Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
Yield: 15 regular size cupcakes or
48 mini cupcakes
My favorite Lemon
Blueberry Cupcakes! Topped with homemade Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting and Fresh
Blueberries.
Ingredients
For the Lemon Blueberry
Cupcakes:
1 and 3/4 cups plus 2
tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided 1
teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2
teaspoon salt
1/2 cup full-fat sour
cream 1/2
cup whole milk
3 tablespoons fresh lemon
juice, divided 3/4
cup fresh or frozen blueberries, if frozen do not thaw 1st
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted
butter, at room temperature 3/4
cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus one egg
yolk, at room temperature 2
teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted
butter, very soft (1)
8 ounce block full-fat cream cheese, very soft
4 cups confectioners'
sugar 1
and 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
extract 1/4
teaspoon lemon extract (optional, really amps up the lemon flavor)
1/2 teaspoon finely grated
lemon zest
For the Top
1 teaspoon freshly grated
lemon zest, optional 1/2
cup fresh blueberries, optional
Instructions
For the Lemon Blueberry
Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350
degrees (F). *Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine 1
and 3/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In
a separate bowl combine the sour cream, milk, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon
juice; whisk well to combine and set aside. Place blueberries in a small bowl;
add remaining lemon juice and toss to coat the berries; add remaining flour and
toss to coat the berries in the flour; set aside.
In a large bowl using a
handheld electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 30
seconds. Add in the granulated sugar and lemon extract (if using) and beat
until well combined. Add in the egg and egg yolk and mix well. Reduce the mixer
speed to low. Add in 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix until just combined (this
should take about 5 seconds). Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture and mix until
just combined. Repeat with remaining flour and sour cream mix, being sure to
mix on low until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the floured
blueberries and any excess flour in the bowl and lemon zest. **If making mini
cupcakes, don’t fold the blueberries into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the
prepared muffin cups, filling them 3/4 of the way full.
**If making mini cupcakes,
put a little batter on thebottom of the cupcake liner, drop in 2 blueberries, then
cover with batter. Bake for 16-20
minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
** For mini cupcakes bake
11-15 minutes.
Allow cupcakes to cool in
the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool
completely. Once cupcakes are cool, frost and decorate. The cupcakes may also
be frozen, unfrosted and stored in a freezer safe bag, for up to 2 months.
For the Lemon Cream Cheese
Frosting:
In a medium bowl using a
handheld electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-speed until smooth and
creamy. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the powdered sugar and
lemon juice, beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the
vanilla extract, lemon extract (if using) and lemon zest; beat smooth. If the
consistency appears too thick, add a teaspoon of milk or heavy cream, but only
if necessary. The frosting should be creamy and spreadable, but also thick
enough to hold its shape. Pipe or spread the frosting on top of each cooled
cupcake.
To Decorate:
Top each frosted cupcake
with a pinch of lemon zest and extra blueberries, optional but pretty!
Tips and Tricks for Success:
Before you begin assembling the batter for your lemon
blueberry cupcakes, it’s very important all of your liquid ingredients have
been brought to room temperature. For this recipe, this means the sour cream,
milk, butter, and eggs. I find in these warmer months this takes about 30
minutes, but times will vary depending on your climate.
I list lemon extract as an optional ingredient. If you
prefer cupcakes that have a light lemon flavor, I do not think it’s an
essential ingredient. If you prefer a very lemony cupcake, I highly suggest
adding the extract to both the lemon blueberry cupcake batter as well as the
frosting. I love Watkins pure lemon extract because it’s 100% natural, doesn’t
contain any artificial flavors, colors, or additives, and just tastes like pure
lemon. Btw, I’m not getting paid a cent to say any of that; I just really love
their lemon extract!
Lightly scoop and level your flour. Packed flour will
lead to dry, dense cupcakes.
Fresh or frozen blueberries may be used in the batter. If
you’re using frozen, do not thaw them first. Frozen blueberries will likely
make the cupcakes a little more purple than fresh, but both taste equally
delicious.
I do not recommend adding more blueberries than called
for to the batter. Adding too many berries will weigh down the cupcakes as they
bake, causing them to sink the middle and bake unevenly. You can add plenty of
extra blueberries on top of the frosting 😉
Speaking of the frosting, you’ll want to make sure your
butter and cream cheese are very soft before beginning. I suggest getting them
a little softer than room temperature; this ensures they beat smooth and no
clumps are left behind.
Keep an eye on your cupcakes as they bake. My cupcakes
took exactly 20 minutes, but yours may be done as early as 16, depending on how
your oven runs. You’ll know they’re done when a toothpick inserted in the
center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
As always, you’ll want to make sure the cupcakes are
completely cooled before frosting them. I used a Wilton Extra Large Round Tip
to frost my cupcakes, but any tip – or even just a knife – will do.
If you’d like your cupcakes to look exactly like the ones
in these photos, simply top them with fresh blueberries (I find the smaller
ones look better and don’t weigh down the frosting too much) and fresh lemon
zest (I like to grate it onto a large plate and let it dry just a few seconds
before sprinkling it).