I can’t be certain, but I’m pretty sure that if spring had a taste, it would be exactly like these Lavender Cupcakes. They are light and fresh making them the perfect dessert to impress guests at spring or summer gatherings.
[ReviewDisclaimer]
If you’ve never cooked with lavender then you are in for a real treat! It’s such a unique and sophisticated flavor.
When cooking with lavender, be aware that less is more. There is a fine line between a hint of lavender and the feeling like you are eating potpourri.
In the cake I used culinary grade lavender flowers. You could use lavender from your garden, but you will want to be careful if it has been treated with unsafe pesticides or herbicides that aren’t safe for human consumption.
To keep the frosting smooth, I used Lavender oil instead of the lavender flowers. For the oil, be sure that you are using a high quality and food safe oil. (I have linked to the products that I used below!)
You could substitute the oil, for the flowers in the cake. Just start by adding 2-3 drops at a time and then working your way up to taste.
Again we are going for a subtle lavender flavor – NOT potpourri 🙂
I also love to garnish these with some lemon zest to really amp up the spring time flavors. The lemon zest is subtle, but makes a huge impact, so try not to skip it!
If you enjoyed this recipe, do me a favor and give it a rating in the comments below! The ratings are so helpful and I love getting your feedback 🙂
Other recipes from This Mom’s Menu that you might enjoy:
- Keto Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Tres Leches | Keto, Gluten Free
- Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes | Low Carb, Gluten Free
Lavender Cupcakes | Keto, Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 1/4 cup super fine almond flour
- 1/4 cup low carb vanilla whey protein powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup Confectioners Erythritol
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 2-3 tsp dried and ground lavender blossoms OR 1/8 tsp lavender oil See notes
For the frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 4 tbsp butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup Confectioners Erythritol
- 2-3 tbsp Heavy Cream
- 1/8 tsp lavender oil
- Optional: lemon zest
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners or spray with non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl combine the almond flour, whey protein, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the butter, vanilla, erythritol, eggs and heavy cream using an electric mixer.
- Working in batches, add the dry ingredients in with the wet, mixing after each addition, until you have a smooth creamy batter.
- Gently stir in 1 tsp at a time of the lavender blossoms. Taste after each addition and continue adding to suit your taste. **If you are using the oil, add a 2-3 drops at a time. I use about 1/8 of a tsp.
- Distribute batter evenly between the muffin tin, about 1/4 cup of batter per cupcake.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
For the frosting:
- In a medium bowl, combine the butter, vanilla and cream cheese using an electric mixer. Next, mix in the erythritol.
- Add 1 - 2 tbsp of heavy cream until you get a smooth frosting like consistency.
- Begin adding lavender oil 2-3 drops at a time, tasting after each addition. Stop when it suits your taste.
- After the cupcakes have completely cooled, spread the frosting evenly between them. Top with freshly grated lemon zest and enjoy!
Notes
These look really yummy! Can egg white protein powder be substituted for the whey protein powder?
I’m not completely sure, but I think it would work. The protein powder just gives it the texture of a traditional cake, so if anything you may need get that same benefit.
This is really good! The only thing I would change about is the amount of eggs. I think next time I’ll use three eggs instead of four to avoid eggy taste.
How long would you estimate these would need to bake for if I was using two small 6” cake pans instead of cupcakes? I’d like to use this recipe for a birthday layer cake 🙂 🙂 xo
I would just add a couple of minutes at a time and check frequently. Hope that helps!