Lavender Blueberry Tea Cakes (Printable)
Delicate mini cakes infused with fragrant lavender and bursting with juicy blueberries, perfect for afternoon tea or light dessert.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/4 tsp baking soda
04 - 1/4 tsp salt
05 - 1 tbsp dried culinary lavender, finely chopped
→ Wet Ingredients
06 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
07 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
09 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
10 - 1/2 cup whole milk
11 - 1/4 cup sour cream
→ Add-ins
12 - 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
13 - 1 tbsp flour for tossing blueberries
→ Optional Glaze
14 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
15 - 2-3 tsp lemon juice
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with cupcake liners.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chopped lavender until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Combine milk and sour cream in a small bowl, stirring until smooth.
06 - Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three additions, alternating with milk mixture. Begin and end with flour. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
07 - Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour, then gently fold into the batter until evenly distributed.
08 - Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
09 - Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10 - Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - For optional glaze, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cakes.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The blueberries keep everything incredibly moist while lavender adds this sophisticated floral note that makes people think you spent hours perfecting them
- These come together in under 45 minutes but taste like something from a fancy French bakery
02 -
- I once grabbed lavender from a decorative sachet instead of culinary lavender and ruined an entire batch with soapy bitterness
- Room temperature ingredients make a huge difference in how evenly these bake and how tender the crumb turns out
03 -
- Chopping the lavender with a few tablespoons of sugar prevents it from clumping together
- Using an ice cream scoop ensures all cakes are the same size and bake evenly