Earl Grey Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Last week was a beautiful, joyful whirlwind.

My house filled with out-of-town relatives who had come together to celebrate my baby brother Luke’s wedding to Elvi.

Luke is a poet — truly a poet, finishing his master’s in poetry this year. Elvi is an artist in the most literal sense: a talented multi-media artist whose presence makes even small moments feel like art.

The wedding was a feast for the senses, full of thoughtful details and color. But the most remarkable thing was the love shining between Luke and Elvi.

I adore these two.

Shortly before the ceremony their car broke down in a big way. Did that dampen their spirits? Not at all. My little sister and her boyfriend rallied a group of kids to decorate the couple’s bikes so they could ride away in true matrimonial style. They pedaled off into the Buffalo sunset for celebratory coffee, seltzer cans rattling and streamers snapping behind them.

Luke captured our mood with a triumphant little hand gesture.

Welcome to the family, Elvi — we already love you more than ice cream, and that’s saying something.

~~~~~

Why cupcakes? I was responsible for baking, decorating, and bringing the wedding cake.

The wedding cake had its challenges: it didn’t behave exactly as planned, and my kids — predictably — weren’t willing to fast for three days while I perfected it. So the cake got made, but the Earl Grey cupcakes I planned as “dessert insurance” wound up postponed. I ended up drinking most of the tea-infused milk I’d prepared and finally baked the cupcakes the day after the wedding. Coincidence? Possibly. Delicious? Absolutely.

Earl Grey Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

Rebecca Lindamood

These lightly Earl Grey–flavored, super-moist cupcakes are topped with a fluffy lemon buttercream. They make an elegant afternoon tea treat or a refined dessert. If you’d like a stronger tea presence, substitute some chilled infused milk for the heavy cream in the buttercream.

Ingredients

Ingredients for Earl Grey Cupcakes:

2 cups whole milk
5 Earl Grey tea bags
1 cup butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Lemon Buttercream:

1 stick 8 tablespoons or 4 ounces by weight butter, softened to room temperature
4 cups 1 pound, by weight powdered sugar
6 tablespoons heavy cream or chilled infused Earl Grey whole milk
2 teaspoons lemon extract

Instructions

To Make the Cupcakes:

Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Scald the milk: heat until steaming and tiny bubbles form around the pan’s edge. Add the tea bags, remove the pan from the heat, and cover. Let the milk cool to room temperature with the tea steeping. When cool, squeeze the excess liquid from the tea bags and discard them. Measure 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the infused milk and reserve the rest.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each and scraping down the bowl. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add about one-third of the infused milk and mix until incorporated. Repeat — flour, milk, flour, milk — until everything is fully incorporated.
Line 24 muffin tin wells with liners and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each liner about two-thirds full with batter.
Bake 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed lightly.
Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

To Make the Lemon Buttercream:

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the butter on high until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar until incorporated. With the mixer on high, whisk in the heavy cream (or chilled infused milk) and lemon extract until the buttercream is light and airy. Spread the frosting with an offset spatula or pipe it onto the cooled cupcakes.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition with the specific ingredients you use for accuracy.

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