Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 24-well mini muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar with a mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in preserves and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in lavender, vanilla extract, and enough food coloring, if using, to achieve a pleasant pink hue. With mixer at lowest speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Divide batter evenly among wells of prepared muffin pan.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 12 to 18 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Gently remove cupcakes from pan.
Place Strawberry–White Chocolate Buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (Wilton #1M). Pipe buttercream onto each cupcake.
Garnish each cupcake with a strawberry half, if desired.
Recipe by TeaTime Magazine at https://teatimemagazine.com/miniature-strawberry-cupcakes/