Tea. It's a tradition we don't give enough credit to. I think the Brits have the right idea about this.

A spot of something sweet to top off your afternoon is just the ticket. I'm on board.

And so are these cupcakes. They feature a soft, dense crumb speckled with fragrant earl grey tea leaves and topped with a boysenberry buttercream. Yeah, that's right. Boysenberry.

earl-grey-cupcakes-boysenberry-buttercream

Boysenberry anything has a very special place in my heart. I grew up in Southern California, so Knotts Berry Farm was my jam. Literally. I was obsessed with boysenberry syrup for years. This buttercream features syrup I picked up on our last trip to California, because actual boysenberries are like the Ark of the Covenant. I'm not even sure they really exist.

The method on this is pretty standard for cake. Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, milk, and dry ingredients. And then behold some seriously gorgeous baked beauties. It almost seems like a shame to frost them.

But just wait until you get a load of this frosting. It's a whole lot of shut up and start licking.

I stumbled into something amazing whilst frosting these little, springtime miracles. Flowery cupcakes are NOT hard. They aren't. You just need the right piping tip and the ability not to judge yourself too harshly.

Then take about two steps back because what looks like a hot mess up close actually isn't.

Distance and romantic lighting is pretty forgiving. Who knew?

These whimsical cupcakes aren't just pretty. They're petite bites of incredible that are sure to make teatime a thing again. Until next week friends, enjoy your spring and keep it on the sweet side of life.

Earl Grey Cupcakes with Boysenberry Buttercream

Adapted from The Cake Blog

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 Tbsp. loose Earl Grey tea

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 tsp. finely ground Earl Grey tea

12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 whole eggs

1 egg yolk

For the boysenberry buttercream:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 Tbsp. boysenberry syrup

1-2 Tbsp. cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.

Bring buttermilk to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the loose tea, remove from heat, and let steep 15-20 minutes. Strain and set tea-infused buttermilk aside.

Whisk eggs and yolk in a small bowl. Mix dry ingredients in the mixing bowl, including the finely ground tea, with a paddle attachment. Add butter, vanilla, and buttermilk on low until combined. Mix on medium high one minute, then stop and scrape bowl.

Add eggs slowly, taking care not to over mix. Distribute batter into cupcake lined muffin pan. Bake 22-24 minutes until done. Cool completely before frosting.

For frosting: Cream butter in a mixer with the paddle, then slowly add powdered sugar. Scrape bowl, then add boysenberry syrup and cream. Adjust with more sugar or more milk depending on consistency. Frost cupcakes and enjoy high tea like a boss. A lady boss.

Did this recipe give you #TeatimeGoals? Get more goodness from A Sweet little Life on Pinterest.