lavender greek yogurt cupcakes

People keep saying that spring has sprung.  Well, these divine cupcakes are a breath of fresh (spring) air.

Yield: 12 cupcakes or 1 medium loaf
180 calories per cupcake or 2,140 calories per batch (without frosting)
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

ingredients
1½ cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baling soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, slightly melted and at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon dried lavender

preparation
1. Melt the butter in a microwave safe container, about 90 seconds, and set aside. Think melted, not boiling or bubbling. It is better to have a few lumps of butter than to have scalded it. 

You may be asking yourself, why does she melt the butter instead of using it at room temperature and creaming it? I took a cupcake making class the other month and while the instructor used the creaming method, she said that using melted, room temperature would not effect the chemistry of cake. Instead, it is the type of fat that modifies the texture. Talk about great news since I rarely plan ahead when baking and don't have the time to wait for the butter to come up to room temperature.  

2. While you wait for your butter to cool, add the dry ingredients to your stand mixer bowl. "Stir" for about 30 seconds. (You can totally get away with making this recipe sans kitchen electrics, instead using a large spoon or spatula.)

3. Add the Greek yogurt and eggs to your stand mixer bowl, and stir until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Do not over beat the mixture because that will lead to chewy and sunken cake. 

4.  Add the vanilla to the butter mixture that you set aside to cool and stir.

5. Combine the butter mixture with the cake batter and "stir" until incorporated, about 30 seconds. 

6. Line a muffin tin (or if you're opting for a loaf, lightly grease your pan) and scoop in the batter. The batter will be thick, so I recommend the two spoon method which involves scooping out the batter with one spoon and using a second spoon to scoop the batter off of the first spoon and dropping it into the muffin liner.

7. Bake at 325 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until the cupcakes are golden brown. Here are some ways you can check for cupcake doneness.

8. Allow to cool completely before frosting. I used pre-made frosting, because they were being served at an 11-year old's birthday party, but a mint infused 7 minute frosting or fruit infused butter cream frosting would truly kick these cupcakes up a notch. (See step 6 of "chocolate bundt cake" for piping tips.) 

Other modifications:

• Add a teaspoon or so of citrus juice, like meyer lemons, to add depth to the flavor profile.
• Use a flavored yogurt.

Original recipe found here.