Chocolate Lavender Cupcakes

Spring has sprung, which means it's time to incorporate flowers and fruit into food! What could be better than chocolate and lavender?!


Ingredients 


4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt 
1 1/2 cups (packed) brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons dried lavender blossoms, finely ground in spice mill
4 large eggs


Preheat that oven to 350 degrees! Line muffin tins with cupcake cups. Chop chocolate and melt in 30 second intervals in the microwave, until smooth when stirred with a butter knife. Let cool.


Sift flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl. Whisk milk and yogurt together in a small bowl. Using a stand mixer, cream together brown sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time, then add ground lavender. Pour in melted chocolate and continue to beat until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with milk mixture.


Spoon batter into cupcake cups. Bake 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Frost with cream cheese icing once cupcakes cool. 


Icing


1 stick butter
2 packages (total 16 oz.) of cream cheese
1 teaspoon of lime and orange zest
2 teaspoons of lime and orange juice
4 cups confectioners' sugar
6-8 drops purple food coloring


Soften the butter with a mixer on high speed. Add cream cheese and beat until combined. Add about half of the confectioners' sugar and zest/juice mixture and beat until combined. Add remaining confectioners' sugar until desired consistency and sweetness is achieved. Add food coloring and mix until consistent color is achieved. Enjoy those babies!