Lavender London Fog Cupcakes

Lavender London Fog Cupcakes bring together Earl Grey tea, vanilla, and lavender for a cozy, fragrant treat topped with dreamy buttercream.

This time of year gives us golden afternoons followed by cooler evenings, the last lingering warmth before autumn’s official arrival at the solstice (Sept. 22). It’s an in-between time. These cupcakes live in that same space. Lavender reminds me of summer blooms, while Earl Grey tea and vanilla bring in all the cozy vibes we crave when sweater weather is just around the corner.

The inspiration came from one of my favorite café drinks, the London fog latte. It’s a creamy, comforting blend of Earl Grey tea, steamed milk, and vanilla syrup. Lavender often makes a guest appearance in this drink because its flavor pairs beautifully with the bergamot in Earl Grey.

Steep the Lavender London Fog Mixture

Start by heating heavy cream and steeping it with Earl Grey tea bags until the liquid turns golden and fragrant. (I like , but your favorite brand will work!) Here’s why this step makes such a difference: fat is one of the best flavor extractors. Earl Grey’s citrusy bergamot and black tea notes cling beautifully to the richness of heavy cream, which means you’ll carry more flavor into the batter.

Meanwhile, steep 1 tablespoon of dried culinary lavender buds in hot water. Once infused, strain the mixture into the Earl Grey cream. This adds a subtle floral note.

Cream the Butter with Earl Grey Tea

Butter, like heavy cream, also works wonders as a flavor carrier. By creaming the butter with finely ground Earl Grey tea, you’re drawing out more of the tea’s depth. Be sure to grind the tea fine if you spot any chunky or twiggy Earl Grey tea leaves. You can do this in a mortar and pestle, or in an electric spice grinder. You could even place the tea in a zip-top bag and crush the tea under a rolling pin – use what you’ve got!

Next, add the eggs and vanilla to the mixture. Then, stir everything together until the batter comes together smoothly and evenly. At this point, the mixture should feel mostly liquid, and ready for the next step which incorporates the flour.

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Add the Infused Tea Mixture

With the creamed butter mixture ready, it’s time to bring everything together. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the lavender–Earl Grey cream to the batter. This step helps build the cake structure by gradually developing the gluten, giving it a soft crumb.

Divide the batter between cupcake liners and bake until well risen. A toothpick tester should come out completely clean when they’re cooked through. Cool completely before frosting.

Lavender Buttercream

The crowning touch is a big swirl of lavender buttercream – both in color and flavor – piped on using a large closed star tip, like . If piping isn’t your thing, you can simply dollop it on with a spoon. The buttercream gets its delicate lavender flavor from a small amount of , which is easy to find online. Just a little goes a long way – this is the easiest way to let the lavender shine through all that confectioners’ sugar. Remember, we’re aiming for a subtle floral note, not a soapy taste.

Garnish with Culinary Lavender and Sprinkles

Once the cupcakes are frosted, add the finishing touches. If you’re feeling fancy, add a sprinkle of white nonpareils. Next, add a pinch of culinary lavender buds on top. Not only do the buds give the cupcakes an extra hint of lavender fragrance, but they also make them look beautiful and bakery-worthy.

These Lavender London Fog Cupcakes are made for cozy gatherings and quiet moments alike. Serve them at your next book club meeting, where they’ll pair beautifully with tea and conversation. Or bring them to a fall dinner party as a sweet way to welcome the season.

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Equipment

cupcake pans
cupcake liners
liquid measure with a pour spout
large closed star tip Ateco 849
disposable piping bag

Ingredients

London fog cupcakes

Lavender buttercream and garnishes

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

Place the dried lavender buds in a small bowl and pour over the hot water. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until hot but not boiling. Add 6 of the 8 Earl Grey tea bags to the hot cream and let steep 30 minutes, or until the cream is lukewarm and brown. Transfer to a liquid measure with a pour spout and squeeze the excess cream from the teabags; discard the teabags. Strain the lavender buds and water through a sieve over the steeped cream mixture, pressing all the water out with a rubber spatula. The mixture should measure 1 cup. If you are short, add additional heavy cream to equal 1 cup of liquid. Stir and set aside.
Place the contents of the remaining two tea bags in a mortar and pestle and grind to a finer consistency. You may also place it in an electric coffee grinder. Or place it in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush the black tea to fine consistency. It doesn’t have to be a powder, but there shouldn’t be any large leaves or visible twigs.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 20 cupcake cavities with paper liners.
Place the butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer and add the fine tea. Cream together until fluffy and the tea speckles the butter throughout. Add the sugar and mix again until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until just combined; add half of the lavender Earl Grey cream mixture. Mix again. Repeat the mixing with alternating flour and cream, ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl and mix again briefly.
Divide the mixture between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until the cakes bounce back when pressed in their centers, or when a toothpick tester comes out completely clean.
Remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the lavender buttercream:

Place the butter and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed until just combined; the mixture will be crumbly.
Add in 4 tablespoons of the milk and mix again until loosened. Raise mixer speed to medium high and whip until fluffy. If mixture is thick add remaining 2 tablespoons of milk and mix again.
Beat in the lavender extract and 4-6 drops of purple food color. Beat until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and whip again on high speed until the mixture is consistently light purple and fluffy.
Transfer the buttercream to a large piping bag fitted with a large closed star decorator piping tip. Pipe a double swirl of the buttercream over a cooled cupcake and immediately top with a sprinkle of white nonpareils and a few buds of culinary lavender.
Store the cupcakes in an airtight container until ready to serve. Cupcakes will keep at room temperature for up to three days.