Cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners.
2. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Next, beat in eggs, lemon zest and elderflower essence. Mix on a medium speed until well combined.
3. In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add ½ of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture, then add half of the milk, beating of low speed after each addition. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and milk, mixing on low speed until just combined.
4. Evenly fill each cupcake liner, about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

Buttercream

1. Beat butter until light and creamy, using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer. Slowly add in powdered sugar, and mix on the lowest speed. Add one cup at a time, until you’ve reached 3 – 3 ½ cups. At this point, add in lemon juice, elderflower essence and 2 TBS heavy cream and salt (if using – salt helps cut down the sweetness, so use if you prefer your frosting on the less sweet side). Beat the mixture on a medium-high speed for a few minutes until the buttercream is smooth and fluffy.
2. If frosting is too thick, beat in a bit more heavy cream. If it is too thin, beat in the additional half cup of powdered sugar. Adjust the amount of cream and sugar until the desired consistency is achieved.