Rose Cupcakes are soft vanilla cupcakes filled with rose pastry cream and topped with rose water cream cheese frosting. They’re the perfect treat for Valentine’s Day!
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Rose water cupcakes are perfect for celebrating a special occasion. You can also whip up a batch whenever you’re craving something pretty and delicious!
They are soft vanilla cupcakes with rose cream in the middle and floral cream cheese frosting on top. Rose water adds a floral scent and an enticing flavor to these cupcakes just like my cookies with rose water.
You can also combine rose water with berries like in these strawberry white chocolate scones!
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Moist and fluffy vanilla cupcakes – the texture is soft and fluffy. They just melt in your mouth just like my white chocoalte and raspberry cupcakes!
- Rose water cream cheese frosting – this frosting is slightly tangy, not too sweet and lightly hinted with rose water. I adapted the recipe from orange blossom frosting in my olive oil grapefruit cake.
- Rose cream filling – it’s perfectly sweet and delicious and makes the cupcakes so good to bite into! If you love filled cupcakes, be sure to make these cupcakes with blueberry filling.
- Easy recipe – each part of these cupcakes is super simple. No special tools are needed to make these!
Ingredients
Below are useful notes about some of the ingredients needed for these rosewater cupcakes.
- Butter-We’re using unsalted butter in the cupcake batter, the filling and the frosting.
- Eggs- Use 2 large, room temperature eggs for the cupcakes and 2 large egg yolks for the cream filling.
- Flour- You can use either all purpose flour or cake flour. Spoon your all-purpose flour into your measuring cup. Avoid dredging the measuring cup in the flour. This can cause you to use too much flour and can result in dry cupcakes.
- Rose Water– Rose water is a common ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s made by distilling fresh rose petals with water. Rose water is potent, so use it sparingly. For more Middle Eastern inspired cookies, try my hibiscus cookies and chocolate tahini cookies.
- Cornstarch- Corn starch thickens the filling. The filling sounds fancy but only takes minutes to make. It’s the same yummy filling used in this recipe for Boston cream cupcakes.
- Milk and sour cream- Use both milk and sour cream. I recommend full fat for both.
- Powdered sugar- Sift your powdered sugar to prevent bumps in the frosting.
- Cream cheese– Use full fat, room temperature cream cheese in the frosting. Use block style cream cheese. Do not use cream cheese spread. Use leftover cream cheese to make my red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Instead of rose water, use orange blossom water.
- You can leave out the filling if you prefer. The cupcakes will still be delicious!
- Use low fat milk instead of whole milk.
- Swap in buttermilk in place of the milk and sour cream.
- Use a 1:1 gluten free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Baking to make these cupcakes gluten free.
Instructions
Step 1 (Picture 1 above)–In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy and well combined.
Step 2 (Picture 2 above)– Mix in the eggs, vanilla and rose water. Mix in the dry ingredients and milk and sour cream in alternating batches until just combined.
Step 3 (Picture 3 above)– Line a 12 count muffin pan and fill 2/3 full. Bake at 350 F for 17-21 minutes.
Step 4 (Picture 4 above)– Allow muffins to cool completely.
Step 5 (Picture 5 above)– Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly stir in the milk. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium. Whisk while cooking for about two minutes until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir a little of the hot mixture into the yolks. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the milk mixture. Stir continuously over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and rose water. Allow to cool.
Step 6 (Picture 6 above)– Make the frosting. Beat the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on low speed. Add the rose water 1/2 teaspoon at a time, according to taste.
Step 7 (Picture 7 above)– Use a cupcake corer (or the wide end of a large piping tip) to carve out a hole in the cupcakes. Remove the center of each cupcake. Discard the centers or save them for a snack! Fill each cupcake with the rose water pastry cream.
Step 8 (Picture 8 above)– Frost your cupcakes. I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe that flat swirl. Start in the middle and pipe in a swirl til you get to the edge. Top with dried rose petals.
Expert Tips
- Make sure all refrigerated items (butter, milk, etc) are at room temperature. Room temperature ingredients incorporate better and make it so the batter mixes together evenly.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl a couple of times while making the batter. This will ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
- Fill cupcake liners only about 2/3 full. You’ll need 3-4 tablespoons (or 1/4 cup) of batter for each cupcake.
Recipe FAQs
They’re done when a toothpick comes out clean or when you lightly press the top and they are springy. The don’t get too brown on top, just lightly golden around the edges.
Yes! You can wrap and freeze unfrosted, unfilled cupcakes for up to three months. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and place in a resealable freezer bag.
The cupcakes and frosting can be made ahead 1 day in advance. Store the unfrosted cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature. Cover the frosting and store it in the fridge til you’re ready to use it. Once filled and frosted, store cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
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Rose Cupcakes
Ingredients
Vanilla Cupcakes
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 (2) large eggs room temperature
- 1⅓ cups (166.67 g) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons (1¼ teaspoons) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) salt
- ¼ cup (57.5 g) sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) milk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) rose water
Rose Water Cream Filling
- ⅓ cup (66.67 g) granulated sugar
- 1½ tablespoons (12 g) cornstarch
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) whole milk
- 2 (2) large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) rose water
Rose Water Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese brick style, full fat, room temperture
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 1½ teaspoons (1½ teaspoons) rose water or more or less, to taste
- dried rose petals for decorating, optional
Instructions
Vanilla Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar with a hand held electric mixer on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy and well combined.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the vanilla extract and rose water.
- In a small bowl, stir to combine the milk and sour cream.
- Mix in the dry ingredients and milk-sour cream mixture in alternating batches, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix very briefly again just to combine.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full (about 3 tablespoons batter per cupcake). Bake 18-21 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Remove from oven. Cool cupcakes in tin for ten minutes then remove and transfer them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before filling and frosting.
Rose Water Cream Filling
- Lightly whisk the egg yolks in a small heatproof bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk to combine the cornstarch and sugar in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, slowly stir the milk. Cook for about two minutes until mixture comes to a boil, whisking while cooking. Remove from heat.
- Add a small amount of the hot mixture into the yolks. Stir well.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture into the milk mixture. Stir continuously while it cooks on low heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and rose water. Allow to cool completely.
- Once cupcakes and filling have cooled completely, fill and frost the cupcakes. Use a cupcake corer (or the wide end of a large piping tip) to carve out a hole in the cupcakes. Remove the center of each cupcake. Discard centers (or save them for snacks!)
- Spoon or pipe at least 1 teaspoon of filling into the middle of each cupcake (add enough to fill each cupcake).
- Frost your cupcakes. I use a Wilton 1M tip to pipe a flat swirl. Start in the middle and pipe in a swirl til you get to the edge. Top with dried rose petals if you like.
Rose Water Cream Cheese Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, mix together the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on low speed. Slowly increase the speed to medium. Mix til smooth and free of any lumps.
- Add the rose water 1/2 teaspoon at a time, according to taste. (I recommend using between 1 teaspoon to 1½ teaspoons.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
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