Not your ordinary cupcake. These gluten-free, refined-sugar free cupcakes are infused with lemon chamomile tea that has been steeped in milk to add a new level of delicious flavors. The smooth and delectable strawberry frosting is super simple to make and uses only 3 whole ingredients. Pair these two parts together to create a new favorite cupcake recipe that you will make over and over again!

I once owned a little bakery business before I had kids. There were no shortcuts, ingredient substitutions to accommodate dietary needs, or “healthier” options. While I now use less processed ingredients like coconut sugar over cane sugar and almond flour over all-purpose flour, I will never (maybe I shouldn’t say never) substitute good old-fashioned full-fat, creamy butter. I remain convinced that butter is the best fat used to make the perfect cupcake. I’ve tried coconut oil and, even though still appeasable, it doesn’t create a cupcake as moist and fluffy as the one made with butter. Butter it up, ladies and gents! You won’t be disappointed.

Lemon Tea Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

Makes 12 standard-sized cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

Tea Milk

• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 bags of lemon tea (I used this organic chamomile lemon tea)

Cupcake

• 1¾ cup almond flour
• ¼ cup tapioca flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup grassfed unsalted butter
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup tea milk, at room temperature

Strawberry Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup raw honey
• ½ cup strawberry powder (see notes)

METHOD

1. To make the tea milk, heat up 1 cup of whole milk. Let 3 tea bags steep for 15 minutes, remove tea bags, and let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Place cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. Coat with non-stick spray and set aside. (see notes)
3. Combine almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.
4. Using a standing mixer or handheld mixer, beat together ½ cup butter and coconut sugar until smooth and light.
5. On low speed, mix in 1 egg at a time.
6. Mix in vanilla extract, lemon juice, and milk.
7. Add in dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until smooth.
8. Evenly distribute batter among 12 cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 full.
9. Bake in the oven for approximately 16 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit in the cupcake pan for 10 minutes before removing.
10. To make the icing, beat all of the frosting ingredients together on high speed until light and smooth. Top each cooled cupcake with icing and serve.

NOTES:

• To make strawberry powder, blend freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor or blender until a powder forms. For this recipe, I used two of these 1/3 oz. bags of organic freeze-dried strawberries.
• I prefer to use silicone cupcakes liners because they’re more economical and make it easy to peel the cupcake out.
• Change up the types of tea to create different flavor cupcakes. I would like to try earl grey or lavender.