Lemon Lavender Cupcakes

These Lemon Lavender Cupcakes were inspired by the Cambric Creek Coven series (also called the Wheel of the Year series) by C.M. Nascosta. This series (which currently includes The Mabon Feast and Hexennacht) follows Elizabeth (a.k.a. Ladybug) Brackenbridge as she comes into her own power as a witch and organizes her own coven in the town of Cambric Creek.

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C.M. Nascosta has written several short stories about Ladybug on her Patreon as well.  One of these stories, A Ghost on Four Paws, provided the inspiration for these Lemon Lavender Cupcakes, which was Ladybug’s mother’s favorite birthday cake. This short story ties the present and the past together as Ladybug reminisces about the time she spent with her mother and aunt before they both passed away.

After all, it was not only the long nights and stretching shadows the winds of winter brought that year. Her mother’s birthday had been shortly before the winter solstice, her mother and her aunt Willow alike. That birthday would have been a milestone of sorts, the type of birthday celebration that would have been recognized beyond the tiny circle of their immediate family, an age reached that was acknowledged by friends and coworkers and strangers online who used to be friends — at least, that was what popular media told her. Reaching it, though, was a necessity to the celebration. And both of them are gone….

They had celebrated birthdays when she’d been a child with flowers in their hair and stories around the fire, venturing out to dance beneath the moon, if the weather did not make it an impossibility. Her mother would bake their favorite cake — lemon sponge with lavender-flavored icing, and the night would be filled with laughter.

-A Ghost on Four Paws by C.M. Nascosta

Although Ladybug’s mom and Aunt Willow’s birthday was shortly before the winter solstice, I feel like lemon lavender is a summery flavor combination. So, developing this recipe gave me the perfect excuse to visit Seven Oaks Lavender Farm in Northern Virginia this past summer.

I greatly enjoyed visiting this beautiful little farm and picking my own lavender, which I used to decorate different versions of these cupcakes. My coworkers, who are my taste testers for this blog, gave these cupcakes great reviews, so I hope you will enjoy these cupcakes as well.

Lemon Lavender Cupcakes

SERVINGS: About 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

LEMON CUPCAKES

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup milk, room temperature
1 egg, slightly beaten
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 ½ - 2 teaspoons lemon zest

LEMON LAVENDER WHITE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED GANACHE
6oz. white chocolate
8 oz. heavy whipping cream
½ tablespoon lavender
1 teaspoon lemon zest

INSTRUCTIONS
 
LEMON CUPCAKES

1. Preheat the oven to 325⁰F. Line a 12-cup regular cupcake tin with paper liners or generously oil the cups.
2. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder, and then add the sugar.
3. Add the oil, milk, egg, and lemon juice and zest to the dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
4. Divide batter evenly into the prepared cupcake tins, filling cups about ¾ full.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, rotating the cupcake tins midway through the baking time, until a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.
6. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and the tins. Let cool completely on the wire racks before frosting the cupcake with the whipped ganache.

LEMON LAVENDER WHITE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED GANACHE

1. Chop or break the white chocolate into small pieces and place in a small heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the heavy cream and lavender together over medium heat. (I heated it in the microwave for about 1 minute on medium heat.)
3. Let the lavender steep in cream for about 5 minutes. Then reheat the cream until it’s hot but not boiling. (I used the microwave again on medium heat for about 1-2 minutes.)
4. Strain the lavender out of the cream and pour the hot cream over the white chocolate. Let the mixture sit for about 2 minutes.
5. Add the lemon zest to the chocolate mixture and slowly whisk together until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
6. Chill chocolate mixture in the refrigerator until completely cool.
7. Then whip the chocolate mixture on medium speed for about 1-2 minutes until thick. (For better results, place the bowl and whisk into the freezer to chill about 10 minutes before whipping the ganache.)