Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes (FAN FAVORITES)

Originally posted 5/26/2016.

​This was quite an exciting weekend for me – as far as my baking is concerned. Thanks to an awesome friend (shoutout to you, Kate!!), I had my first baking “gig.” Kate was sweet enough to ask me to bake cupcakes for a bridal shower for one of her best friends.
Huge honor. No pressure.

Well, to bake cupcakes under one condition- that I make these specific cupcakes. Because they are amazing.

Last Friday, I spent the evening baking 40 cupcakes and drinking wine. Honestly, its a pretty fantastic way to spend an evening. (*Disclaimer* I do not condone drinking and baking. I have the scars to prove the danger, but thats a blog for another day.) When I make these cupcakes for parties (so far at least 1 birthday, a BBQ, 2 bridal showers, and a rehearsal dinner) they have been a huge hit.  Each time I baked without significant incident. But of course I can’t say that for this Friday. Thank god for Bob.

Friday night the Greater Boston area was rainy and humid. I made the mistake of leaving my kitchen windows open. The frosting  for this cupcake is an awesome cream cheese based frosting, which does not appreciate humidity. So, at 9:55 p.m. and after a failed first attempt, Bob rushed me to the grocery store to buy ingredients for my second  and hopefully final attempt. New lesson learned- have back up ingredients when working on a deadline. While we were at the grocery store, we closed the windows and turned the fans on. Next house we buy, central AC is required.

For the second attempt, I made sure to keep the cream cheese in the fridge longer. I also added more heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to thicken it up a bit. After mixing the frosting up, I put it in the fridge for an hour. Luckily this all helped and from what Kate has told me the cupcakes were a success.
This amazing recipe was adapted from Annie’s Eats! Please check it out.
​
INGREDIENTS
For the Cupcakes

• ¾ cup plus 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
• ¾ cup cake flour
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
• Zest of 1 large lemon
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ cup plus 2 tbsp. milk, at room temperature
• 1 cup blueberries

For the Frosting

• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 5 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2  tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Zest of 1 large lemon

DIRECTIONS
 Cupcakes 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line cupcake pans with paper liners (makes about 14 to 16 cupcakes).
3. Combine ¾ cup all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and lemon zest, until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in eggs one at a time.
6. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice.
7. With the mixer on low, mix in a third of the dry ingredients- just until combined.
8. Blend in half of the milk, then a third of the dry ingredients-just until combined.
9. Blend in the remaining milk and then the final third of the dry ingredients- just until combined. DO NOT OVER MIX!
10. In a separate bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of all-purpose flour. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
11. Fill the cupcakes liners about 2/3 of the way.
12. Bake approximately 20 minutes.

Frosting

1. Mix cream cheese and butter. Beat on medium-high until smooth.
2. Mix in lemon zest and lemon juice.
3. Mix in powdered sugar – one cup at a time, until totally incorporated.
4. Garnish with fresh blueberries.

AND ENJOY!!!