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 it is all topped off with a blueberry.
1cupfresh blueberries plus 12 more to garnish cupcakes
For the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting:
½cupunsalted buttersoftened
8ozcream cheesesoftened
3cupspowdered sugar
1teaspoonlemon juice
½teaspoonlemon extract
½teaspoonmilksee recipe notes
For Decorating Cupcakes:
12blueberriesmentioned above
½cupWilton 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).
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!
Notes
For better blueberry coverage in the cupcake: I found I had mixed results blending the blueberries into the batter, so if you are super picky about where the blueberries fall, don't mix them in, but set them on top of the batter once you've filled the cupcake liners. Try to resist pushing them down too much because they will often fall to the bottom.If frosting seems to thick: Add 1/2 teaspoon of milk, and blend. Check for desired consistency and repeat until you have the consistency you are looking for.