Lemon Chamomile Cupcakes: Perfect For Tea Time

These Lemon Chamomile Cupcakes are perfect for tea time or anytime at all. We frosted ours with homemade buttercream frosting, but store bought works too!

This past weekend, I finally took down the Christmas tree. I would have done it sooner, but I came down with a hideous sinus infection that knocked me off my feet. After surviving both of my children getting the dreaded stomach virus and croup, I think it’s kind of funny that something as ordinary as clogged sinuses is what finally took me down. Don’t you?

While I was sick, I didn’t really have an appetite so I relied heavily on nice hot cups of tea to keep me hydrated. I always know that even when I’m at my worst, I can still sip some tea and nibble on crackers. I think tea is kind of magical in that sense – it always makes you feel comforted and loved while you drink it! That sounds kind of weird, but it’s totally true and I’m not the only one who feels this way!

Anyway, as soon as I was on the mend, my appetite came back in full force and I couldn’t stop thinking about lemons. I’ve always followed the mindset that if you have a strong craving for something, your body needs that vitamin or mineral, so you should go ahead and eat it. I’m guessing I needed some Vitamin C to reboot my system because all I wanted was recipes that had lemon in them. I wanted lemon poppyseed muffins for breakfast. I wanted fish tacos spritzed with melon juice for lunch. I wanted roasted chicken with lemons and thyme for dinner. I wanted lemon cupcakes for dessert.

I didn’t have the energy to make everything at once and since the kids had a hankering for something sweet, I decided to make them these light and airy Lemon Chamomile Cupcakes first. Although the chamomile isn’t very strong, it provides a lovely backdrop to these dainty, lemony cupcakes. In addition to drinking a cup of tea every afternoon, I also love adding tea to my desserts. Whether I use it to make glazes for scones or to add more depth to baked goods and homemade ice creams, steeped tea is a great flavor infuser.

LEMON CHAMOMILE CUPCAKES

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice and zest from 1-2 lemons)
4 Bigelow Cozy Chamomile tea bags (I get mine at Walmart – they have a great selection of Bigelow teas.)
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Step 1.) Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.

Step 2.) Beat butter and sugar together on medium-high in a large bowl until creamed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix on medium-high speed until everything is combined. Set aside.

Step 3.) Heat milk in a saucepan until it simmers. Pour heated milk into a clean container and add the Cozy Chamomile tea bags. Steep tea for several minutes and then discard the tea bags. Allow milk to cool to room temperature. Set aside.

Step 4.) In a medium bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. Batter will be thick and crumbly. Do not overmix. Add cooled milk and tea mixture to the batter. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.

Step 5.) Spoon batter evenly into 12 cupcake liners. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Check at 17 minutes, then again at 20. (My oven needed 17 minutes on the dot!) A toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake will come out clean when done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Step 6.) Frost cooled cupcakes. We used this buttercream frosting recipe, but you can use store bought if you prefer. If topping with lemon zest like we did, do so right before serving.

Want more recipes that use lemon?

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Comments

Courtney Buteau says

January 11, 2017 at 6:13 pm

I couldn’t agree more about tea making you feel all cozy and good inside. Sometimes I get as much enjoyment out of holding a hot mug, as I do drinking out of it! These cupcakes look delish and super easy to make. Thanks for sharing! #client

Lemon Chamomile Cupcakes