Blueberry Cupcakes Recipe – Step by Step: Soft blueberry cupcakes with blueberry puree and freeze-dried blueberries added to the flavor. The cake is topped with a naturally beautiful blueberry buttercream. Since I just missed blueberry season last summer, I had to wait to share this blueberry cupcake recipe with you. I’ve had it ready to go for almost a year now!
If you’ve been following me for a while, you may have seen these cupcakes in my profile pictures on all of my social media sites and even on this page! This recipe comes from this blueberry cake that is purple and blue all the way through. Last summer, when blueberry season came around, I really wanted that cake, but in the form of cupcakes.
Blueberry Cupcakes Recipe – Step by Step
Several changes have been made to the recipe to make it a good cupcake recipe. The main ideas have not changed, though: Blueberry powder and blueberry puree are both made from freeze-dried blueberries. There should be more blueberry in the buttercream. There is already so much blueberry!
Ingredients
- 150 g or 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
- zest of 2 lemons optional
- 170 g or ¾ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 95 g or ½ cup canola oil or other flavorless oil
- 150 g or 1 cup plus ¼ cup cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon blueberry powder from ground freeze dried berries (grind this right before using as it tends to clump when left open)
- ⅓ cup buttermilk or kefir
- 113 g or Half a brick of cream cheese full fat, softened and at room temperature
- 226 g or 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 390 g or 3 cups organic powdered sugar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons blueberry powder from ground freeze dried berries
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Also See:
Brown Butter Carrot Scones Recipe
How to make it
- For smoother cream cheese, press down on it with the back of a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. This will get rid of any lumps. In a bowl, mix the blueberry powder, salt, and vanilla with the butter until it’s light and fluffy. This should take about 4 minutes.
- Put in the powdered sugar and mix it in. Don’t use cream cheese? If not, add just enough milk to make the mixture smooth. Put in a container that won’t let air in and set it aside (on the counter or in the fridge overnight if you want to keep it longer). Let it come to room temperature before piping.
- To cook the blueberries, put them in a small pot and set it over medium-low heat. They will get soft and burst. Press them with the back of a spoon to get the juices out. Cook it until all the berries are soft, most of them have burst, and it starts to get thick. Put the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to get about 70 g, or ¼ cup, of puree.
- Then set it aside to cool. Throw away the skins. Warm the oven up to 375 F. Put liners in a tin that holds 12 cupcakes. Put the sugar and zest in a bowl and rub them together. For at least three to five minutes, beat or whisk the sugar and eggs together until they are very light and fluffy. Drop by drop, beat in the oil while adding it.
- Add the blueberry puree and mix it in. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, then add the kefir. Don’t mix too much. There is enough batter to make 12 cupcakes, so put some in each muffin cup. Put them in the oven for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the tops bounce back when you press on them. You can frost the cupcakes with the blueberry buttercream when they are cool.
FAQ
Q1. Can I make any part of this ahead of time?
After they have been baked and allowed to cool, the cupcakes should be placed in the freezer in an airtight container if they are going to be made ahead of time. If you are going to make the buttercream ahead of time, you should let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour after you have made it. This will help the blueberry powder dissolve more quickly. After that, you can transfer it to the refrigerator for about a week or to the freezer for longer storage in the refrigerator.
Q2. Can I substitute the blueberry powder with something else?
If it is not present, the cake will not taste the same. While the reduced blueberry puree does contribute some flavor, the dried powder brings out the full potential of the flavor. I believe that they work best when used together.
Q3. Can I also add some fresh berries to the batter for bits of fruit?
In my opinion, you are free to do so; however, I would recommend adding them to the batter right before you fill the muffin tins.