Update: I’ve now got a vegan version of this recipe here.
Lavender is a scent I’ve loved since I can remember but has now become a taste I very much enjoy too, especially when paired with chocolate.
It’s such a calming flavour and although quite subtle, it’s noticeable, even in a recipe with rich and bitter dark chocolate. The two opposites create a delicate harmony, making them an ideal pairing.
I first tried tasting lavender when creating my Lavender & Blueberry Porridge and whilst I could see why it may not be to everyone’s taste, I loved the purfume-y earthiness, it has such a decadent feel to it.
But it’s definitely best tried with chocolate and that is why I made these cupcakes!
Flourless Chocolate & Lavender Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 100 g 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 115 g 1/2 cup butter
- 150 g ⅔ cup caster sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 85 g ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 240 ml 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon dried lavender
- 360 g 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- Violet gel-paste food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180c and line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
- In a heat-proof bowl, stir the butter and chocolate over a pan of simmering water until melted.
- Take off the heat and whisk in the sugar and eggs. Mix until smooth and glossy.
- Sift in the cocoa powder and whisk again until a thick batter is formed.
- Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases about 2/3 of the way full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops of the cupcakes are spongey but firm.
- Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes before icing.
- To make the icing, pour the milk into a pan with the dried lavender and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it infuse and cool for 10 minutes.
- Strain the milk and discard the leftover lavender. Pour into a large bowl and whisk the icing sugar in. Add the food coloring until desired colour is achieved.
- Ice the cupcakes and add some extra dried lavender on top for decoration, if you wish.
- Leave in the fridge for 15 minutes to let the icing firm up. Enjoy!
These cupcakes are delicious, rich and also flourless which means they are suitable for celiacs! (assuming you use gluten-free chocolate and cocoa.) Are you planning on baking to celebrate cupcake week?
Check out my gluten-free & vegan Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes here!
Is the icing supposed to be super runny? I can’t get mine to thicken up at all and don’t want to add more sugar to it because it’s already sweet enough. Do you have any suggestions on how to make it thicker/firm up?
Instead of infusing the milk for the icing with lavender, could I use the butter in it instead like in the vegan ones? Do they taste differently depending on what you do?
Hi Sarah
Yes, the milk & icing sugar frosting is quite thin and very sweet. You can use the buttercream frosting recipe from my vegan post instead which gives a creamier texture and not quite as sweet taste.
Yum, these look delicious! I will certainly make them.
240 ml is not 1/3 of a cup ??? Is it?? I am confused. It is closer to a cup of milk for the icing.
Yikes
Oh dear. You are so right, apologies for the mistake! I get my US measurements via google or measurement sites but I’m starting to feel really uneasy doing that… So from now on, I’m going to measure with cups as well as grams at home. Thanks for pointing this out though, I’ve changed it to 1 cup instead.
Thanks for entering your cupcakes into September’s Calendar Cakes. They look lovely and lavender is really an underused ingredient in baking :-)
Thanks Laura :-) It really is! I think if more people tried it, they’d love it
So lovely!
Thank you :-) Glad you think so!
these are really amazing and i am most definitely going to make these i could imagine these at baby showers and posh hen dos afternoon tea with the mums
Thank you Helen, they would make a lovely addition to fancy afternoon teas!
I love lavender and these are so lovely. Does this recipe make one dozen?
Oops, I forgot to add the amount! Yes, it will make about 12 but it will depend on the size of the cases you’re using, of course. Mine were standard UK size cupcake cases. Hope that helps :-)
Thanks!! That’s exactly what I needed to know. I can’t wait to try these!
Yay! Let me know how they turn out!
This may be a dumb question, but what is “caster sugar”? Is the same as regular white sugar? I want to try these cupcakes!
Not at all! It’s superfine sugar. If you’re from the US (?) you can get something called C&H Baker’s sugar which will be the same thing. Hope that helps :-)
I too love lavender! And what a brilliant idea to pair it with chocolate! Beautiful pictures and recipe :)
Thank you so much :-) I can’t remember where I first saw them paired together, but I could just imagine it being delicious and it was!
Got to get my hands on some dried lavender, these look great!
I got some at my local supermarket in the herbs & spices section, so it’s worth having a look there! But if not, it’s easy to get online. Hope you get round to trying them :-)
Just perfect!
Aw thanks Rosa! I know you love your edible flowers too ;-)
These look yum. I love the colour! I recently bought some dried lavender for cooking when I was in Greece and was wondering what to do with it. Hadn’t though of pairing with chocolate, but sounds completely right to me!
The flavours really do compliment eachother, I hope you’ll love it!
Looks gorgeous! And delicious!
Thank you Lucy :-)
What a beautiful photo with the lavender! Your post makes me think of and smell like lavender! Gorgeous gorgeous!
Thanks Rika :-) Can’t get enough of lavender!
Uau this is amazing..Love it! Thanks for recipe :)
Thanks! Glad you think so