Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream Frosting
ShareMoist and fluffy homemade lemon cupcakes with fresh lemon curd filling and blueberry buttercream frosting. A fun treat for any spring or summer occasion!
Happy Cinco de Mayo! And what better day of the week to celebrate than taco Tuesday?! A few margaritas might be in order. And definitely some spicy, cheesy goodness. If you’re in need of some fun recipe ideas… look no further! From strawberry margaritas, to margarita cupcakes with tequila lime buttercream frosting and chicken tacos with chipotle sour cream sauce… I’ve got you covered! Want more? Look here.
We just finished up our April school vacation and had the most beautiful warm and sunny weather to end the week. The sunshine was very much needed. I only wish the bugs would have stayed away longer. Hopefully the May flies will be short lived, especially since nothing seems to work to keep them away. I may have had my doubts about having a week off, given that the kids were on a roll with online learning, but it was definitely nice to have no schedule and nothing to do – for everyone! We’re already back into the swing of things with another week of online learning. Here’s to hoping the last month of school goes as well, or better, than the first six weeks. Crazy to think we’ve already been home so long.
And happy almost Mother’s Day! Even if we’re stuck inside, every mom deserves a special treat!
Nothing else screams spring to me quite like lemon baked goods. And blueberry is a perfect flavor combination. I probably dream of lemon goodies as soon as Fall is over. It’s one of my absolute favorite flavors to bake with.
While these cupcakes don’t scream Cinco de Mayo… they are perfect for Mother’s Day or any spring celebration!
Super moist and fluffy homemade lemon cupcakes, filled with lemon curd and topped off with fresh blueberry buttercream frosting. These cupcakes are dreamy, delicious and bursting with fresh flavor!
If you’re looking for a super fun homemade treat to whip up for the mom in your life (even if that mom is YOU!) or for any occasion, add these to your baking plans. You won’t regret it!
Tips tricks and questions answered…
Can I make this into a cake instead?
This should work well as an 8 or 9-inch cake. You’ll want to check your bake time, as it may vary from the cupcake bake time listed below. If making into a cake, frosting can be reduced in half. Piping rosettes with a 1M piping tip or other star tip would work well. If you’re looking for a lemon layer cake, follow the directions for my lemon meringue layer cake and use your favorite frosting. Increase frosting amounts as needed for a cake.
Can I use store bought lemon curd?
If you’re short on eggs, store bought lemon curd can absolutely be used. You can also omit it entirely if you prefer.
Can I make cream cheese frosting instead?
Absolutely! Follow the directions for this recipe. Play around with the flavor or keep it as is.
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
Freshly squeezed is best, but in a pinch, bottled will work as well.
Help! I need more cupcakes than this recipe makes.
No problem! Double or triple the ingredient quantities until you reach your desired number of cupcakes. However, you may have an easier time following the recipe as is, and making it as many additional times as you need.
Can I make substitutions to the ingredients?
Yes and no. Baking is a science. This recipe works with the exact measurements listed. Altering one or several of those can cause the recipe to fail. If you’re familiar with baking substitutions, go for it! Outside of any alterations I’ve already mentioned, for specific substitution questions, ask in the comments below.
How do you pipe the frosting to look like that?
Using a piping bag fit with a jumbo round piping tip, hold your tip just above the center of your cupcake top. Squeeze frosting out with steady pressure, creating a large dollop. Stop piping when the desired frosting dollop has been reached.
How should I store these cupcakes?
If eating within a day or two, they can absolutely be stored at room temperature. Any longer than that and I’d suggest storing them in the refrigerator, where they can be kept for at least 4-5 days, maybe a bit longer. If you refrigerate the cupcakes, the frosting will firm up a bit. If you prefer softer frosting, bring the cupcakes to room temperature prior to eating.
How many will this serve?
This recipe will serve 9, as it makes 9 standard sized cupcakes.
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
Blueberry puree
- 1 1/2 C blueberries fresh or frozen
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/4 C granulated sugar
Cupcakes
- 1/4 C unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/4 C all purpose flour
- 1/2 C sour cream
- Lemon curd see notes
Frosting
- 1 C unsalted butter softened
- 3 C powdered sugar
- 3 Tbsp blueberry puree see above
Instructions
- Prepare lemon curd ahead, as directed. Keep chilled until ready to use.
- Prepare blueberry puree. In a small saucepan, combine blueberries (fresh or frozen, if frozen do not thaw), lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When berries are soft, mash with a potato masher. Continue cooking until mixture has thickened. Immediately press through a mesh strainer, into a clean bowl. Allow puree to cool completely prior to using in frosting. If possible, make ahead or chill while cooking the cupcakes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard cupcake pan with 9 paper liners.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs, lemon extract, zest and lemon juice. Scrape bowl as needed. Add salt, baking powder and baking soda. Alternate additions of flour and sour cream, mixing until fully combined and no streaks remain.
- Divide batter equally between prepared baking cups, using a large cookie scoop or filling roughly 2/3 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan until easy to handle, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When cupcakes have cooled, core and fill cupcakes. Add lemon curd to a small piping bag or sandwich bag, with the tip removed. Using a sharp knife or cupcake corer, carefully remove the center of each cupcake. Do not cut all the way to the bottom. Trim off the bottom portion of the removed cupcake core. Fill each cupcake with lemon curd and replace the top of the cake core back on each cupcake.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment, beat butter adding 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time. Scrape the bowl as needed. With mixer off, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of puree at a time, increasing speed between additions. Mix until fully combined and no streaks remain. Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fit with desired piping tip. Frost cupcakes as desired, topping off with fresh blueberries prior to serving.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container for up to several days. Cupcakes may also be chilled and brought to room temperature prior to serving.
Notes
More recipes perfect for spring:
- Glazed lemon pound cake loaf
- Strawberry lemonade cupcakes
- Lemon cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting
- Lemon curd blondie bars
- Carrot cake cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting
- Lemon crumb muffins with lemon glaze
- Soft and chewy lemon sugar cookies
- Lemon meringue cupcakes with lemon curd filling
- Raspberry lemon sticky buns with lemon glaze
Items used in this recipe:
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Hi Rachel! You’re lemon blueberry cupcakes with blueberry buttercream frosting sound so delicious! I haven’t made them yet, but I’m adding them to my “To Be Baked List”. I’ll update when I get around to making them!
Ran across your website. Tried making the Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes. Overall good!!. i had to bake much longer than the time listed, but i probably made larger cupcakes. used a 6 hole vs a 9 as i did not have one.
only complaint is you don’t need to make a ~cup of the blueberry puree when the frosting only calls for 3 Tablespoons. The lemon curd recipe made the correct amount. (had never made lemon curd before….)
i should have caught that and scaled it back. 1/4 cup would have been plenty.
Thanks! Great site. will try other recipes.
So glad you enjoyed them, Greg. It sounds like you may have used a jumbo cupcake pan. The standard size typically comes as a 12-cavity pan, but only 9 cavities are used for this recipe. As far as the blueberry puree goes, the extra can be used to drizzle over the top of the cupcakes, used over pancakes and waffles or as an ice cream topper. Plenty of possibilities! It certainly would not be ideal to make a tiny quantity for just the frosting. :)
I made these and they came out delicious and beautiful! They were a hit! I’m going to try making them with raspberries next.
So glad you enjoyed them!
I tried your blueberry frosting and had some trouble. First of all the blueberry puree is way too much for the recipe. with the amount of puree I cold have made a triple batch of frosting. The other issue I had was it didn’t taste like blueberry at all. The frosting was pretty but it just tasted like butter not blueberry.
As mentioned in a previous comment, making a tiny amount of blueberry puree wouldn’t be ideal. The extra can be used for drizzling on top of the cupcakes, as pancake syrup etc. Plenty of options! As far as the taste goes, that would be due to the blueberries you used. If they don’t have a huge pop of flavor to begin with, there won’t be a pop of flavor in the frosting.
They look delicious! I was wondering if you could substitute raspberries for blueberries? I love Raspberries with lemon!!
Absolutely! Follow the same directions for the blueberry puree. You may need to adjust the sugar depending on how sweet your berries are.
Am I saving the juice or the skins die the purée?
The liquid is used in the frosting, the solids are discarded or used for another purpose.