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, and should be devoured in 2 days for maximal freshness. 😉 Make sure to eat them at room temperature. Cold cupcakes can taste dry!
Top Tip
Measure your cake flour properly. This is imperative to creating a tender and moist cupcake. By using your measuring cup to scoop the flour, you'll back down the flour and end up with WAY too much flour. This can cause the cupcakes to be dense and dry.
FAQ's About Lemon Lavender Cupcakes
So many things! I like using a recipe that has oil in it such as this! Use the appropriate temperature when baking --use an oven thermometer! Don't over bake - make sure to take your cupcakes out when there are some moist crumbs on the toothpick you insert into the center to test for doneness.
Too much baking soda and not enough neutralizing agent (buttermilk) can give a soapy taste. Make sure to measure well! Due to the lavender base of this cupcake which has strong floral notes, if you use too much lavender it can resemble soap. If you try the recipe and find the lavender is too strong, reduce the amount of lavender you add next time!
More Cupcake Dessert Recipes You'll Love:
Lavender Lemon Cupcakes
Equipment
- Electric Stand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- Cupcake Tray
- Cupcake Liners
Ingredients
For the Lavender Infused Milk
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ½ tablespoon whole Vanilla Blossom culinary lavender
For the Lavender Cupcakes
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Blossom Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 1½ cups cake flour
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground Vanilla Blossom culinary lavender
- ¾ cup lavender infused milk at room temperature
For the Lemon Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
For the Lavender Infused Milk
- Use a small pot to bring milk and loose culinary lavender to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn your milk!
- Remove from heat and allow to steep for 25 minutes. Strain to remove loose lavender.
- Add additional whole milk to ensure there is ¾ cups left to add in to your cupcakes. Some may have evaporated off during the simmering process.
- Bring to room temperature before using in cake recipe.
For the Lavender Cupcakes
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cupcake tray with 10 cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Into the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and oil together for 4-5 minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add sugar into the mixture and beat on medium to high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed add egg whites in one at a time followed by the vanilla and lemon extract. Beat on high until mixture is smooth and light in colour.
- Scrape down the sides of your bowl once again. While your mixture is mixing, sift cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground lavender and salt into a medium bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture into the bowl and mix until just combined.
- Scrape down the bowl and add one half of the lavender milk and again mix until just combined. Repeat this process. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Do not over-mix or your cake will become quite dense.
- Distribute batter evenly between cupcake liners. Fill ¾ full.
- Bake for 18 minutes at 325 degrees or until a knife inserted into the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean.
For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth and light in colour (about 1 minute). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, add powered sugar one cup at a time. Scrape down the sides.
- Turn mixer to low speed and add in lemon extract and lemon juice. Mix until combined. Scrape down sides once more. Mix on medium to high for 3-5 more minutes until buttercream is light and fluffy.
D'Arcy says
Looking forward to baking these for an upcoming board meeting. Will they freeze (no frosting) until I ice them on Monday?
Blair Braz says
Absolutely! Place them in ziplock bags and try to get as much air out as you can and they will be great!
D'Arcy Wingrove says
If I'm substituting raspberry jam for the lemon juice and lemon extract, should I just add in the 1/4-1/2 cup after the sugar is mixed in and mix in mixer for 3-5 minutes on high, or should I mix the icing without and once all mixed and light and fluffy, stir in the jam by hand?
Blair Braz says
Hi! I would mix it on high without the jam and then once it is light and fluffy add in your jam and mix by hand!
Brett says
I don’t even really like lavender but absolutely loved these cupcakes! Definitely making them again.
Blair Braz says
Aren't they so good?!
Heather says
The lavender flavor was so subtle and not over powering. Loved them.