Honey Cupcakes with Chamomile Buttercream
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May 05, 2016, Updated Dec 30, 2018
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I’m currently battling a slight cold. Apparently I had way too much fun at Universal Studio’s Harry Potter world, which by the way, was amazing. I feel like the only person on the planet earth that never really got into Harry Potter. But the advertisements on the radio lured me in so I went with my friend Whitney, her boyfriend Michael and Joshua. And I had SO MUCH FUN. Highly recommend.
And butterbeer? It’s SO GOOD. I kinda want to make a recipe on this here blog for a butterbeer because it’s incredibly unique. Think butterscotch meets cream soda with whipped cream on top.
These cupcakes are for mama’s day. I got extra, extra spring-y up in here to celebrate. I’m super bummed that I won’t be with my mom this year but if you’re lucky enough to be hanging with mom, then make her these.
They were inspired by the cake I made last year for mother’s day.
Think of it like the reverse of that cake: honey cake and chamomile buttercream.
For the buttercream, I borrowed the technique that was in Tessa’s book, Layered. The technique is super simple. You melt the butter and steep the butter with the tea. Then you strain it and place it in the fridge to firm up. After that you use it like you normally would in a buttercream. So simple and it tastes so much like chamomile.
Honey Cupcakes with Chamomile Buttercream
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 large eggs
Chamomile Buttercream:
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- 4 bags of chamomile tea
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Topping:
- Fresh nasturtium leaves
- Organic chamomile leaves
- 1/2 cup blackberries
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Insert cupcake liners into a cupcake tin. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a measuring cup, measure out the milk and then whisk in the sour cream or yogurt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand-up mixer, add the butter, sugar and honey. Cream together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Crack in the eggs and mix until combined. Add the flour in a few batches, alternating with the milk/yogurt mixture, until combined.
- Divide the batter amongst the 12 cupcake liners, filling them up about 3/4 of the way. Transfer to the oven to bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a skewer when inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before moving cupcakes to a cooling rack.
To make the chamomile buttercream:
- In a saucepan, add the butter and melt over medium-low heat. Turn the heat off and open the tea bags and pour the chamomile leaves into the butter. Allow to steep for 10 minutes. Pour the melted butter through a sieve to remove and discard the chamomile leaves. Place the strained and melted butter in the fridge to cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The butter should be softened but not rock hard.
- Transfer the butter to a stand-up mixer, along with the sifted powdered sugar, salt and heavy cream. Beat until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Frost the cupcakes how you like. My favorite way recently is the super lazy way: I place two small scoops of frosting on top and then smooth it out into one layer with a small offset spatula. Then I run an offset spatula all the way around the edges' of the cupcakes. Lastly, there’s a little swoop I make on the center. I decorated these with organic chamomile leaves, nasturtium leaves and a blackberry. And then! i dusted them with powdered sugar.
Yum! These look so fresh and slightly sweet!
Kari
www.sweetteasweetie.com
I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and am so jealous you’ve visited HP World! These cupcakes are beautiful and I am going to have to try that buttercream technique!
These look amazing (I have an earl grey variation planned), but 1/2 a cup of butter is 1 stick, not 2. I’m guessing I should use 1 stick in the cake and 1 in the frosting? (A pound of butter seems like a lot for 12 cupcakes).
Thanks for sharing!
yes, you’re so right! sorry about that! i’ve fixed it now. 🙂
I grew up reading HP and am a huuuuuge fan. I went to the park in Florida, it’s so amazing. And the frozen butter beer was my favorite, so so good. I’d love to see you recreate it. 🙂 And the cupcakes look incredible!
ohhh i didn’t try the frozen butter beer! need to go back haha.
It’s so good! You do need to go back now, haha. It was kind of like a slushie.
Cupcakes > cold meds, obviously, so you are doing it right! I was so jealous of your Harry Potter world trip, I was following along on snap and between the butterbeer and the candy shop, SO JEALOUS.
oh man the candy shop! so cute.
I’m not a Harry Potter fan but that butterbeer sounds absolutely divine. You so need to post a recipe. And speaking of divine. . .these cupcakes. Not only are they visually stunning but the flavors sound so delicious. This tea totaler is definitely craving a couple .
thanks girlfriend!
Cupcakes is the best cure for a cold 🙂
totally!
I want to go to Harry Potter world so much because I am a huge fan so thanks for the recommendation. Oh, and you should definitely go with your desire to make butterbeer, yum! Omg, these cupcakes are all loveliness and I love the blackberries with them. Perfect!
maybe i’ll do butterbeer cupcakes!
Never really got into Harry Potter….since you make such beautiful cakes…I will forgive you! 😉
http://vodkaandarose.blogspot.co.uk
haha. thanks!
ahhh harry potter looks so cool! i went to the one in florida when it just opened 6ish years ago, and have been meaning to go to the la one. how bad were the crowds though? i remember the florida ones being so crazy that it was hard to move more than a step at times.
not bad at all! i did go on a tuesday tho and school is still in session. i definitely recommend playing hookie from work and going on a weekday!