an earl grey kitty bobcats evening

i was invited to a lovely evening of kitty bobcats fun a few weeks ago and decided to make these earl grey cupcakes to bring.  bridge was planned for the evening, even though we never got to it, and tea and bridge seem to go well together to me so these cupcakes were an obvious fit.  i really loved these cupcakes and to be honest, a lot of the stuff i bake i only end up sampling and not eating just because i'm not a big sugar person, but i loved these and actually ate two of them.  the pan of 6 is what i brought over to the kitty bobcats evening, the other 6 got eaten before then :)

Earl Grey Cupcakes with Earl Grey Lemon Buttercream Frosting
adapted from patent and the pantry and honey and jam.  yields 12 cupcakes.
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1 tbsp. Earl Grey tea ***

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and fill 1 muffin pan with liners. Beat the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg is added.  Make sure they are thoroughly combined before adding the next one by scraping down the edges of the bowl.  Whisk together the dry ingredients, including the tea in a medium bowl.  Beat in half of the dry mixture with the wet, then add the milk and the rest of the dry mixture, stirring until just combined.  Again, make sure to scrape down the edges during this process.  Fill liners about two-thirds full.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool thoroughly before frosting.

***i didn't use a bagged earl grey tea so i'm not sure how many bags would be needed in this recipe.  i'm out right now, but later when i find out i will post the brand i used.

Earl Grey Lemon Buttercream Frosting
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 1/2 - 2 c. of powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons of earl grey tea leaves

Cream the butter until nice and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, making sure to scrape the edges of the bowl.  Next, add the lemon zest, lemon juice and tea, making sure it is well mixed.  Frost with your favorite tip and eat :)