Earl Grey Cupcakes with Orange-Scented Buttercream + Being Pretty in Pink

Milk & Co.
Summer Book
Cheese Cake
-
Today's dreamy photographs are from uccia♥photography. It is full of beautiful shades of color, an exquisite depth, and her work is just unmistakably original and special.
Moreover, not only is she a gifted photographer, she can cook. If you speak Italian and like to cook, she has an utterly gorgeous blog.


-----
Before last week, I had infused butter with garlic and herbs for savory foods. I had not thought of making sweet little things using the technique, but it was such an exciting realization that I've been dreaming of what I can make with it. Practically every dessert that I've ever written about includes butter. I have never been much of a sweet tooth - pretty remarkable for someone with a sweet-focused blog - but I think that I have a butter tongue. Its the butter in desserts that I like. Well, I could live off of dairy products in general. I even went through phrases (back in junior high) of eating ice cream three times a day, and another in which I'd finish half-gallons of frozen yogurt in two days.
What better than to combine my love of dairy with my enamorement with tea? I've always loved cooking with tea, it makes me feel like a more dedicated tea lover - as if drinking five more cups of the stuff didn't do this already - and it makes feel clever and creative. This particular version of a tea cupcake is fairly simple: a strong black tea with a orange-scented buttercream frosting. There are many more possibilities for tea-infused cupcakes: darjeeling-infused with rose-water replacing the orange, sencha-infused and topped with a raspberry, chai-infused with a simple buttercream and a bit of crystalized ginger...
The tea cupcake is very similar to the lavender ones from last week. The two noticeable differences are the frosting (buttercream rather than a sort of cream cheese), and the size and shape of the cupcakes. I have spent the past few weeks looking for a way to make cupcakes with straight rather than flared sides, because I think that they are more modern and elegant in appearance. I finally found the solution: small pleated waxed-paper cups. They are the same type of cup your dentist would offer for rinsing, or someone might use to serve nuts or small appetizers at a party. I chose cups with a two-ounce capacity. I've decided to call these cupcakes "small" to distinguish between these and last's 'miniatures', and I've even translated the name into French to make them sound better. 'Cause everything sounds better and more fancy, when you say it in French.

Small Tea Cupcakes with Orange-Scented Buttercream
Makes about 20 little cupcakes
Cupcakes:
-12 tbsp butter (3/4 cup)
-6 slightly over-filled tbsp of black tea (Earl Grey would work well)
-1/2 cup sugar
-2 medium egg
-1/4 cup milk
-1 cup flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
Frosting:
-3/4 (1.5 sticks) cup butter, softened
-3/4 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar
-3/4 cup milk
-3 tbsp sifted organic all-purpose flour
-1/4 tsp orange blossom water (or 1/2 tsp finely minced orange zest)
optional: 1/4 vanilla bean, scrapings only
Decoration (optional): a few large tea leaves
To infuse the butter: Begin by infusing the butter with tea leaves. To do this, cut the butter into cubes and place into a small saucepan over medium-heat. Add the tea leaves. Once butter has melted, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally and do not allow the butter to brown or boil. Remove from heat, allow the butter to cool for 10 minutes. Strain the melted, tea-scented butter, pressing down on the tea leaves to maximize the amount of butter and the intensity of the flavor. You should have just over 1/2 cup of butter remaining.
Bring the butter to room temperature (you can speed up the process by sticking the butter in the refrigerator for about 1/2 hour, but you will have to stir it every 5-10 minutes).
While the butter is cooling, make the frosting: Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the flavoring(s) [orange/orange blossom water/vanilla] and set aside. In the meantime, beat flour into the milk in a small saucepan (you can use the same one you used for infusing the butter, this would add a very faint tea taste to the buttercream also). Heat on medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Remove from heat as soon it begins to boil. Keep stirring for a minute or two, until slightly cool. Bring to room temperature (this should not take too long). Beat the flour-milk mixture into the butter-sugar mixture, and whip thoroughly. Cool in refrigerator while the cupcakes are baking.
To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325 degree f. Beat together the infused butter and sugar. Add the egg and milk. In a separate smaller bowl, combine salt, baking powder, and flour. Add this mixture to the butter-sugar-egg mixture.
Use 2 oz. souffle/nut/tasting cups. Place on a baking sheet. Fill each cup about 1/2 full (you can go just a little over instead of under). Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a cake test inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Allow the cupcakes to cool for approximately 10 minutes. During this time, remove the frosting from the refrigerator and allow to soften slightly. Smooth frosting over each one, use a butter knife/cheese spreader to level to the frosting with the top of the cupcake cup.
Decorate as you wish, I prefer using something that looks a bit 'natural', such as the tea leaves.