Orange Blossom Cupcakes with Dried Violas

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ORANGE BLOSSOMCUPCAKES

WITH DRIED VIOLAS

BY CHEF AMELIA LORDANNA SAWIN PHOTOS

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EATING FLOWERS FEELS

INDULGENT in the best way possible. Try crumpling soft petals into beautiful disarray between your teeth and see if you don’t start grinning just a bit. There’s also nothing like the whimsy of adding dried and pressed blossoms to your plate, especially to dress up desserts. A fancy flower press is unnecessary: you can easily dry layers of violas between paper towels stuck in the pages of your heaviest cookbooks. After a few weeks you have delicate decorative beauties ready to be pressed into shortbread, scattered atop tea cakes dribbled with glaze, or for studding rich buttercream.

These cupcakes are a simple way to bring dried petals center stage. Orange blossom water has a distinct floral scent (like wildflowers on a hot summer day) and is often used in Middle Eastern sweets. It can be found at

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any well-equipped grocery store and in Middle Eastern or Indian grocers. With a splash of orange blossom water these cupcakes are a little unexpected. Feel free to substitute with good vanilla extract (or rosewater for that matter) if you don’t have any orange blossom water at hand.

The cupcakes will still be delicious and the dried petals will still look like delicate little butterflies perched on top of the frosting. Whack the batter together in the bowl of a stand mixer, a food processor or by hand with a wooden spoon and a good heavy bowl, being careful not to over-mix to keep the cakes light. The secret to really extraordinary buttercream is to beat the heck out of the butter. Let it go for a full five minutes on high speed before adding any of the powdered sugar, and then continue to beat for at least three minutes each time the sugar is added. The result will be airy and not too sweet.

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THERE’S NOTHING LIKE THE

“

WHIMSY OF ADDING DRIED AND PRESSED

BLOSSOMS

TO YOUR PLATE, ESPECIALLY

TO DRESS UP DESSERTS.

ORANGE BLOSSOM CUPCAKES

WITH DRIED VIOLAS

MAKES 12 CUPCAKES

• 1 cup (175 grams) all purpose flour

• 3/4 cup (175 grams) organic granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup (175 grams) softened unsalted butter

• 3 eggs

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water or vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer outfitted with the paddle attachment (or in a mixing bowl by hand), cream together the soft butter and sugar for 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add flour, salt and baking powder and mix on low until combined, less than one minute. Crack eggs into a small bowl and beat with the orange blossom water. Pour eggs into the stand mixer bowl while beating on medium low speed, increasing to medium until the batter is evenly blended, about 30 seconds. Fill cupcake tins with cupcake liners and fill tins evenly with batter. Bake on middle rack in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and the tops bounce back slightly when gently prodded. Remove from oven and transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting with buttercream and decorating with dried flowers.

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“

THE SECRET TO

REALLY

EXTRAORDINARY

BUTTERCREAM

IS TO BEAT THE HECK OUT OF THE BUTTER.

THE BEST BUTTERCREAM RECIPE

EVER

MAKES ENOUGH FOR 12 CUPCAKES

• 1 1/2 sticks (150 grams) soft unsalted butter

• 3 cups (340 grams) powdered sugar

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3 tablespoons milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift the powdered sugar over a large bowl three times to make sure there are no clumps; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter at medium high speed for 5 minutes. When the butter has become pale and very smooth and airy add half of the powdered sugar and beat together for 3 minutes, starting on a low speed and gradually increasing to keep powdered sugar from flying everywhere. Once the first half of the powdered sugar is fully incorporated and well beaten, add the second half and the salt. Beat for another 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating the buttercream. You may not need all of the liquid and adding too much will make a very loose frosting that will be difficult to pipe.

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