Lavender Lemonade Cupcakes

I’m joining The Novel Bakers

for Lavender Week. . .

I found a quick & easy recipe for Lemonade Cupcakes using a boxed cake mix and frozen lemonade concentrate.

I decided to boost the flavor factor by adding some dried culinary French lavender to the cake mix after discovering Chocolate Lavender Brownies!

Lavender Lemonade Cupcakes,

adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients

1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines French Vanilla)

1 tablespoon dried culinary French lavender, finely ground in a spice grinder

1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream  (I used light sour cream)

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I used 2 oz. light cream cheese since that’s what I had left from an 8 ounce block)

3 large eggs

Preparation

Remove 2 tablespoons lemonade concentrate from can, and reserve for frosting.

Combine remaining concentrate, cake mix, finely ground lavender, sour cream, cream cheese and eggs in a mixing bowl. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until moistened. Beat at high speed 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full.

I use a 1 1/2 oz. ice cream scoop which fills the cupcake liners easily and with the right amount of batter.

Bake at 350° for 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

The cupcakes are moist and have the texture of pound cake with the addition of the sour cream and cream cheese. The addition of lavender is wonderful with the lemon!

I ended up with 22 moist & lemony cupcakes from this recipe, even though Southern Living says it makes 30.

Confession time:

I’m one of those people who like canned frosting. . .especially Pillsbury’s Creamy Supreme Cream Cheese Frosting.

{insert *Gasp* here}

Now that the secret is out, I hope you’ll still write & visit :)

I used canned cream cheese frosting and mixed in the 2 reserved tablespoons of lemonade concentrate to add some lemon flavor to the cream cheese.

If the idea of canned frosting makes your teeth ache, there is a  Cream Cheese Frosting recipe here, with lots of 5 star ratings & reviews.

You can find a printable recipe for the cupcakes here.

I cut and added straws from my

Lavender Lemonade and Picnic

and sprinkled some dried lavender.

Joining The Novel Bakers

for Lavender Week, July 22nd – July 28th!

 a quiet life

Rattlebridge Farm 

 Once Upon a Plate

Visit Jain, Michael Lee, and Mari

for more delicious and fragrant fun!

Also sharing at:

 Metamorphosis Monday, The Scoop,

Inspire Me Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesdays,

 Tablescape Thursday, Foodie Friday