Supremely moist lemon cupcakes filled with homemade blueberry curd and crowned with blueberry cream cheese frosting!
Lemon and blueberry go together like Lucy and Ethel. The tart and tangy citrus of the lemon balances out the sweetness of the blueberries so well, making for the perfect flavor combination.
So before summer breezes by (as it ALWAYS does), I wanted to make sure to sneak in at least one lemon blueberry treat…
These Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes are on another level of heavenly. The cupcake itself is so soft and tender, and it’s loaded with citrusy lemon sweetness. Along with a luscious core of silky smooth blueberry curd, each cupcake is topped with the most exquisite blueberry cream cheese frosting. That’s right, BLUEBERRY cream cheese frosting.
Reasons why you MUST make these Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
HOMEMADE Blueberry Curd – I’m sure most of y’all have heard of lemon curd, but have you heard of blueberry curd?? Yes, it’s totally a thing and it’s totally delicious! This blueberry curd is a cinch to make and it has the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness, thanks to the addition of freshly-squeezed lemon juice. And bonus, once you’ve filled all of the cupcakes, you’ll have plenty of blueberry curd leftover to top waffles or pancakes with, stir into yogurt, or simply devour by the spoonful!
LOADS of Lemony Flavor – With 3 Tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice along with 1.5 Tablespoons of lemon zest, you can really taste the lemony sweetness in these cupcakes. Although some cupcakes call for lemon extract, I much prefer the freshness of pure lemon juice. You’ll also need 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice for the blueberry curd and 2 teaspoons for the frosting, so plan on buying at least 3 large lemons.
Almondy Sweetness – I love using almond extract for its strong and slightly fruity flavor. It complements pretty much any fruit and it REALLY brightens up the flavor of lemon. Not only is almond extract used in the cupcakes, but it’s also added to the frosting. Trust me, it makes a MAJOR difference in the overall flavor, so whatever you do, DON’T leave it out!
BLUEBERRY Cream Cheese Frosting – Instead of topping these cupcakes with a simple cream cheese frosting, I decided to infuse it with some blueberry sweetness by adding some of the blueberry juice leftover from the blueberry curd. You’re totally welcome to do plain cream cheese frosting, or even lemon cream cheese frosting. However, the blueberry adds so much flavor and creates the most gorgeous shade of lavender.
How to make Blueberry Curd
I’m sure most of you are new to blueberry curd, but it’s pretty much the same as making lemon curd. The only difference is that you’re adding blueberry juice instead of lemon juice.
To get that blueberry juice, you’ll first need to cook down a lot of blueberries–2.5 cups, to be exact. You can either use fresh or frozen blueberries. I’ve had great results with both! Cook the berries in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and use a potato masher or fork to mash the berries. As the berries cook, they’ll release more of their juices, and the mixture will turn a deep purple hue. Continue to simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, allowing it to reduce a little. Once it’s reduced by about a third, pour the berry juice into a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Use a rubber spatula to stir the berries around as the juice falls through the sieve. Discard the berry solids.
Now that you’ve got your fresh blueberry juice, it’s time to make the blueberry curd. Start by whisking 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Stir in 1/4 cup of the blueberry juice, then add 3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter. Stir everything together over medium heat, until the mixture has thickened. This should take anywhere from 5-8 minutes. Don’t leave the pan as the blueberry curd is cooking, and make sure to stir it constantly.
When it’s done cooking, immediately pour the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size bowl. This will catch any cooked egg bits that might’ve formed. Chill it in the refrigerator. The blueberry curd will thicken even more as it cools. Make sure it’s completely chilled before filling the cupcakes. This step should be done before you make the cupcakes.
How to Assemble the Cupcakes
You’ll start by filling the cupcakes. Just take a small knife, and carve out a cone-shaped piece of cake from the center of the cupcake. Make sure to only go about halfway into the cupcake, so that the blueberry curd doesn’t leak out of the bottom.
Next, pour the blueberry curd into a quart-sized ziplock bag, cut the corner tip off, and pipe it into the holes you carved out of the cupcakes. Although you could simply spoon the blueberry curd into the holes, the piping method is much quicker and results in a cleaner finish.
Now it’s time to frost the cupcakes! Place the frosting into a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (or a large ziplock bag with the corner cut off), and pipe to your heart’s content. I like to do a little swirl action by holding the piping tip right above the center of the cupcake and swirling outward. Finish off each cupcake with a few fresh blueberries, if you like.
If I haven’t said it already, these Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes are absolutely heavenly. They’re sure to be a hit at your next gathering! Not only are they infused with the zesty flavor of lemon, but the double dose of blueberry sweetness sets them apart from all the other lemon blueberry cupcakes out there. Trust me, this is THE Lemon Blueberry Cupcake recipe you need to try!
Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Blueberry Curd:
- 2 ½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into half-inch pieces
Lemon Cupcakes:
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg whites
- 1 whole egg
- 1 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup milk
- 3 Tablespoons fresly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons blueberry juice (reserved from curd recipe above)
To Decorate:
- Fresh blueberries
Instructions
Make the Blueberry Curd:
- Place blueberries in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Using a potato masher or a fork, crush the berries. Bring the berries to a simmer, then lower temperature to medium-low and simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and pour berries into a fine-mesh strainer set over a glass measuring cup. Using the back of a ladle or spoon, press on the berries to squeeze out as much juice as possible. Discard solids. You should end up with about 3/4 of juice. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar together until just combined. Whisk in the lemon juice, salt and 1/4 cup of the blueberry juice. Reserve the rest of the berry juice for the frosting.
- Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
- Immediately strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool completely. Once cooled, transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip or a gallon-sized ziploc bag with the tip of the corner cut off.
Make the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees. Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until lightened and creamy. Beat in the egg whites and whole egg, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sour cream, vanilla, almond extract on medium speed.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add the milk, lemon juice, and zest, then mix until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt together on high until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until all of the sugar has been added and frosting is smooth. Add the blueberry juice, a tablespoon at a time, mixing until combined. Transfer frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
To Assemble:
- Using a paring knife, carve a cone-shape piece out of the center of each cupcake. Try to cut only about halfway deep. Fill each cupcake with the blueberry curd. Pipe the frosting on top by holding the tip straight above the center of the cupcake and slowly swirling outward. Top each cupcake with a few blueberries. Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator.