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Earl Grey Poppyseed Cupcakes with Apricot Jam and Strawberry Frosting

Perfect for summer, these cupcakes are infused with earl grey tea and dotted with poppyseeds, filled with apricot jam, and topped with a creamy strawberry frosting. These cupcakes are delicately balanced and perfectly fluffy and moist, adding the perfect pop of summer color to your baking list.
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 3 hours
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Earl Grey Poppyseed Cupcakes
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 3 earl grey tea bags
  • ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons poppyseeds
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup apricot jam
Strawberry Frosting
  • 1 ½ cups freeze dried strawberries
  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable shortening
  • 3 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • a pinch of salt

Method
 

Make the cupcakes
  1. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, add the tea bags and let them sit in the simmering cream, stirring frequently for five minutes. Then, turn off the burner but keep the saucepan on the warm burner, cover the milk partly with the lid, and let the milk sit for 20 minutes. Finally, remove the tea bags and discard them, and set aside the milk to let it cool.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 12 count muffin tin with liners and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium high speed until fluffy and combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until combined. Set aside.
  4. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, poppyseeds, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until almost combined. Add in the lemon juice and, with the mixer running on low speed, stream in the cooled earl grey-infused milk, and mix until just combined.
  5. Pour/scoop the bater evenly into the previously prepared muffin tin, filling each slightly bellow the top. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the cupcakes bounce back when lightly poked. Let the cupcakes cool completely in the pan set on a wire cooling wrack.
Fill the cupcakes
  1. Once completely cooled, the cupcakes can be filled. Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a pocket a little over 1 inch deep. The piece you remove will be cone shaped, so cut off the pointed end but keep the round "hat". Spoon a teaspoon of the apricot jam into the hole to fill to the top, and top with the round part you cut out to seal the hole. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
Make the frosting
  1. Add the freeze dried strawberries to a food processor and process until until the strawberries turn to a powder. Try to make sure there are no chunks of strawberry, if these are left, then they might get stuck in the piping tip later. Set the strawberry powder aside for now.
  2. In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and shortening together over medium high speed until creamy, smooth, and slightly lightened in color. Add in the strawberry powder, confectioners sugar, vanilla, milk, and a pinch of salt. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds before turning up to high speed and whipping for 1-2 minutes. The frosting should be creamy.
  3. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with whatever tip you want, I used Wilton 1M for a swirl design, and pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes. If desired, top with sprinkles or strawberries. Enjoy!
  4. Leftover cupcakes last up to 3 days sealed in the refrigerator.