Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes begin with a moist and tender lemon cupcake that’s dotted with juicy blueberries. Topped with an incredible sweet and tangy delicate lemon cream cheese frosting, blueberry lemonade icing and a blueberry.
While pretty and homemade, this is a very simple recipe that’s easy to make and perfect for spring & summer.
It’s day 2 of our 2019 Summer Dessert Week! Huge thanks to Angie over at Big Bear’s Wife for creating this event, securing our sponsors and putting a lot of hard work into the entire event.
This week you will discover desserts galore!
You are sure to find a dessert that fits any need. From a backyard pool party to a simple summer snack. A group of us have come together to share some of our favorite summertime dessert recipes with you!
I chose to share these Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes today.
They are incredible and while they look incredibly elegant, they are so easy to put together and they were a huge hit at a recent brunch.
The lighter lemon flavor blends beautifully with the sweetness of the blueberries. The cupcakes are divine! They even have blueberries in the batter!
I had a little help from my friends at Wilton and Adam’s Extract to make these cupcakes.
For Summer Dessert Week Wilton provided us with baking goods galore, and Adam’s Extracts provided us with plenty of extract to make up lots of baked goods!
Frequently asked questions about these Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes:
Can I make this into a blueberry lemon cake?
Yes. It’s enough for a 2-layer 8 inch layer cake. Line the bottom of the cake pans first, then grease the sides. They’ll take about 21-25 minutes to bake.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes. You can make the cake and the frosting up to 24 hours ahead. Make the cake and allow it to cool completely.
Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store at room temperature.
Do not pre-frost the cupcakes. Store the lemon cream cheese frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow it to sit at room temperature about 20-30 minutes and blend it again. Decorate as desired.
Can I use a different frosting?
If you aren’t interested in the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, you can use a store bought lemon frosting instead, or simply just use a Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.
More Delicious Summer Desserts
- No Churn Chocolate Dipped Waffle Cone Ice Cream
- Brownie Bottom Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake
- Strawberry Ice Cream
- Glazed Donut Strawberry Shortcake Boozy Milkshake
- Whipping Cream Pound Cake
- Lemon Popsicle Cupcakes
- Lemon Lime Cheesecake
- Blackberry Crumble Bars
- Bomb Pop Jello Shots
Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes with Cake Mix
If you would rather make this recipe with a cake mix, that’s fine too. Make your cake mix as directed. It would be best to use a white or golden cake mix.
Gather your ingredients needed to make the cake mix. Mix it all up and then add the lemon zest and lemon extract that is called for in the recipe below.
Bake as directed on your package.
Continue with the recipe as follows for the icing and topping.
Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Filling
If you want to add a blueberry filling to the center of these cupcakes, there are a couple of ways to do this.
Bake the cupcakes as directed. After they have cooled, you can add a blueberry filling by piping it into the cupcakes.
Blueberry Filling can be:
- Homemade Blueberry Filling
- Blueberry Jelly
- Blueberry Pie Filling
Ready to make these Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes?
Easy, incredibly moist and with a soft tender lemony crumb filled with sweet blueberries and a light lemon frosting that will make everyone keep coming back for more!
A great big shout out to Dixie Crystals for all the sugar used in my baking, Wilton for the candy melts and piping bags I used to decorate the cupcakes, and Adams Extract for the Vanilla and Lemon Extracts used to make the flavor pop in these.
Make these Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes into a Blueberry Lemon Cake
If you would rather turn this recipe into a Blueberry Lemon Cake, follow the recipe until you get to filling the cupcake pan.
Instead, it’s enough for a 2-layer 8 inch layer cake.
Line the bottom of the cake pans first, then grease the sides.
They’ll take about 21-25 minutes to bake at 350 degrees F.
The follow the recipe the rest of the way. Use more blueberries to decorate the top of the cake.
Recipe for Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes
Blueberry Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoons lemon zest
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 6 tablespoons of 2% or whole milk
- 1 cup fresh blueberries plus 12 more to garnish cupcakes
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- ½ teaspoon milk see recipe notes
- For Decorating Cupcakes:
- 12 fresh Blueberries mentioned above
- ½ cup of Wilton Blueberry Lemonade Candy Melts
Instructions
For the cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in a muffin tin and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a small bowl, toss the lemon zest with sugar, until combined and allow to sit about 5 minutes or so.
- In another bowl (I use my stand mixer), beat together the butter and sugared lemon zest on medium speed, scraping down the sides, until the butter gets fluffy. Took me about 2 minutes.
- Continue on medium speed and add the eggs in, one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and the lemon extract and beat until everything is combined.
- Switch to a paddle attachment and turn your mixer on low. Add the original bowl of dry ingredients a little at a time just until combined. Don't over mix. This will keep your cupcakes light and fluffy when they are baked.
- Add the milk and mix again just until combined.
- Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Grab your muffin tin with the cupcake liners and fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full. I tried to make sure each cupcake got several blueberries.
- Bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cupcakes in muffin pan for about 15 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese and softened butter until well blended.
- Add the powdered sugar and blend well, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Beat in the lemon juice, extract and milk. (see notes if mixture is still too stiff).
To Decorate Cupcakes:
- Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, pipe your frosting onto each cupcake. I used these AWESOME Wilton All in One Disposable Decorating Bags with Tips. I loved how easy they were and cleanup was a breeze!
- Melt the Wilton Blueberry Lemonade Candy Melts as directed on the package. You don't have to add the drizzle if you don't want to, but why wouldn't you? It adds a little something to these already light and fluffy cupcakes. Plus they smell and taste heavenly.
- Once the candy melts are completely melted, drizzle over the cupcakes. Add a blueberry to the top of each cupcake.
- Refrigerate the cupcakes for 5 minutes to harden the candy melts, if desired.
- Enjoy!
Blueberry and lemon are such a classic pair. These cupcakes sound delicious!