How to Make Hibiscus Flower Cupcakes

Hibiscus has many uses in the kitchen.

Hibiscus -- the national flower of South Korea -- is often dried and used as an ingredient for culinary uses, most notably for tea. While it may seem somewhat unconventional, you can also use hibiscus for desserts such as cupcakes. The natural herbal and berry-like flavor of hibiscus is enough to satisfy any craving for sweets, yet it still provides mild savory undertones, so it doesn't cause a sugar overload like some cupcake flavors.

Things You'll Need

• Hibiscus tea
• ½ cup sugar
• Saucepan
• Mixing bowl
• Mixer
• ½ cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 5 tbsp. milk
• Hibiscus flower

Instructions

1. Brew 1 cup of hibiscus tea according to the directions of your particular tea. If using whole hibiscus flowers, use 3 tbsp. of flowers in 1 cup of water.

2. Pour the tea in a small saucepan and add ½ cup of white sugar. Put the saucepan on the stove at medium heat and stir the mixture slowly until it begins to thicken. Remove from the heat as soon the mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon.

3. Pour the hibiscus syrup into a mixing bowl with ½ cup of butter. Beat the syrup and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until they form an even consistency.

4. Add a whole egg to the bowl while simultaneously mixing. Add a second egg once the first is thoroughly mixed in.

5. Pour 1 1/2 cups flour and 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder into the mixing bowl slowly while mixing with the mixer. Mix the ingredients to an even consistency.

6. Add 5 tbsp. of milk to the bowl and mix it thoroughly with the mixer.

7. Pour the mixture into muffin pans lined with cupcake holders. Each cupcake should get about ¼ cup of the cupcake batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

8. Frost the cupcakes once they cool down. You can use any frosting, but a buttercream or vanilla frosting goes well with the hibiscus flavor.

9. Top each cupcake with a fresh hibiscus flower petal for decoration.

References

• O Chef: Substituting Sugar, Honey & Syrup
• University of Kansas Center for East Asian Studies: Hibiscus