When my dad showed me this recipe in Sunset magazine I couldn't wait to try it! I have always wanted to try baking with rose water. Finding the rose water was an adventure in itself. At Vitamin Cottage a worker looked at me like I was crazy when I said I was looking to use rose water in a recipe. Ha!

My mother-in-law asked us to bring a dessert for Easter and I immediately thought about these unique cupcakes. I also think these beauties would be great from Mother's Day or a bridal shower.

Strawberry Rose Cupcakes

YIELD: Makes 16
TOTAL:1 HOURS, 30 MINUTES

Ingredients

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup strawberry jam
1 1/2 to 2 tsp. rose water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line 16 muffin cups with liners. Beat butter and sugar with a stand mixer until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat until well blended.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Gradually beat into butter mixture until well blended.
3. Whisk together jam and rose water to taste in a small bowl. Spread 2 heaping tbsp. batter in each liner. Top with 1 tsp. jam mixture, then another 2 heaping tbsp. batter, carefully spreading it to cover jam.
4. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted toward the edge comes out clean, 25 to 27 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Spread with frosting and decorate with rose petals.

Cream Cheese-Rose Frosting

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 to 2 tsp. rose water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

In a bowl with a mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, rose water, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth.


Instead of using rose petals I decorated the with sugar pearls.

I would like to give a shout out to my sister for keeping me company during my time in the kitchen...although I'm pretty sure it's only to lick off all the beaters, but it's nice to laugh my way through the time!!!! "Teaping Heaspoons" :)