I’ve been holding back this post. The moment for wild violets has passed, at least in the woods and marsh banks near our home where I gather them. Perhaps there are still a few beneath the greenery that has grown up seemingly overnight, tempestuous, lush, aggressive. I spied two violets waving together amongst the wood chips near our garage yesterday, which makes me think it might be so. But I am not much in the mood to forage for them in recent days to recreate this recipe, even though wild violets have such an irresistible sweetness about them. Perhaps all things fleeting seem so. Though rhubarb pushes up and leafs out with such dramatic splendor, so I suppose this is not really true. As pretty as these cupcakes are, they were a flop. The ground violet tea was a nice idea, and the frosting and sugared violets were perfect, but we are new to gluten free baking, and the cupcakes were gummy and off-putting, doubly disappointing with new restrictions which raise fear about the future of our baking and eating pleasure. I should develop another recipe and practice with patience, but the moment has passed for me. I am onto pea tendrils and apricots and herbs nearly ready. So if they strike your fancy, take your favorite cupcake recipe, gluten free or otherwise, and adapt it perhaps with these ideas, the violet tea ground in a mortar and pestle and stirred into the batter, and the pretty candied violets to perch on top. Next spring I’ll work on a better version, when I can barely wait to see the first violets again, when spring is yet a whisper.
Violet Tea Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting & Candied Wild Violets
1 recipe for plain or vanilla cupcakes
1 T. violet tea, ground to fine powder in a mortar and pestle and stirred into the batter before baking
1 batch cream cheese frosting to decorate the cupcakes (recipe below)
½ c. fine sugar and 1 or 2 drops lavender food coloring placed in a plastic bag and rubbed together for sprinkling on top if you wish
candied wild violets to perch on top (recipe here)
Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ c. unsalted butter, softened
sifted confectioners’ sugar, about 1 1/3 c.
1 t. vanilla extract
Method:
- In a medium bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter.
- Add the confectioners’ sugar gradually until the frosting tastes good to you and has a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Beautiful writing and beautiful cupcakes! They look so delicate and light.
Thank you, Kathryn.
Even though they didn’t come out…they sure are so pretty. The color of the frosting is very refreshing! Good luck with your new culinary journey!
Oh Laura. These are ridiculous. They are far more beautiful than a cupcake has any right to be.
Thank you, Lizzi. You are too kind.
I love the beautiful lavender color on these cupcakes! =)
I have a similar tea/baking combo with Earl Grey. To die for. Your violet cupcakes are beautiful. I think violet is underused in the dessert world — wonderful, fresh, and delicate.
what an interesting entry
Thank you all!
Sadly I missed my spring violets this year, they were just peeping up when I left our home in WI in early May, and had already sprung and almost withered at our home in N. New Jersey….but I’ve been able to track down some on Amazon along with a violet syrup I’m really excited to try in cold milk as I also do with rose syrup I get at my husband’s ethnicity’s local Indian grocer. Ever try a rose yogurt lassi?
Oh my, that sounds amazing. I think next spring I’m going to try to gather enough violets to make a violet syrup and try your lassi idea. Thank you!
Oh. My. Sakes alive.
These cupcakes are so gorgeous I can hardly believe it.
I just can’t WAIT to try them!! Thank you for the recipe, Laura.
Well, thank you, Meagan! Hope you enjoy them.
On a scale of one to ten, how much do you need to write a new post?
Hint: it starts with ‘t’ and ends in ‘en’.
Oh, Lizzi, you are sweet. I have been building a 20′ x 8′ hen house. Finished painting the outside today. Need to construct a roof, paint the inside, and haul in another 600 pounds of pea gravel. Then I am DONE! Baked another batch of Jacques Torres’ amazing chocolate chip cookies this afternoon and will post soon. xo
Your cupcake is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. How do you pipe the frosting in this manner?
Thanks for sharing the idea of using flower tea to flavour the cakes. Flower tea such as rose and lavender are very common in asia, will experiment with that next time i bake.
Thank you, Shannon. I have an Ateco kit with many metal piping tips, and I think I used the tip you’d usually use to create leaves. Start in the center of the cupcake and work your way to the base making concentric circles. Then shake sugar dyed by rubbing a drop or two of color into it over the top while turning the cupcake.