mini cupcakes with lemon and lavender
. . .
This time of year – dance recital time – is extremely stressful at the best of times. But this year? When combined with other job responsibilities, wrapping up baking school and my work term? Cripes. I actually heard my body creaking yesterday. I thought it was someone else’s lame body, and then I realized I was alone in the car, so it had to be mine.
My friend, Susan, once sent me some helpful tips for dealing with all that dance recitals can throw at a ballet teacher. I’m finding these suggestions particularly soothing this year, and I’m actually thinking about implementing some all of them today – recital day.
Susan’s Recital Wisdom:
- Dress the cute little primary dancers in pink fairy costumes or something. Lots of glitter and fake wings made out of old tights pulled over coat hangers. Leave the older kids offstage if things start to go badly. The little cuties always steal the show. They are your money winners, my friend.
- Put LOTS of makeup on the uglies. I know you like kids, but some are just not born with looks, so lots of lipgloss and mascara on the ones who aren’t lookers. And tape back ears if you have to…
- Have a big bowl of candy that you can throw into the audience as a distraction if needed. One of the kids could go on fire or start to cry or something, so candy could help. Maybe a fire extinguisher would be a good idea too – especially if you have some flammable costumes or chain-smoking teenagers. (Kids today tend to be bad-asses, you know.)
- Have a good lighting person. Give them the “OK” to turn the lights out if a child poops their pants or something. Or if someone falls off the stage. Then wait 10 minutes, and start the next act as if nothing has happened. (If it is being video taped you could send the footage in and win $10,000, and take a vacation in Scotland.)
- Wear tap shoes on opening night. If it is total crap, you may need to perform yourself. Riverdancing might go over well in a pinch. Or some Ukrainian clogging. Whatever… I trust your judgement.
And finally,
- You could try handing out free booze to the audience. That might make them more mellow. (But it could lengthen bathroom line-ups.)
People, it pays to have smart friends. Actually, I’m just realizing that most of that advice could be applied to your next dinner party…
Hey, I made you some mini cupcakes. Actually, like every recipe that has appeared on this blog since I started baking school, I made you these mini cupcakes months ago. It is the last of my stockpiled recipes and photographs. Things will soon slow down, and then we can spend some more time together. I haven’t even seen your bathing suit yet! On the plus side, I’ve learned a crapload about baking this year, and I can’t wait to make you as smart as I am. Kidding! That would be impossible.
This recipe makes about 24 mini cupcakes – that’s the number of wells in many standard mini cupcake pans. Leave the lemon and lavender out, and you’ll be left with a classic white cupcake. Leave ’em in and you’ll sound sophisticated. You could top these with leftover German Buttercream as I did, or with a classic buttercream. Or you could make a lavender infused buttercream! Don’t panic. You can do this. You’re just taking your favourite American buttercream recipe to the next level. Let’s say your recipe calls for 2-4 tablespoons of milk or cream – fairly standard, n’est pas? Whelp, you can put that cream into a bowl, add 1 tablespoon of culinary lavender, cover and let it soak overnight. Then use the cream as you normally would in the recipe – I’d strain the lavender out before using. Voila! Lavender infused buttercream.
See? I told you I was smart.
. . .
Mini Cupcakes with Lemon and Lavender – from Taste of Home, with slight adjustments – print and bake
Yields about 24 mini cupcakes.
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 1/2 teaspoon culinary lavender, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 cup milk
Mise en place – begin by getting organized. Measure out all of your ingredients. Prep your muffin pan – with pan greaser or mini-cupcake liners. Note: if you leave out the lavender and lemon zest, and you’ll have a classic white mini cupcake.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a mini-cupcake pan(s).
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand-held mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes).
Add the egg whites, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Beat in vanilla bean paste, lavender and lemon zest.
Add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk, mixing well and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. (The addition of the flour mixture and milk will go as follows: 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by 1/2 of the milk, another 1/3 flour mixture followed by the remaining milk, and then the final 1/3 of the flour mixture.)
Divide the batter evenly between the muffin wells. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then remove from pan to cool completely on wire racks.
Don’t forget to enter! You could win a prize!
Entry deadline: May 31, 2013
I was just thinking about this german buttercream the other day. You know why? because i was MAKING YOUR CAKE FOR BAKE MY CAKE 2013, that’s why.
I love these wee cupcakes: also, i love your tips for how to survive dance recitals. I never took dance of any kind because our family tends to have the natural rhythm of a herd of drunk gophers, but our neighbor friends did, and we used to attend their recitals.
Looking back, i really wish someone had been around to utilize some – if not all – of your suggestions. Ukrainian clogging would have really taken things up a notch.
These little cupcakes are so gorgeous! And cute! I’ve never tried baking with lavender before, but it’s something I’d really like to try.
I’m just saying…no one has ever had to tape my ears back. I’m comforted by your post because of that thought…and these gorgeous cupcakes!
We used to call my brother Dumbo. His ears didn’t stick out, but my sister and I liked to make him THINK they stuck out.
Good times.
Cupcakes make me smile – these are so pretty too:)
I’m on a mega lavender kick at the moment – am I accidentally on trend?! Good grief.
These are adorable, and I like the idea of infusing milk or cream to use instead of putting the lavender straight in. Avoids the perfume bombs, yo.
Great stuff – they are so pretty. Wonderful flavours going on!
These look gorgeous Miss B and I just needed such a recipe for school baking tomorrow. My only issue is the ‘print and bake’ button. It doesn’t work – there is nothing baked…where am I going wrong or is the link broken???? 😛
love ya and have missed you heaps aside from seeing you on IG and FB and well, here too!! xxx
Lady, I loves havin’ you around!
I’m really sorry that the print and bake button didn’t dispense the cupcakes as expected. I have technicians working on it right now.
Sometimes I wish I could like sentances or paragraphs in your blog, but I realise by the end if I did that it would be the entire thing.
Aw, Krysten, I love you.
Now get back in the fridge.
there is a rumour going around that you were seen dancing in the wings backstage at a recital today:):)
If the dancing was awesome, the rumour is true.
stockpiled recipes are your best friend in times like this… good luck on your dance recitals! i still remember my recitals from when I was a little bitty natalie 🙂 i was never a fairy but I do recall being a crab once (it was a little mermaid theme i do believe)
Your friend is a wise woman. I hope life slows down for you a bit. I love all things mini. It makes me feel like I can eat more without feeling guilty.
I love the flavors of lemon and lavender combined. I use them together for sweet and savory foods. These mini cupcakes look lovely and I am excited to try your directions for lavender infused butter cream frosting! Thanks!
Wow, these cupcakes are so adorable. I’ve been wanting to use lavender in my baking for a while now and you’re totally inspiring me to run out and buy some so that I can try this recipe!
These are lovely. I’ve never tried to use lavender, but I am a huge fan of lemon. I’ve never seen them together outside of tea, and I dislike tea. But I’ll give these a try 🙂
Here’s the thing about lavender – it’s the scent that’s awesome. It doesn’t taste like you’re eating lawn or anything. Nope. But when you lift a lavender infused treat to your mouth, you get a lovely scent – just a hint. It’s awesome. (However, if it tastes like soap, someone has probably gone a little crazy with the stuff.)
yummy! these sound really good. great photos too 🙂 I love lavender. thanks for posting.
XO,
M
Seriously?! ok…..First I’ll distress the piece of furniture I wanted to do (the reason how I ended up here 🙂 Then I’ll bake these here cupcakes….oh, must decide upon chicken recipe-or pasta-oh no maybe one of the seafood recipes…cook-a late-dinner, make the LOOKS AMAZING!!!!!!! muffins I drooled over for breakfast….tomorrow-be back here for more and start over again!!! You are amazing!! Furniture, crafts every kind of food…what don’t you do?! (so I can blog about that! lol!)
Thanks for giving me more to do 🙂
Nancy
Nancy, you’ve made my day! (Week… year!)
Actually, if you’re making a list, I’ve got some chores you could do around here…
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