Elderflower Cupcakes

Are cupcakes still a THING?

I mean, obviously I know they are a thing, but do people still care about them?

Remember several years back when everyone lost their minds over cupcakes? Cupcakes were EVERYTHING and they were everywhere. There were entire bakeries dedicated solely to cupcakes. TV cooking shows revolved around cupcakes. Cupcake cakes became a thing.

And now? I feel like I hardly hear anything about cupcakes anymore.

As I recently discussed, I’m not a big cake person in general. I’d pick a chocolate chip cookie over a piece of cake any day. But cupcakes are slightly higher on the list.

They’re cuter, for one. Secondly, I like that they’re EASY to make and eat. Cakes stress me out. Cupcakes not so much. You whip up a batter, scoop it into lined muffin tins, and bake! Even the decorating is so much easier. I decorate my cupcakes very simply – no piping bags/tips required. I basically just plop some icing on top, smooth it out, and then cover up any imperfections with sprinkles.

Done and done.

Regardless of where cupcakes stand right now, I made you some! Maybe for your Easter spread? Maybe for your regular Wednesday evening? No judgment. These are the cutest spring dessert, regardless of your reasons for making them.

These cupcakes are flavored with two of my favorite things in the whole world: vanilla bean and elderflower. Elderflower has been having a major moment (year?), and I am all about it. If a cocktail menu has a drink featuring elderflower, I almost always order it. I love that it’s floral without tasting like soap. Know what I mean?

It’s just light! Floral but not overpoweringly so. And I love the flavors that it’s most often paired with, which include all the citrus, pears, and apples. Yes please to all.

So these little cuties pay homage to my elderflower obsession. The vanilla bean is in there for good measure because who doesn’t love a good vanilla cupcake. I know I do! Plus, I love the way the little flecks of vanilla bean show throughout. So cute!

Here’s some notes about the ingredients: I rarely use actual vanilla beans anymore. I save them for super special recipes. The reason I can do this? Vanilla bean paste.

I LOVE this stuff and use it almost exclusively in all recipes that call for vanilla extract. It’s a good bargain and really punches up the vanilla flavor. I buy the huge bottles in bulk (it has a great shelf life) and add it to all the things.

For the elderflower flavor, I use elderflower syrup/cordial. It’s a big thing in England but can be hard to find here in the States. I order it online. If you don’t want a bottle of elderflower syrup hanging out in your fridge where real estate comes at a premium, you can use St. Germaine liqueur instead! You can sub it in the recipe below in the same quantities as the syrup. Just know that you cupcakes will be a touch boozy, which may limit who can have them.

I wanted Kieran to be able to have these, so I used the syrup. Totally your call!

I think these cupcakes are an awesome alternative to carrot cake for this weekend (or anytime, really!). And that’s coming from a carrot cake fan! It’s actually one of the rare cakes that I get excited for, but it’s not for everyone. If you have a carrot cake averse person in your house (like Dan! And Kieran!), then whip up a batch of these cupcakes for them.

You’ll be the hero of Easter!

Elderflower Cupcakes

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• Yield: makes 12-14 cupcakes (depending on the size of your muffin tin) 1x

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Ingredients

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For the Cupcakes:

• 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste/extract
• 3 tablespoons elderflower syrup or cordial, plus an additional 2 tablespoons for brushing on the cupcakes
• ½ cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 (8-oz) block cream cheese, at room temperature
• 5–6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste/extract
• 1 tablespoon elderflower syrup or cordial
• Tiny pinch of fine salt
• Sprinkles, edible flowers, and/or pearl sugar, for decorating

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Instructions

For the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla and elderflower syrup.
5. Add in ⅓ of the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add in ½ of the sour cream and beat until just combined. Continue with another ⅓ of the flour, the remaining sour cream, and finish with the last ⅓ of the flour mixture. Mix until the batter is just combined, being careful to not overmix (this will result in a dense cupcake).
6. Scoop or spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them ⅔ of the way full.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until they are golden around the edges and set in the middle.
8. While the cupcakes are still warm, gently poke holes with a toothpick all over the tops of the cupcakes. Brush a little bit of the elderflower syrup on the tops of the cupcakes.
9. Cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese until well combined.
2. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth.
3. Beat in the vanilla, elderflower syrup, and a tiny pinch of salt.
4. Frost the cooled cupcakes and decorate as desired.

My easy method for decorating these:

1. Scoop a few tablespoons of the frosting on the top of each cupcake (I actually use a large cookie scoop to do this). Using a butter knife or small offset spatula, smooth the blob of frosting on the sides and top, creating a little swirl if you want things to look fancy.
2. Top with sprinkles and/or flowers. That’s it! So much easier than using a piping bag and tip.