The aromatic sharpness of lavender combined with soft honey flavours and toasted almonds give these cupcakes an intensity of flavour that is luxuriously decadent and festive. Lavender and almond infused milk in the batter of this cake give it a gentle but rich floral undertone that offsets perfectly with the sharpness of the flower buds in the buttercream. Top these cupcakes with lightly toasted almonds for a perfect flavour accompaniment and crunch!
To make: Gently infuse milk with a soft lavender flavour by heating milk and lavender to a scald stage, then setting to cool. Use 1 cup milk with 2 tablespoons of dried lavender buds and strain the flowers with a sieve. Use this infused milk in place of part of the liquid for any vanilla cupcake or frosting recipe to add a delicate floral flavour. Recipe courtesy of Lily Vanilli and Tate & Lyle Tate & Lyle's commitment to Fairtrade Tate & Lyle's Fairtrade Caster Sugar, Icing Sugar and Royal Icing Sugar are all sourced from Belize, the sugar company's first Fairtrade accredited grower-partner, from whom it has purchased sugar for over 35 years.