Chocolate Cupcakes with Lavender Cream

So remember a few months ago when I tested Vanessa Kimbell's recipe for the Chocolate Whoopie Pies that will appear in her new cook book Prepped?  Well, last month she still had a few recipes left that needed testing, so I offered to test one of her cupcake recipes for her.  I was really looking forward to testing these cupcakes because they were something completely different to anything I've made before.  I'm pretty sure Vanessa has several cupcakes recipes in her new book Prepped, but the ones I volunteered to test were her Chocolate and Lavender Cream Cupcakes.  These weren't your typical cupcakes piled high with sugary icing, instead they were a more delicate chocolate cake that used lavender infused cream on top rather than buttercream.

   

 Vanessa's chocolate and lavender cream cupcake recipe also gave me the opportunity to try something else new - making my first "butterfly cake".  Before cupcakes made their way to the UK (in the last 10 years), butterfly cakes and fairy cakes were the most common mini cakes for children.  The butterfly cake or fairy cake gets it's name from the way it looks when it's finished.  The cupcake has a cone shaped hole cut out from the top, and is filled with cream or icing.  The part of the cake that had been cut out for the icing or cream to sit in is cut in half to form 2 semi circles, which are then placed on top of the icing or cream to look like butterfly wings. 

These cupcakes are probably more of a spring or summer cupcakes since they call for fresh lavender, but because I likely wouldn't be able to find any fresh lavender Vanessa said dried lavender would also work, but I'd just have to use a smaller amount since dried lavender is stronger than fresh.  To be honest, I had a tough time finding dried lavender in February  - except for the stuff in scented drawer sachets but I was a little worried about any possible chemicals and added perfumes in them, so Vanessa was kind enough to contact one of her friends from Pennie Lavender Farm and had some culinary lavender sent to me the next day.  The lavender smelled amazing, and I've still got a ton of it sitting in a zip lock bag that I take out and sniff every once in a while!   

These cupcakes were definitely different than anything else I'd ever had before.  I wasn't too sure I'd like the lavender cream because I'm not a huge fan of floral flavoured foods, but I was pleasantly surprised. As I mentioned before when I first tested Vanessa's Whoopie Pies, I like sweet things.  I mean I really like sweet things. The lavender cream in this recipe doesn't call for any added sugar, so you'll get the full lavender flavour shining through.  As a recipe tester I had to follow the instructions exactly in order to make sure the recipe works as printed when it appears in the book.  After filling a few of my cupcakes with the unsweetened cream, I decided to add a couple tablespoons of icing sugar into the cream to sweeten it to suit my own taste.  I also thought these cupcakes would look really pretty with a light lavender coloured whipped cream rather than plain white, so suggested that in my feedback to Vanessa. The light lavender coloured cream is a little washed out in these pictures, but it really did look very pretty in person! 

Because of their floraly flavour and delicate cream filling, I'd say these cupcakes are more suited to grown up tastes.  They'd be perfect with a cup of afternoon tea and a table full of friends.  The recipe for these chocolate and lavender cupcakes will appear in Vanessa Kimbell's new recipe book Prepped, and is available for pre-order on Amazon here, and will be available for purchase in stores in late May or early June.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Lavender Cream 

A soft, moist, rich chocolate sponge with a sweet, fresh lavender cream inside, this cupcake is lifted by the lavender’s minty tones. Serve it drizzled with milk chocolate and a scattering of lavender petals. Do make sure you use lavender with a closed bud to infuse your cream, because open petals have lost most of the essential oils that are responsible for the flavour. For the prettiest colour, use old-fashioned cottage garden lavender such as Hidcote. 

Makes 18 

Prep time 1 day to infuse the lavender into the cream and 20 minutes to prep 

Cooking time 20 minutes
Suitable for freezing? Yes, at step 6

Ingredients 

 

250g butter
250g Lavender sugar (Vanessa said it was ok to use plain white sugar, so I did)
4 large eggs
200g self-raising flour
1 level tsp baking powder
50g cocoa powder 

For the filling 

12 heads of fresh lavender (I used approx 6 teaspoons of dried lavender)
 600ml double cream
60g milk chocolate, for drizzling 

1. Put the lavender for the filling into the cream and leave to infuse for 24 hours or longer for a stronger flavour. If you’re in hurry, then double the lavender, gently bruise the flowers between your fingers and leave out of the fridge for 2–3 hours. 

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. 

3. Beat together the butter and sugar well until white and fluffy. Beat the eggs and add gradually to the creamed mixture A few tablespoons of the flour (use this from the allocated 200g) added in before you add the eggs will prevent the batter from curdling. (It’s not the end of the world if it does curdle; just keep going – the flour will bring it all together again when it’s added.) 

4. Sift in the flour and baking powder and cocoa powder into the creamed mixture. Mix well. 

5. Spoon the mixture into 24 large cupcake cases. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until firm to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. They must be absolutely cool before you add the cream.

6. Strain the cream and whip to a firm consistency. Cut out a chunk from the top of each cupcake to make a hollow. 

7. Dollop a tablespoon of cream into each indentation. Cut the remaining piece of cake in half and place on top of the cream to give you an old-fashioned butterfly-cake effect. 

8. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water, then drizzle  over the cakes. Scatter with open lavender flowers just before serving.