This year, while deciding to what cupcakes to include on the spring menu, I knew that I needed a cupcake that exuded springtime. I knew that these Lavender-Honey cupcakes would be perfect.  Incorporating both lavender extract and lavender buds ensure that the floral taste and scent lasted long after they came out of the oven.  Instead of using buttercream and having a sweetness overload that would hide the lavender, I decided that cream cheese frosting would pair better with honey.  Let me tell you, that was a great decision!  These cupcakes are absolutely delicious.   You will love these cupcakes because they’re light, sweet, and are the epitome of springtime.

Lavender-Honey Cupcakes
Recipe Adapted from Jessie Next Door
Makes 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons dried lavender buds
2/3 cup cold milk

For the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey, plus a little extra for drizzle

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg. Stir in the vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Chop the dried lavender buds into fine, small pieces.  Use a food processor if you have one available.  Stir into the flour mixture.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.
5. Add the milk and stir on low.
6. Scoop batter evenly into lined muffin tins. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
7. Let cupcakes cool in the tins for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. To make the frosting, In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together.
9. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing on low, until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and honey.
10. Frost the cupcakes using your favorite tip.
11. Drizzle honey on top of the frosting.

Today through May 31st, we will be marking down ALL of our cupcakes by $6! That’s right, all of them! During this time, we will also host random “spring fling” giveaways through our social media channels. So be on the look out for the #SugarEuphoria #SpringFling hashtag combo!

Here’s the deal:

All spring cupcakes (Orange Passion, Rose Garden, Sweet Bloom) and traditional cupcakes are just $18 per dozen

All gourmet cupcakes are only $20 per dozen

All cocktail cupcakes are just $22 per dozen

Take advantage of the SWEET deal while you have the chance!

Blood oranges are rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C.  They boost your immune system, help your body absorb iron, and can reduce your risk of cancer.  Blood oranges are a good source of fiber, and can help lower your cholesterol. These sweet fruits can be zested to enhance your grandmother’s secret pound cake recipe or can be juiced to add a kick to that perfect summer cocktail (I absolutely love blood orange margaritas). Add chunks of blood orange for great color & squeeze some of the juice over the entire salad for a nice burst of flavor. How about blood orange roasted chicken?  Trust me, your family will love it! You can even chop up a blood orange to add sweetness to your spicy salsa.

….And, as a bonus, if you’re one of those who can still indulge and stay on track for your summer body, then you should check out our Orange Passion cupcake. Our moist vanilla cake is infused with blood orange zest and is topped with blood orange buttercream and blood orange glaze.

From teachers and nurses, to the women who serve in the cafeteria, there are women who you may encounter very often who do things for you that your own mother once did or that you do now as a caregiver. These special women definitely deserve a cupcake and a show of appreciation in general.

Summer means frozen treats and cold desserts.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a piece of warm apple pie, but I love summer desserts even more. Plus, you can cover all of those yummy summer fruits with whipped cream!  Which brings me to the point of this post.

Stabilized Whipped Cream!

I wish I had taken more pictures, but the whipped cream was so good that I couldn’t help myself.  After I frosted the Infinity & Beyond cupcakes, I had every intention of putting together a stylish shoot involving cheesecake, fresh berries and whipped cream, but alas. One minute I was thinking of lighting, and the next I was scooping whipped cream out of a bowl.

Anyway! I strongly suggest that you add whipped cream to your repertoire.  It really is an all-purpose topping – cakes, pies, cupcakes, ice cream – and perfect for summer.

Stabilized Whipped Cream

Recipe Adapted from Baked Bree

• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1 Tablespoon cold water
• 1 cup cold heavy or whipping cream
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let it stand for about a minute until the gelatin absorbs the water.
2. Microwave the gelatin for about 30 seconds on high heat. You’ll know that it’s done when it’s clear and melted.  Let it cool.
3. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the cream until it gets thick and starts to form peaks. Gradually increase the speed. Make sure that the bowl is cold to reduce the chances of the cream curdling.
4. Gradually add in your sugar. You can use granulated or powdered sugar.
5. Add in the vanilla.

In preparation for Valentine’s Day, we rolled out our “14 Days of Cupcake-spiration” which featured different creative ideas to do something special for your loved one using cupcakes. As spring fever takes over, use these ideas as inspiration to show your special someone some unexpected love and affection, the Sugar Euphoria way!

Cupcake Clues

Classic Candy

Say it With…

Paint a Picture with Emojis

Chocolate-covered strawberries

It’s All in the Details

…Worth a Thousand Words

Go Above & Beyond with a Dessert Table

Straight from the Heart

Make Your Valentine Melt

Up the Ante

Will You Marry Me?

 This Mother’s Day, combine traditional gifts, like flowers and gift baskets full of sweets, and treat Mom to our cupcake bouquet. Our cupcake bouquet is a beautiful arrangement of one dozen decadent cupcakes intricately designed as flowers. This sweet treat is available for Mother’s Day only and is just $30. You’ll also get a coupon for an additional $5 off of our already great graduation special!

Graduation season is fast approaching and I can’t think of too many events that are more cupcake worthy. Graduations mark life milestones and rights of passage. They signify achievement and success, and represent some of the proudest moments in the lives of students, parents and their families. That’s why I would love nothing more than for Sugar Euphoria to be part of your momentous event. Our graduation special is intended to bring some “sugar euphoria” to your special day.

Here are the details. Get 1 dozen cupcakes of any flavor for just $24 and get an extra 10% off when you order 2 or more dozen.  We’re accepting orders until  May 6th.

PLUS get a coupon for $5 off of our Mother’s Day Cupcake Bouquet (details coming soon!) when you order the graduation special.

No, this isn’t a blog post about some fancy cocktail.  But now that I think about, I’m sure that the fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice would be perfect with bourbon and a sprig of mint.  *makes a mental note to try this out next weekend*

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. When I bought a few pounds of grapefruit from the grocery store this week, I had every intention of putting my juicer to work and making a pitcher of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. I heard that grapefruit juice helps you lose weight, so I was gung-ho on guzzling it down by the gallon.  But in true baker fashion, I started dreaming of ways to incorporate the tangy fruit into a dessert.  Sorry to say, but that juicy grapefruit sacrificed its life to make a few dozen sweet and buttery cookies.

The recipe that I found is absolutely amazing!  The cookies were super soft and the grapefruit glaze was perfect.  I would highly recommend baking a few dozen of these babies for a bridal shower or a tea party.

Recipe Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Yield: ~3 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grapefruit zest
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
4-5 teaspoons fresh grapefruit juice

Directions:

Joy! Today is officially the first day of spring! Flowers will be blooming, sunshine will be shining and every day will present another opportunity to be happy.

Our motto this season is “Stop and taste the frosting!” All season long we’ll be highlighting opportunities that you have to simply enjoy special moments in life. And while “taste the frosting” is more of a mouth-watering metaphor, we’ll highlight those moments when a little frosting just might be appropriate (You may already be familiar with some of our “This calls for a cupcake” posts). So join us as we frolic this spring, enjoying cupcakes, enjoying sunshine and enjoying life.