Lavender Honey Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 0.3 teaspoon lavender oil organic
• 2 tablespoons edible lavender flowers fresh whole french
• 3 large eggs 
• 2.5 cups flour all-purpose
• 0.3 cup honey organic
• 2 cups honey organic or 1 cup baker's sugar plus 1 cup honey
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 1 tablespoon sanding sugar 
• 0.5 tablespoon 1/2 tablespoon tangerine zest 
• 0.5 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon tangerine zest 
• 1 teaspoon tangerine juice 
• 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup vegetable oil 

Equipment

• bowl
• oven
• blender
• hand mixer
• muffin liners
• pastry bag

Directions

1. For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake or muffin pans with 18 cupcake liners.
2. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Cream the honey, buttermilk and vegetable oil until they are immersed together, about 5 minutes, in the bowl of a stand up electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add each egg one at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Turn the mixer on low speed and add the flour mixture about 3/4 cup at a time. Slowly add the lavender flowers and lavender oil to create a smooth batter.
4. Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with the batter and bake until golden brown and baked through, about 30 minutes. Cool the cupcakes completely.
5. For the tangerine vanilla mascarpone cream: Blend the mascarpone, honey and vanilla by hand, until the cream is smooth and incorporated.
6. Add the juice and zest.
7. Mix for 15 seconds.
8. Put the cream into a 24-inch pastry bag with half of the tip cut off.
9. Mix together the sanding sugar and tangerine zest.
10. Pipe the tangerine vanilla mascarpone cream on top of each cooled cupcake.
11. Sprinkle the top with the sanding sugar mixture.