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Sweets | Brownie Cupcakes with Lavender Icing

Posted on April 13, 2012

A dark, rich brownie cupcake with lavender infused icing. Since they are more like a brownie, they don't rise very high and the icing is meant to be spooned in to fill up the paper. The recipe says it will make 24 cupcakes, but I've never got more than 18. I am thinking of trying 12 next time to increase the height of the cupcake. Another thought would be to make in a brownie pan and drizzle the icing in a fun pattern over the top.

Yield: 18 to 24 cupcakes

brownie cupcakes with lavender icing

Ingredients

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

10 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Lavender Icing (recipe follows)

 

Method

BROWNIE CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.

Put butter and chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until smooth. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat chocolate and sugar for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla. Reduce spend to low. Add flour mixture; beat until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely.

Spoon icing over cupcakes, covering tops completely. Let set, about 1 hour.

Cupcakes can be stored in single layers in airtight containers for up to 2 days.

LAVENDER ICING

1/3 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon dried culinary lavender

3 cups powdered sugar

violet gel-paste food coloring

Bring milk and lavender just to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, and let steep an hour. Strain, and discard lavender. Whisk in sugar until smooth. Add food coloring until desired shade. Use immediately.

 

(Ref. Sur La Table's "Spring Cupcakes with Lavender Icing and Sugared Flowers" recipe, "Spring Cupcake Workshop" class. Original recipe is on MarthaStewart.com and includes Sugared Flowers.)