Lavender Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Cheese Icing

For my room mates birthday the other day, I decided to make something new (surprise, surprise!) so I made Lavender Cupcakes with Citrus Cream Cheese Icing. Delish! Two of my room mates said it was their favorite cupcake to date (and i've made a LOT!)

Here are the recipes and some pictures!

Lavender Cupcakes - from here*
makes 12 cupcakes. clearly, i doubled the recipe :)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup self-rising flour (how-to make yourself, here*)
• 2 tablespoons milk

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F; line a 12 count muffin pan with paper liners.
• Put the sugar and lavender flowers in a food processor. Process briefly to combine.
• Tip the lavender sugar into a bowl with the butter and beat together until pale and fluffy.
• Beat the eggs into the butter mixture, one at a time, then sift in the flour and fold gently. Stir in the milk, then spoon the mixture into the muffin cups.
• Bake for about 18 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

1. mixing the batter. 2. placing in cupcake tins. 3. making the icing with lots of zest! 4. adding the color!

Citrus Cream Cheese Icing - from here*
for 12 cupcakes. clearly, i doubled the recipe. :)

1/2 stick butter
1 8oz packages of cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon mixed citrus zest (from lemons, limes, oranges, whatever citrus you have)
1 teaspoon citrus juice (same as above)
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
3-4 drops of purple food coloring

1. soften butter in the mixer on high speed
2. add cream cheese and beat until combined
3. sift confectioner’s sugar
4. add about half of the confectioner’s sugar and citrus juice and zest to the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat on high speed to combine
5. add remaining confectioner’s sugar in stages until desired consistency and sweetness is achieved
6. add purple food coloring and mix until consistent color is achieved

haha funny thing, she actually turned 23. what shitty friends we are....eeeeks.but we did make it all look adorable for when she came home!