Instructions

LAVENDER MILK

1. In a small saucepan, slowly bring the milk to a simmer over low heat. Add the lavender and remove from the heat and let steep for 20 minutes. Strain the milk with a sieve over a 1 cup measuring cup to remove the lavender. Add more milk to the lavender milk to equal 1 cup.

LAVENDER CAKE

1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 12-cup cupcakes pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
   
2. In a bowl, whisk together lavender milk, egg whites, vanilla and lavender extract. In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment attached, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter one tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms pea-sized pieces, about 1 minute. Reserve ½ cup of the lavender milk mixture and pour the remaining to the flour mixture and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the reserved ½ cup milk mixture to the batter and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Do not over mix. The batter may look curdled. Give the batter a final stir by hand with a rubber spatula.
   
3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake pans. Gently tap cake pans on the counter to settle the batter and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 20 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking.
   
4. Let cakes cook in their pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Invert cakes on to wire racks to cool completely, about 2 hours.

LEMON CURD

1. Over low heat, whisk constantly for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken.
   
2. Remove the curd from the heat and stir in the butter. Strain the curd through a sieve into a bowl to remove any solids that may have formed while cooking. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the curd and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

LAVENDER FROSTING

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, beat the butter, shortening and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and lavender extract and slowly mix until combined, about 1 minute.
   
2. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes.

HOW TO COLOR FROSTING

1. In 2 separate bowls, set aside about 2 cups of frosting into each bowl.
2. Color the first bowl of frosting with AmeriColor Violet gel food coloring. Add a small amount of AmeriColor Red Red to reduce the blue tones and create the perfect lavender shade. Once you're happy with the color, use the same spoon or spatula to mix a portion of the lavender frosting into the second bowl. This will create a lighter lavender shade. Using the same tool and base color helps keep the tones consistent.

ASSEMBLE

1. Using a small paring knife, cut a cone of cake out of each cupcake. Cut off the cone section of cake and discard, but keep the circular top of cake to place back on to the cupcake after filling.
   
2. Place the curd in a piping bag and cut off the tip for the lemon curd to come out. Start filling each cupcake with about 2 teaspoons of lemon curd. Place the circular piece of cake back on top.
   
3. Fit a piping bag with Ateco piping tip #827.
4. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and place the uncolored, lavender and light lavender frosting on top of the plastic wrap in a line. It doesn't have to be perfect.
5. Roll up the plastic wrap into a tight log shape, twisting both ends. Cut one end of the plastic wrap.
6. Place the plastic wrapped buttercream into the prepared piping bag.
7. Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of each cupcake. Top the cupcakes with a lemon wedge and a sprinkle of culinary lavender.