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Honey Passionfruit Cupcakes with Hibiscus Lime Buttercream Frosting

Sweetened with honey and frosted with a luscious hibiscus lime buttercream, the recipe for these tropical passionfruit cupcakes is surprisingly easy. 

The recipe can be made into miniature or regular sized cupcakes.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cupcake, hibiscus, honey, passionfruit

Ingredients

Honey Passionfruit Cupcakes

  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup honey
  • 1/3 cup passionfruit syrup
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 large egg whites (reserve yolk for another purpose)
  • ¼ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Hibiscus Lime Buttercream

  • ¼ cup loose leaf hibiscus flowers
  • ½ cup hot water
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 ½ cup salted butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • Various sprinkles and sanding sugars, to decorate (optional)

Instructions

Make the Cupcakes:

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with muffin wrappers.
  2. In a medium sized bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled melted butter, honey, and passionfruit syrup. Beat in the egg whites, Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined.
  4. Adding only a small amount at a time, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.
  5. Fill the each muffin wrapper about two-thirds full of batter. Bake for 20-30 minutes if regular sized cupcakes (10-15 minutes for miniature cupcakes). Allow the cupcakes to cool.

Make the Buttercream:

  1. In a small, heat proof measuring cup, add the dried hibiscus flowers. Pour the hot water over the tea and allow to seep for 10 minutes. The water will turn into a glorious shade of magenta. (Be aware, this tea can easily stain, so quickly wipe up any spills. I find vinegar can lift the stains from counters if used immediately upon any accidents).

  2. Drain the infused hibiscus tea from the measuring cup and discard the used leaves. Add the lime juice to the tea and put in the fridge to cool.

  3. While the hibiscus is seeping, beat the butter until smooth with a stand or hand mixer. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar until completely combined.

  4. Gently add three tablespoons of the infused hibiscus and lime tea to the buttercream and beat until fully incorporated. The buttercream will become a lovely shade of natural pink.

  5. Ice the cupcakes with your preferred method (I used a piping bag), and decorate with sprinkles. Store finished cupcakes in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature, or up to seven days in the fridge