Makes 24-36 cupcakes

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Recipes

For Lavender Milk:

• 1 cup (240 milliliters) whole milk

• 2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender

For Lavender Syrup:

• ½ cup (120 milliliters) water

• ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender

For Cupcakes:

• ¼ cup (60 grams) sour cream, at room temperature

• 2½ cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted

• 1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature

• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

• ¼ cup (60 milliliters) blackberry jam

• Ermine frosting (recipe here) (optional)

• Purple or mauve food coloring (optional)

  • If you’re ok with your frosting not being super smooth, you can add a few spoonfuls of blackberry jam to your frosting to give it some color and a bit more blackberry flavor

• Blackberries, for garnish (optional)

For Lavender Milk:

* Can be made 1-2 days ahead, storing, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.*

• In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the milk to a simmer. Remove from heat and immediately add the lavender. Set aside to steep for 20 minutes.

• Strain the milk through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, then discard the lavender. Cool milk completely before using in cake batter.

For Lavender Syrup:

* Can be made up to 2 weeks ahead, storing, covered, in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.*

1. In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring in the beginning to help the sugar dissolve.

2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and add the lavender. Simmer the syrup for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and steep until completely cool.

3. When using the syrup for the first time, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and discard the lavender.

For Cupcakes:

* Can be made up to 1-2 days ahead. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before brushing with syrup, coring, and decorating. *

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C). Grease the cupcake molds.

2. In a small mixing bowl, stir the sour cream and cooled lavender milk together until combined. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a mixer, either stand or handheld, beat the ingredients together on low speed for a few seconds to gently combine.

4. Add the butter, vanilla extract, and half of the lavender milk mixture. Mix on medium speed until the dry ingredients are moistened, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. In the bowl with the remaining lavender milk mixture, whisk in the eggs until combined. As you mix the batter on medium speed, add the egg mixture in 3 batches, mixing for 15 seconds after each addition. Stop the mixer in between additions to scrape down the sides of the bowl before continuing until batter is completely combined. Avoid overmixing. Some small lumps are ok.

6. Fill the cupcake molds ⅔ full. Bake for 19-21 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake. If it comes out clean, it’s done.

7. Allow the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack before removing them from their molds. The cupcakes must be completely cool before adding the filling and frosting.

   • Up to this step can easily be made ahead. At a minimum, refrigerate the cupcakes for 2 hours before moving on.

8. Generously brush lavender syrup on all sides of each cupcake. If you have extra syrup, and time, let the cupcake cakes cool again in the refrigerator before applying an additional syrup layer!

9. Once all the lavender syrup has been applied and the cupcakes are cool, use an apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake. Be careful not go all the way through the cupcake! Cut off a small portion of the cupcake core you just removed and set aside the remaining piece.

10. Fill each cupcake center ¾ of the way up with blackberry jam and gently press the remaining piece of the cupcake core over top the jam. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight.

11. If you are using food coloring, add it to your frosting. Frost the cupcakes in any design you prefer. Garnish with blackberries, if you’re using. Can be served immediately or refrigerated.

12. Cover leftover cupcakes tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

13. Enjoy!

Notes

• Make Ahead & Freezing: The cupcakes can be baked, cooled, brushed with syrup, and covered tightly at room temperature overnight.

• Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before brushing with syrup, coring, and decorating.